How to use communications to create stronger, more resilient communities

UK public sector organisations and communities alike are facing a raft of challenges right now. Recent announcements such as the proposed cuts to disability benefits, changes to NHS England as well as an ongoing cost of living crisis can create a sense of powerlessness amongst communities. This can feel deeply unsettling. This feeling of loss of control can be further compounded when coupled with other pressures, such as financial or health concerns. 

In this constantly shifting environment, it can be difficult for public sector organisations to rebuild trust and foster stronger communities. However, communication is key here – and it must flow both ways.

During periods of transition, details of change may still be evolving. Public sector comms teams may be tempted to stay silent until plans become finalised to avoid confusion, misinformation or negative engagement. However, a culture of silence only serves to further compound feelings of uncertainty. In fact, honest communication is essential. 

When comms teams communicate openly and tackle issues head on, the organisation comes across as more human and trustworthy. And with honest communication in place, communities start to open up and share their own concerns, which leads to active listening, positive engagement and personalised experiences. With all these factors in place, trust naturally follows. These elements make up our Trust Pyramid, which can be transformed from theory into practice by following these guidelines:

Public sector organisations have a duty to give communities fair warning of potential hazards, risks, or events that could harm or inconvenience them in the course of their daily lives. In this era of misinformation, clear and accurate comms can prevent unnecessary alarm while giving people the information they need to make good decisions. This could encompass anything from a policing organisation alerting people to a spate of burglaries in the local area, to a council forewarning residents of a road closure. 

For example, Surrey County Council’s Community Vision for Surrey in 2030 emphasises its commitment to engaging the public, fostering community development and ensuring that “no one is left behind”. Surrey therefore uses social media to “warn” communities about local issues such as major road closures and flooding alerts, and “inform” them of support services available, such as financial or medical help. This transparency and actionable advice reassures the public that the council is actively safeguarding their interests during times of crisis, building a stronger relationship between communities and local authorities.

You may decide to change something as a result of feedback from community members, and in that case it’s always a good idea to show that you’ve listened. It sends a clear signal that you’re open to criticism and that you’re flexible, which will encourage people to open up further. 

Facing significant internal challenges and low public confidence, Police Scotland ran a long-term campaign to encourage participation in their ‘Your Police’ survey. The team used paid social campaigns to showcase how police were addressing specific concerns raised by individual communities and ‘You Said, We Did’ content whenever they had listened to public feedback. As a result, the team delivered public confidence levels that were 6% higher than other UK policing organisations. 

Similarly, housing organisation United Welsh identified a disconnect between listening to their customers’ feedback, acting on it, and communicating clearly what happened as a result. This was eroding trust between the organisation and its residents. The team decided to make engagement with residents a priority, ensuring that the feedback loop was always closed with the customer directly.

By being present on the channels you know your communities use, public sector organisations can ensure that they are keeping track of public sentiment and responding to both routine and urgent queries. This includes replying to all comments, checking and replying to DMs, and proactively carrying out polls or surveys to discover any hidden issues. Consistent communication across multiple channels lets people know what to expect, and shows accountability. Ultimately, this builds resilient communities, as well as trust and credibility between people and public organisations. 

In difficult times, empathy is essential. Connecting with communities on an emotional level demonstrates a level of care and concern that enables them to feel valued and reassured. Both are crucial in building resilience.

The role of comms in strengthening communities is often overlooked. In fact, comms teams are in a unique position to proactively warn and inform, respond empathetically to all concerns, and reassure people that there is support available through times of chaos and crisis.

The challenge is that comms teams working within the public sector are also facing significant changes. These could vary depending on the organisation, but right now they’re likely to include shifts in organisational structure, ways of working, professional relationships, and budget available to do their job. It can feel overwhelming to manage increasing numbers of messages from concerned individuals, with dwindling resources available. Tools such as Orlo can support comms teams by centralising all digital conversations into a unified inbox, enabling them to efficiently manage and prioritise inbound queries across multiple channels without toggling between systems. Orlo can also help comms teams listen to what truly matters to their communities and act on it, while understanding what’s working and gain insights into trust scores, and themes that could potentially be a risk.