Statutory guidance

Chapter 2: Marketing and Communications

Updated 2 November 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-dwp-provider-guidance/chapter-2-marketing-and-communications

Marketing

2.01. You are expected to promote the AtW Workplace Mental Health Support Service and recruit participants externally (including apprentices) through proactive marketing, PR and engagement activity. This activity should be targeted at the key audiences:

  • potential customer;
  • employers;
  • providers; and
  • advisory and support organisations.

2.02. To enable promotion and measurement of the impact of the promotion of the service and allow for customers to apply directly, you will be expected to accept applications online and via telephony. AtW Case Managers will retain control over customer eligibility for all applications to the AtW Mental Health Support Service.

2.03. You must not engage in direct marketing of individuals you have supported under the contract once the MHSS engagement period has ended.

2.04. All promotional activity must be evaluated robustly and outcomes shared with DWP Strategic Communications. To support this evaluation, as a minimum all applicants must be asked which activity or channel prompted their action at the time of initial contact. Other evaluation tools and methods are encouraged.

2.05. You will prepare and share yearly and monthly marketing and PR plans with DWP Strategic Communications and attend monthly marketing meetings. These meetings will provide a forum for you to showcase your activity in the previous month and share in month plans to facilitate collaborative communications activity. Strategic Communications will share their high-level strategy with you and ensure you are alerted to any planned activity that could impact your service levels.

2.06. All creative work and draft content must be reviewed and signed off by DWP Strategic Communications.

2.07. The Department retains final approval on all marketing activities and initiatives.

Key Issues

2.08. The creative approach to the products can reflect the company’s own design criteria but they must carry the DWP logo as the primary logo. It must be clear that the service is delivered as part of AtW and all mentions to the service should state it is the AtW Workplace Mental Health Support Service.

2.09. To access our Brandcentre - HH Global online portal for branding and logo guidelines you will need to create an account. As a Provider, you can register yourself, however your registration will be verified by a site administrator, as external parties do not have a DWP email address. Use the link to access the Brandcentre, information on How to Register, User Guide, Login Guide, Support and Terms and Conditions.

2.10. All the marketing products you produce must adhere to the standards, as written in your contract, and within this guidance. These standards are in place in order to protect the integrity of DWP programmes and the reputation of DWP and JCP.

2.11. These standards apply to all information sharing, press activity and marketing products or activities that you undertake.

2.12. Some key issues you must consider for the content of your communications, marketing and press activity are:

  • Reputational Risk. Materials you produce must not adversely affect the reputation of the service being provided by the Government, DWP or JCP, e.g. risks that could lead to adverse media attention, or messages that could be misunderstood or misinterpreted; and
  • Disability Equality Duty/Equality Act 2010. You must ensure that all our participants can access our information by providing a variety of alternative formats (e.g. large print, audio format, Braille) on request; and ensuring that people can still access our information when their chosen alternative format is not available.

2.13. More information about delivering inclusive communications is available from the Office for Disability Issues.

2.14. In producing your marketing material, you must be aware that there are propriety conventions that you will have to follow. Adhering to these conventions ensures that the government Department, Ministers, Civil Servants and those delivering on their behalf act properly and are seen to be acting properly.

2.15. If you pay a subcontractor to do your marketing, you are both responsible for complying with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR.) You should ensure have a written contract setting out your contractor’s responsibilities. Having a written contract ensures you meet your contract obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR.) Please see Guide to the GDPR for more information on contracts.

Communications

2.16. You should establish and maintain effective communication channels with all your delivery partners to ensure prompt and accurate transmission of information.

2.17. It is your role and responsibility to keep the AtW team and your DWP Performance Manager up to date with any issues/developments that could impact on this contract and ensure that all stakeholders have the information they need.

2.18. All proposed press activity must be cleared through DWP press office.

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