Job summary
This is an exciting
opportunity to join our skilled and resilient shared public health service working
across three local authorities, Bedford Borough, Central
Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes, serving a vibrant, diverse population. The health and wellbeing of people is generally good but significant
inequalities persist across both urban and rural areas and there are ample
opportunities to make a difference.
You'll join our strong
Consultant team to bring specialist expertise and leadership in healthcare
public health, working closely with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
Integrated Care System. The ICS is committed to reducing health inequalities
and tackling the wider determinants of health, and there are opportunities to influence and lead in areas such as healthcare
inequalities, prevention and population health management. You'll lead our
shared health protection team, including a focus on local input to immunisation
and screening programmes.
Benefits include yearly incremental rises to the top of the pay scale (subject to
satisfactory appraisal), 26 days leave (31 after 5
years’ continuous local authority service), relocation support up to £8,000, and financial assistance for
career development.
The appointment will be
full time (37 hours) on JNC for Chief Officer’s conditions. Agile working is supported and we will consider applications for job share or reduced hours.
Main duties of the job
This is a complex role working to protect
and improve health and reduce health inequalities across three unitary
authorities (Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes). Hosted by Bedford Borough Council, they will be responsible for ensuring that
optimal health outcomes are achieved for Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and
Milton Keynes residents. This involves working with and influencing the
strategic objectives of the Local Authorities, the local Clinical Commissioning
Group (CCG)/Integrated Care System (ICS) partners, NHS England and the UK Health
Security Agency (UKHSA).
The post holder will be
required to deputise for the Director of Public Health (DPH) as required, and hold senior management responsibility. They will establish strong working relationships with all three Councils,
and with partners in the CCG, ICS partners and key national bodies
including UKHSA and NHS England.
The post holder will be
the specialist lead for health protection and healthcare
public health. They will advise the DPH on complex
issues of health protection and healthcare public health; and will make
evidence-based recommendations to the Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and
Milton Keynes Health and Wellbeing Boards and the BLMK CCG/ICS boards, on
matters of health protection, healthcare public health and health inequalities.
About us
Public Health is a shared
service, working across Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton
Keynes. The postholder will lead the local authority Health Protection function,
providing a shared service to the three local authorities.
We are proud of our
excellent relationships with partners, including the local CCG, ICS Partners,
UKHSA, NHS England and local providers.
The post holder will develop and maintain a
wide range of strategic relationships, and will be expected to work
collaboratively with and strategically influence the following organisations:
·
Bedford
Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Councils, including working
directly with executive members and senior leadership teams
·
BLMK
CCG and ICS leadership teams
·
Regional
and national leads within UKHSA, NHS England, Department for Health and Social
Care and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
·
Clinical
and managerial leads within the wider health and care economy e.g. primary,
secondary, community care and the social care sector
· Healthwatch and the voluntary sector
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for:
· Strategic leadership, management and oversight of the local authority health protection function, including leadership of the ongoing COVID-19 response, and responsibility for managing health protection incidents, outbreaks and day-to-day operational delivery. They will be responsible, on behalf of the Director of Public Health, for discharging the local authorities’ duties under the Health and Social Care Act (2012) to protect the health of the population and ensure appropriate planning, resilience and response to public health emergencies. They will seek assurance that effective mechanisms are in place across agencies to prevent the spread of infectious disease in the community and provide public health advice on environmental hazards.
- Ensuring continuous improvement of local immunisation and screening programmes (section 7A services) by leading an effective partnership with the regional commissioner and local stakeholders, coupled with close monitoring of local performance data.
· Leading a system wide approach to public health emergency planning, working closely with NHS emergency planning structures and the Local Resilience Forums. This will involve working across two Local Resilience Forums (Milton Keynes Council is part of the Thames Valley LRF, the other two local authorities are part of the Bedfordshire LRF).
· Providing specialist public health leadership and advice to the local health system, building relationships with senior stakeholders and influencing strategic priorities in areas such as health inequalities, prevention, population health management, integrated care, individual funding requests, service prioritisation, programme budgeting, clinical commissioning and pathway redesign.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for:
· Strategic leadership, management and oversight of the local authority health protection function, including leadership of the ongoing COVID-19 response, and responsibility for managing health protection incidents, outbreaks and day-to-day operational delivery. They will be responsible, on behalf of the Director of Public Health, for discharging the local authorities’ duties under the Health and Social Care Act (2012) to protect the health of the population and ensure appropriate planning, resilience and response to public health emergencies. They will seek assurance that effective mechanisms are in place across agencies to prevent the spread of infectious disease in the community and provide public health advice on environmental hazards.
- Ensuring continuous improvement of local immunisation and screening programmes (section 7A services) by leading an effective partnership with the regional commissioner and local stakeholders, coupled with close monitoring of local performance data.
· Leading a system wide approach to public health emergency planning, working closely with NHS emergency planning structures and the Local Resilience Forums. This will involve working across two Local Resilience Forums (Milton Keynes Council is part of the Thames Valley LRF, the other two local authorities are part of the Bedfordshire LRF).
· Providing specialist public health leadership and advice to the local health system, building relationships with senior stakeholders and influencing strategic priorities in areas such as health inequalities, prevention, population health management, integrated care, individual funding requests, service prioritisation, programme budgeting, clinical commissioning and pathway redesign.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or
- Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
- If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
- Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers
- If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview
- If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
- Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
- MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment
Desirable
- Masters in Public Health or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
- Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences
Desirable
- Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational nous
- Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the publics health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
- Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
- Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
- Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies
- In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
- In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement , evaluations and evidence based public health practice
- Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
- Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or
- Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
- If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
- Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers
- If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview
- If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
- Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
- MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment
Desirable
- Masters in Public Health or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
- Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences
Desirable
- Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational nous
- Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the publics health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
- Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
- Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
- Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies
- In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
- In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement , evaluations and evidence based public health practice
- Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
- Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
Additional information
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
