Project

ECF were appointed by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to provide communications and engagement services for the Homes for NHS Staff, Finchley project. CHP is completely owned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the Homes for NHS Staff project was supported by several NHS organisations, One Public Estate (OPE) and the Greater London Authority (GLA).

The proposal was for up to 130 new homes for NHS Staff on land next to Finchley Memorial Hospital, in the London Borough of Barnet. All the homes on the site were designed to be affordable for NHS Staff, which would be secured through the planning application submitted.

ECF’s role

ECF were appointed to lead the project communications and engagement campaign. This involved mapping stakeholders, producing communications materials and delivering events through which local residents and key stakeholders could provide their feedback on the application that was brought forward. As part of the campaign, the following was developed and delivered:

• A full communications and engagement plan to support the project, including a comprehensive stakeholder mapping exercise
• A programme of interactive webinars through at which the project team presented and answer questions about the project
• An online Engagement Hub through which feedback could be submitted
• Briefing materials that were submitted to key stakeholders throughout the process
• Press releases to support key project milestones
• Press and social media monitoring

In parallel, ECF provided a communications strategy to raise the profile of a research report, written by Savills and commissioned by CHP, into the availability of affordable housing in the North Central London area.

Outcome

Hundreds of residents and stakeholders engaged with the team throughout the project, all of which was documented in the Statement of Community Involvement, that was submitted with the planning application.

The outline planning application was consented by Barnet Council’s Strategic Planning Committee in June 2021. ECF remain engaged in the project as a decision is made as to how to progress with its delivery.