Communications Channels
External Communication
- Media – news releases/statements
- Social Media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube,
- RMBC Website – RMBC homepage, “”Roads and Transport” pages, “Winter” pages, news section
- Roadworks.org website – enabling public to check on existing and forthcoming works
- Bulk email – The Granicus system enables Rotherham Council to email residents who have subscribed to receive council information
- Elected members/Parish Councils – where appropriate, local ward members and parish councillors can provide an effective means of distributing information and key messages to local communities
- Correspondence with residents/businesses – residents and businesses likely to be affected by proposed highway works will be contacted by the service.
- Face to face contact with residents/businesses – where appropriate the service will also meet with residents or businesses who may be affected by forthcoming highway works
- Signage – for example, use of roadside temporary signs to inform motorists about forthcoming works
- Branding/Corporate Identity – Use of branding on vehicles, uniforms etc. to raise awareness of Council working in the area
Media
Regular and timed news releases will help to publicise planned major roadworks and other projects, helping to keep the public informed in conjunction with use of social media.
Social Media:
The Council’s “digital first” approach will use social media to regularly post links to the Council’s relevant web pages, promote pro-active news articles, give information on activities such as gritting, essential maintenance or emergency road repairs (both by Rotherham Council and third parties), and giving advance warning of adverse weather forecasts. Social media will not be used to request a service – users will be signposted to the relevant online form, or contact centre if no form is available. Some emergency situations, e.g. tree down blocking road, will require call to contact centre.
Website
Council websites are often the first point of contact for residents to find out information about the authority. The main section of the website relevant to highways is the “Roads, Parking & Transport” landing page.
The Council’s website also has a dedicated “winter weather” section).
These pages are kept up-to-date with information such as gritting routes, salt bin locations, emergency contact details for services such as Streetpride, Housing (for example, burst pipes); school closures, disruption to waste collections, building closures etc. In the event of a severe weather event (at any time of year) an “emergency banner” may be placed on the website homepage and across the entire site to alert people, signposting to the relevant pages (“winter” or other severe weather page).
These sections can be promoted via the homepage/social media/partner and media websites when necessary. Relevant news items will appear on the news section of the homepage and also on the news sections of the pages above. The main homepage and the landing pages mentioned above also have an image “carousel” which enables particular topics/news items to be promoted in a more eye-catching way.
Online reporting is available to the public for a number of services including potholes, faulty streetlights, and request highway works, for example, issues with road signs or markings.
Highway inspections may also be requested at: Find local roadworks
Services will review their website content on a regular basis and liaise with the communications and marketing team to ensure all information contained on their pages is correct and up-to-date.
In addition, a number of key documents are publically available on the Council’s website and are regularly reviewed, including:
- Code of Practice - Highway Inspection & Assessment
- Drainage Plan
- Winter Service Manual
- Highways Policy, Strategy and Asset Management Plan
- Roads that are gritted
- Highway Maintenance Annual Programme
- Quarterly Performance reports and levels of service
- Street Lighting LED replacement programme
Bulk Email
The Council currently uses the Granicus email marketing system. Through this, large numbers of residents have subscribed to receive emails regarding the council, including adverse weather and emergency information, roadworks and general news. This mechanism can be used to quickly and easily send information to all subscribers, including pro-active information regarding winter preparations or roadworks, as well as “warning and informing” in the event of adverse weather taking place/being forecast. This same system may also be used to inform partners/key stakeholders.
Internal Communications:
Council staff are among the users of the highway network and many are also residents of the borough. They will therefore also be kept informed of major projects, emergency and planned roadworks, and adverse weather through the following channels:
Intranet:
The intranet homepage can link straight through to the relevant news or content pages of the Rotherham Council website, giving a quick and easy way to keep office-based staff informed.
Direct Email
Email to all staff can ensure that the majority of colleagues are kept informed at short notice e.g. adverse weather forecast or emergency roadworks.
Newsletters
Weekly or bi-monthly newsletters to staff enable them to be made aware of forthcoming planned roadworks or other projects or celebrate successes.
Manager Cascade
Managers will be reminded to cascade all information to nonoffice based staff where possible.
Elected Members
Elected members will be made aware of major projects or other planned work through news releases and/or the Members Newsletter. The service will also ensure ward members and the relevant Cabinet Member are kept informed about any schemes that affect their ward, particularly if these are large scale or likely to cause disruption. Before, during and after an adverse weather event, key information will be communicated to elected members by email on a regular basis.
