RNID: Transforming From Social Care To Social Change

When a 100-year-old charity comes close to the brink, how do you rebuild not just the finances, but the culture and confidence of the organisation? That was the story Frankie Garforth shared on the Internal Communications stage at the Engage Employee Summit, lifting the lid on RNID’s bold transformation journey and the pivotal role internal comms played in making it real for colleagues. This episode is a must for anyone navigating long-term change and looking for practical ways to put people at the heart of the strategy.

From Crisis To Reinvention

Frankie began by grounding the audience in RNID’s purpose: supporting 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, and moving from a traditional social care model to social change at scale. In 2018, the charity was facing a severe financial crisis and launched a recovery plan that ultimately led to a complete rethink of its structure, strategy and brand. Frankie described how RNID shifted to an agile matrix organisation, reduced headcount from 1,000 to 150, exited direct care services and refocused on digital, campaigning and influence to reach far more people than before.

Growing Up As A New Organisation

From there, Frankie used a powerful metaphor to bring the change journey to life: RNID as a newborn, then a chaotic toddler, then a grumpy teenager, and finally the grown-up organisation it had set out to become. Each phase came with identity challenges, missteps and growing pains, but also huge learning about how to keep colleagues informed, involved and resilient through uncertainty. Frankie stressed the importance of an early proof of concept – in RNID’s case, an online hearing check that quickly reached hundreds of thousands of people and was signposted by the NHS – to show both staff and stakeholders that the new strategy could deliver impact.

What Leaders Need From Internal Comms

Frankie’s lessons for leadership will resonate with any senior communicator. She spoke about the need to “hold the message” over the long term, have grown-up conversations about those who won’t come on the journey, and use storytelling as a leadership tool rather than a comms afterthought. That meant leaders sharing their own lived experience of hearing loss, being honest about projects still “in progress”, and opening up to peers in other organisations about what was working and what wasn’t. This openness contributed to a significant rise in RNID’s brand trust and visibility in the charity sector.

Partnering With People Teams On Change

For people teams, Frankie highlighted three pillars: embedding a “fail fast” mindset, spotting and investing in internal talent through mentoring and stretch opportunities (even without large L&D budgets), and designing ways of working based on trust. RNID moved to remote working, no core hours and a deliberate “summer reset” break after the change programme, sending a clear signal that colleagues were trusted adults and that their wellbeing mattered. These choices, she argued, were vital in sustaining energy and commitment over such a long transformation.

Redefining The Role Of Internal Comms

Finally, Frankie shared what the journey meant for internal comms itself. Her team made a point of celebrating small wins, giving space to stories that might previously have been overlooked, and normalising reflection on mistakes through agile retrospectives. One standout example involved a mass email sent to the wrong mailing list, which turned into a case study in crisis management and transparent apology – ultimately generating more donations, not fewer. And throughout, accessibility was non-negotiable: nothing went out without British Sign Language translation for deaf colleagues, reinforcing trust and inclusion at every step.

The Impact: Trust, Engagement And Confidence

As RNID continues its shift from social care to social change, the results speak for themselves: staff survey scores show confidence in leadership up 21%, staff engagement up 16%, and confidence in comms up 17% between the start and end of the change programme. For internal communications and engagement leaders, Frankie’s story is a powerful reminder that even in the toughest times, clear intent, honest leadership and people-centred comms can help an organisation grow into its next chapter.

To listen to the full podcast episode, click here.

To register for the 2026 Engage Employee Summit click here.