Purpose
      The BSO communications strategy underpins and supports the achievement of our organisational 
      objectives http://www.hscbusiness.hscni.net/services/1855.htm and is fundamental to how we do our 
      business and demonstrate our values. Communication to stakeholders must be consistent, timely and 
      proportionate, providing just enough information at just the right time. 
      A good communication strategy helps organisations:
      • to achieve our overall organisational objectives
      • engage effectively internally, externally in Health Social Care and with other sectors and the wider 
        public
      • demonstrate the success of our work
      • ensure people understand what we do
      • change behaviour and perceptions where necessary.
      When we communicate, we will recognise other BSO policies such as our Corporate Plan, Annual 
      Business Plan, Customer Relationship Strategy, Information Governance and HR Policies.
     Who we are
     The BSO was established in April 2009 to provide high 
     quality  business  services  to  organisations  which  play  a 
     role  within  Health  and  Social  Care  in  Northern  Ireland 
     and,  more  recently,  the  NI  Fire  and  Rescue  Service 
     (NIFRS).    The  BSO  plays  a  key  role  in  ensuring  the 
     efficient  and  effective  running  of  health  and  social  care 
     services to patients, clients and service users throughout 
     Northern Ireland.  
     We  have  a  workforce  of  approximately  1,350  staff 
     delivering, primarily regional, services in the areas shown
     BSO  also  administers  services  on  behalf  of  the 
     Department  of  Health,  such  as  nursing  and  midwifery 
     bursaries  to  pre-registration  students  and  the  Healthy 
     Start scheme which provides claimants with free vouchers 
     for milk, infant formula milk and fresh fruit and vegetables. 
      
     More  information  on  our  services  can  be  found 
     on our website. 
      Why is communication important to us? 
      The BSO Mission is “to deliver value for money and high quality business Services to Health and Social Care, so contributing 
      to the health and wellbeing of the population of Northern Ireland”.  We will achieve this by collectively providing exemplary service 
      in our own operational areas which supports and enables public-facing healthcare staff to provide better health and social care.
      The BSO Strategic Objectives for the period 2015-18 reflect our commitment to quality services:
      •  To Deliver Value for Money Services to our Customers;
      •  To Grow our Services and Customer Base;
      •  To Pursue and Deliver Excellence through Continuous Improvement and
      •  To Enhance the Contribution and Development of Our People.
      Our Mission and Strategic Objectives are underpinned by our Values which are:
      •  Respect  for Staff and Customers
      •  Accountability in how we use our Resources
      •  Transparency, Openness and Trust
      •  Partnership and Collaboration with our Stakeholders and Customers
      •  Professionalism and Expertise.
      We will try to live by our values every day and embed them in process and practice
      When we communicate, we set out to do so clearly, in a timely way and with respect.  There are three strands to our communication: 
      With each other in BSO; With our customers and consumers across the Health and Social Care family; and With the public 
      across different sectors in Northern Ireland.  The communication style will be tailored to provide a consistent message within each 
      communication strand.   
      With each other
      Our organisation’s business is diverse and our BSO workplaces are spread throughout Northern Ireland. It 
      is important that we know where to find information about what is going on within our organisation and that 
      can be a challenge.  Recognising that staff are our greatest asset, this strategy aims to create the basis for 
      engagement with staff, listening to their views and ideas, improving their understanding of BSO and 
      equipping them to be powerful advocates for our organisation. Through our staff and with open and 
      transparent communication, we will be living our values and better able to meet our organisational 
      objectives.
      To do this we will:
       Assign a Communication Co-ordination role within BSO who will drive and co-ordinate all aspects of 
         communication.
       Ensure briefings on critical issues and important achievements are communicated in a timely and 
         accurate fashion to appropriate levels within the organisation
       Ensure staff have opportunities to communicate their needs, views and ideas within the BSO and make 
         their contribution to future direction, such as Staff Meetings, Staff Engagement, appraisals, Vetter etc 
       Ensure that staff know what is expected of them and how they contribute to the quality of services we 
         provide
      With our customers and consumers
      Communication with our customers and consumers is critical to help us understand and meet their needs, 
      expectations and support a balanced view of performance.  Equally our consumers and consumers will 
      contact us and we should respond within our agreed timescales, with the right information that meets their 
      needs and expectations.
      We will:
      • Communicate accurately and often. 
      • Respond promptly to our customers and consumers with the information they need.
      • Work across all Directorates to ensure a consistency of approach in all of our communications. 
      • Develop our workforce and enable all staff to be ambassdors for BSO through regular and relevant 
        information.