Job responsibilities
Context and overall purpose of the job
The Consultant in Public Health role will bring public health and leadership experience
to the development and the delivery of the public health agenda in North
Northamptonshire and the implementation of the public health requirements placed on
local authorities under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
On behalf of the local authority, the post-holder working with the DPH and other
consultant colleagues will lead on improving the health and wellbeing of the residents
of North Northamptonshire, which is underpinned by the statutory duty placed on local
government to take such steps as it considers appropriate to improve the health of its
local population. The post-holder will take responsibility for a number of strategic
objectives arising from the of the local authority and/or the Health & Wellbeing Board
and act as a change agent to enable delivery of relevant outcomes from the public
health, NHS and social care outcome frameworks. The post-holder will be expected to
work across organisations, be able to influence budgets held by those organisations
as well as advocate for change effectively. They may hold direct managerial
responsibility for services and budgets which directly contribute to these objectives,
but they will usually also have substantially greater strategic responsibilities across the
council and other agencies.
In addition, the post holder will manage, and be responsible for, a portfolio of public
health programme areas and the associated staff and resources as required by the
Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, while contributing to the wider public health
agenda and supporting the Public Health Team as a whole.
This role exists:
- to have responsibility for development, implementation and delivery of local
policies, developing and evaluating inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic
plans and programmes in order to improve public health and wellbeing in the
county; and
- to provide expert public health advice and leadership to support and inform an
evidence-based approach within ethical frameworks for commissioning and
developing high quality equitable services to improve public health and
wellbeing in North Northamptonshire.
The post holder will have individual objectives and a job plan and will also create a
supported personal development plan with the Director of Public Health to build on
existing knowledge and develop any additional skills/competencies required to take a
leadership role in one or more public health programme areas. The job plan documents
will set out the agreed programmed activities (PAs) that are necessary to fulfil the
duties and responsibilities described in the job description.
Principal responsibilities
1. To provide strategic and system leadership and provide and coordinate high
quality professional Public Health input, support and advice to the local system
in order to drive improvements in outcomes, prevention of ill health, promotion
of good health and reductions in health inequalities
2. To be responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of local
policies, developing inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic plans and
programmes, with delegated authority to deliver key public health targets
3. To provide expert specialist public health advice and leadership to support and
inform an evidence-based approach within ethical frameworks for
commissioning and develop high quality equitable services, across primary,
secondary and social care, and across sectors including local authorities,
voluntary organisations, etc
4. To develop and utilise information and intelligence systems in order to underpin
public health action across disciplines and organisations, leading collation and
interpretation of relevant data
5. To monitor and contribute to the formulation of Public Health and Wellbeing
Directorate budgets so that there is effective and efficient financial management
across the PH directorate
6. To lead on public health research in specific topic areas, commission research
audits/projects, and/or undertake research or audit in order to translate research
findings into public health practice
7. To provide public health expert advice to health organisations in North
Northamptonshire, including ensuring that there is an effective use of secondary
care and primary care data to inform the NHS commissioning process
8. To respond when required to press enquiries and general public concerns, in
conjunction with the communications team and in accordance with
organisational policy, so that there is a timely response to any PH enquiry
9. To deputise for the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing when requested
Underpinning much of these duties are public health tasks such as;
- Undertaking health needs assessments as required to enable actions to be
taken to improve the health of the local population.
- Developing prioritisation techniques and managing their application to policies,
services and to help resolve issues such as the investment-disinvestment
debate
- Effective communication of complex concepts, science and data and their
implications for local communities, to a range of stakeholders with very different
backgrounds.
- Understanding of evaluation frameworks and applying those frameworks to the
benefit of local communities.
- A capacity to apply the scientific body of knowledge on public health to the
polices and services necessary to improve health, both currently and for future
generations, and to formulate clear practical evidence-based recommendations
- The understanding of human and organisational behaviour and the application
of this knowledge to the achievement of change.
- Inspire commitment to public health outcomes and to prevention as a core
feature of public sector reform
The work will include working across the entire Council and local NHS bodies, as the
Council has a statutory duty to provide public health advice to the local Integrated Care
System and the Councils Health and Wellbeing Board (which has a coordinating role
for the whole of the health and care system). It will also involve influencing private
sector, voluntary sector and community sector organisations that can impact on health,
both currently and into future generations, and also influencing the attitudes and
behaviour both of professionals and of the population generally.
In delivering the strategic objectives the post-holder will be expected to demonstrate
expertise in the full range of relevant competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public
Health. This includes evaluation techniques, policy analysis and translation and the
ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders including politicians. In
addition to any direct responsibility for managing staff or budgets, the postholder will
be responsible for change and improvement in the agreed areas of work and for
supporting the delivery of the statutory duty of the Council to take the steps it considers
necessary to improve the health of its communities.
In addition, the post-holder:
- will manage a number of junior staff (including trainees), although the details
are to be agreed
- will manage budgets consistent with the policy areas under their control
- will be expected to take part in on call arrangements for communicable disease
control/health protection as appropriate depending on local arrangements
- will be expected to deputise for the DPH as required
Professional obligations
- Participate in the organisations staff appraisal scheme and quality improvement
programme, and ensure appraisal and development of any staff for which they
are responsible
- Contribute actively to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors and
Specialty Registrars in Public Health and LAs management trainees as
appropriate, and to the training of practitioners and primary care professionals
within the locality in agreement with the DPH, becoming an Educational
Supervisor.
- Undertake an annual professional appraisal including completion of a
programme of CPD, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements,
or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures
required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health
(Specialist) Register or other specialist registers as appropriate. In agreement
with the DPH, contribute to the wider the public health professional system by
becoming an appraiser or practitioner appraiser for a specified period of time.
- In agreement with the DPH, contribute as an appraiser or practitioner appraiser
to the professional appraisal system.
- Practise in accordance with all relevant sections of the General Medical
Councils Good Medical Practice (if medically qualified) and the Faculty of Public
Healths Good Public Health Practice and UKPHR requirements
- Contribute to professional leadership within the health system
It is a duty of a health professional to foster scientific integrity, freedom of
scientific publications, and freedom of debate on health matters, and public
health professionals have a further responsibility to promote good governance
and open government.
Public health practice must be carried out within the ethical framework of the
health professions.
The post-holder will be expected to maintain effective, courageous, and
responsible public health advocacy.
