Sheffield City Council

Community Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner

The closing date is 17 August 2025

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity to join the newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service.

Sheffield is a large city with a diverse population and geography, over one-hundred care homes, supported living homes and Extra Care housing facilities, as well as a numberof early years, special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) schools, and temporary accommodation settings that support some of the most vulnerable residents of the city.

The newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service, which sits within the Public Health and Integrated Commissioning Directorate, aims to provide high quality, specialist IPC advice, support, local surveillance, and care to community-based settings such as these that provide health and social care services.

We are looking for those experienced in working with community health and care settings, and with knowledge of infection prevention and control, to join the Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) team. As a Practitioner you will contribute to the provision of all aspects of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan.

Main duties of the job

You'll support the team in promoting effective IPC practice and techniques to both staff and service users, with the aim of reducing the burden of avoidable infections, the transmission of infectious disease, and subsequent poor health outcomes across the community. You will help to foster a service that is flexible, convenient, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of the population.

Youll provide timely specialist IPC advice and support to community settings and commissioners. Youll also promote compliance with IPC standards using evidence-based and behavioural science approaches, and assist in developing local IPC strategies and best practice. You will contribute to IPC audits and help providers establish effective policies and procedures, and will support outbreak management as necessary.

You'll support the effective delivery of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan and assist in reducing preventable infections in CQC-registered care settings.

Youll support the development of policies and plans through partnership working and long-term planning, and contribute to population health surveillance and data analysis to inform strategies and services.

You will keep key Sheffield City Council teams and health protection stakeholders informed on IPC issues, service outcomes, and relevant data and engage diverse audiences, deliver training, and handle challenging conversations professionally.

About us

As one of the largest employers in Sheffield, with over 7,000 employees, we aim to recruit and develop people who share our passion for Sheffield. If you work for us, you will be part of a team, which provides a huge range of services to our 574,000 residents, businesses large and small, as well as to our many visitors to the city.

We work as one team for Sheffield to meet challenges head on and involve local people to improve our services and quality of life in our city. Our employees talk about the pride they feel in making a difference, and in return for their dedication and contribution, we offer a workplace where people feel supported and can perform at their best.

If you work for us, you'll have a wide range of employee benefits available to you.

Full-time employees start with 26 days of holiday, increasing to 31 days after five years, plus bank holidays. Part-time employees receive a pro-rated amount. Depending on your role, you may have the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave, temporarily reduce your hours or take a career break.

We contribute 19% to your pension pot. You can join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or Teachers' Pension Scheme depending on your employment status.

We have a wide range of flexible working options. These vary depending on the job role. You are welcome to discuss options at interview.

Details

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£41,511 to £44,711 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0108-REQ3521

Job locations

1, Moorfoot

Sheffield

S1 4PL


Job description

Job responsibilities

We have an exciting opportunity to join the newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service.

Background

Sheffield is a large city with a diverse population and geography, over one-hundred care homes, supported living homes and Extra Care housing facilities, as well as a numberof early years, special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) schools, and temporary accommodation settings that support some of the most vulnerable residents of the city.

The newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service, which sits within the Public Health and Integrated Commissioning Directorate, aims to provide high quality, specialist IPC advice, support, local surveillance, and care to community-based settings such as these that provide health and social care services.

The role

We are looking for those experienced in working with community health and care settings, and with knowledge of infection prevention and control, to join the Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) team. As a Practitioner you will contribute to the provision of all aspects of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan.

You will support the team in promoting effective IPC practice and techniques to both staff and service users, with the aim of reducing the burden of avoidable infections, the transmission of infectious disease, and subsequent poor health outcomes across the community. You will help to foster a service that is flexible, convenient, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of the population.

Key responsibilities

Service and Programme Delivery: Youll provide timely specialist IPC advice and support to community settings and commissioners, both proactively and reactively. Youll also promote compliance with IPC standards using evidence-based and behavioural science approaches, and assist in developing local IPC strategies and best practice. You will contribute to IPC audits and help providers establish effective policies and procedures, and will support outbreak management as necessary.

Performance Management: You will support the effective delivery of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan, contribute to improving Public Health Outcomes Framework indicators, and assist in reducing preventable infections in CQC-registered care settings.

Planning: Youll support the development of policies and plans through partnership working and long-term planning, and contribute to population health surveillance and data analysis to inform strategies and services.

Stakeholder Management: You will build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, commissioners, and health system partners to support collaborative working. You will keep key Sheffield City Council teams and health protection stakeholders informed on IPC issues, service outcomes, and relevant data. You will also use your strong communication skills to engage diverse audiences, deliver training, and handle challenging conversations professionally.

Representation: You will represent the service in relevant forums and communities of practice to support the operational delivery of IPC quality improvement. You will actively contribute to local, regional, and national discussions on antimicrobial resistance, ensuring the services interests and expertise are represented.

Skills and experience

We are looking for somebody who:

  • Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
  • Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
  • Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
  • Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
  • Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.

There are many benefits to joining Sheffield City Council. The package includes one of the best pension schemes available as well as flexible working arrangements, and we offer generous annual leave entitlement.

Shortlisting will be based on the specific skills and experience requirements listed above.

Dates for interview will be: 9th or 10th September

Please contact Ruth Granger, Consultant in Public Healthruth.granger@sheffield.gov.ukfor an informal discussion about the post.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. All successful candidates will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on ourSheff news page.

Job description

Job responsibilities

We have an exciting opportunity to join the newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service.

Background

Sheffield is a large city with a diverse population and geography, over one-hundred care homes, supported living homes and Extra Care housing facilities, as well as a numberof early years, special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) schools, and temporary accommodation settings that support some of the most vulnerable residents of the city.

The newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service, which sits within the Public Health and Integrated Commissioning Directorate, aims to provide high quality, specialist IPC advice, support, local surveillance, and care to community-based settings such as these that provide health and social care services.

The role

We are looking for those experienced in working with community health and care settings, and with knowledge of infection prevention and control, to join the Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) team. As a Practitioner you will contribute to the provision of all aspects of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan.

You will support the team in promoting effective IPC practice and techniques to both staff and service users, with the aim of reducing the burden of avoidable infections, the transmission of infectious disease, and subsequent poor health outcomes across the community. You will help to foster a service that is flexible, convenient, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of the population.

Key responsibilities

Service and Programme Delivery: Youll provide timely specialist IPC advice and support to community settings and commissioners, both proactively and reactively. Youll also promote compliance with IPC standards using evidence-based and behavioural science approaches, and assist in developing local IPC strategies and best practice. You will contribute to IPC audits and help providers establish effective policies and procedures, and will support outbreak management as necessary.

Performance Management: You will support the effective delivery of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan, contribute to improving Public Health Outcomes Framework indicators, and assist in reducing preventable infections in CQC-registered care settings.

Planning: Youll support the development of policies and plans through partnership working and long-term planning, and contribute to population health surveillance and data analysis to inform strategies and services.

Stakeholder Management: You will build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, commissioners, and health system partners to support collaborative working. You will keep key Sheffield City Council teams and health protection stakeholders informed on IPC issues, service outcomes, and relevant data. You will also use your strong communication skills to engage diverse audiences, deliver training, and handle challenging conversations professionally.

Representation: You will represent the service in relevant forums and communities of practice to support the operational delivery of IPC quality improvement. You will actively contribute to local, regional, and national discussions on antimicrobial resistance, ensuring the services interests and expertise are represented.

Skills and experience

We are looking for somebody who:

  • Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
  • Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
  • Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
  • Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
  • Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.

There are many benefits to joining Sheffield City Council. The package includes one of the best pension schemes available as well as flexible working arrangements, and we offer generous annual leave entitlement.

Shortlisting will be based on the specific skills and experience requirements listed above.

Dates for interview will be: 9th or 10th September

Please contact Ruth Granger, Consultant in Public Healthruth.granger@sheffield.gov.ukfor an informal discussion about the post.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. All successful candidates will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on ourSheff news page.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Relevant first degree

Experience

Essential

  • We are looking for somebody who:
  • - Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
  • - Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
  • - Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
  • - Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
  • - Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Relevant first degree

Experience

Essential

  • We are looking for somebody who:
  • - Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
  • - Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
  • - Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
  • - Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
  • - Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield City Council

Address

1, Moorfoot

Sheffield

S1 4PL


Employer's website

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/job-vacancies (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield City Council

Address

1, Moorfoot

Sheffield

S1 4PL


Employer's website

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/job-vacancies (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Sheffield City Council Recruitment Team

RecruitmentandTalent@Sheffield.gov.uk

Details

Date posted

16 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£41,511 to £44,711 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

F0108-REQ3521

Job locations

1, Moorfoot

Sheffield

S1 4PL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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