Consultant in Public Health (Health Improvement)

Job responsibilities

1. Specialist practice

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, across primary, secondary and social care, and across sectors including local authorities, voluntary organisations, etc.

Have responsibility for development, implementation and delivery of national, regional and local policies, developing inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic plans and programmes.

In conjunction with DHSC policy, lead the development of services to support the local system, based on OHIDs unique expertise, which cannot be undertaken at a local level and seeking synergy across work programmes internally and externally.

Ensuring the development and management of regional business plans and OHID-wide joint delivery frameworks.

Ensuring appropriate systems and processes are in place to enable the prioritisation of activities and implementation of OHIDs priorities, and actively manage key risks and issues.

Develop the public health capability and capacity within the local public health systems.

As appropriate, lead on public health research, and/or commission research audits/projects, and/or undertake research or audit.

2. Partnerships and collaborative working for health

Develop and nurture key relationships with a wide range of individuals and organisations including Local Government, ICSs, NHS England and UKHSA. Take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.

Employ highly effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable stakeholder relationships to deliver objectives.

Work with local leaders to develop an approach that improves health and wellbeing and reduces inequalities in health with a particular emphasis on vulnerable and excluded groups.

Provide high level leadership on monitoring the quality of health improvement activity to support local government with sector-led improvement.

Provide high-level advice to Ministers and DHSC officials on evidence and intelligence relating to core areas of health and wellbeing.

Lead discussions, managing and actively promoting relationships with a range of stakeholders across central and local government, public representatives, the NHS and voluntary and independent sectors.

Identifying and disseminating good practice; establishing and maintaining effective communications to ensure that external stakeholders are appropriately informed of OHIDs business and services, and vice versa.

Making appropriate use of behavioural insights research and social marketing to promote behavioural change when working within local and national health systems.

Managing the budgetary implications of activity.

3. Management and leadership

May either manage a team of staff or department and/or design and deliver a training programme as a major part of the job e.g. training Public Health Registrars.

Where line management is undertaken, this will include recruitment, appraisals, disciplinary and grievance responsibilities etc.

As appropriate, ensure appropriate clinical/professional supervision and mentorship systems are in place for teams within area of responsibility and provide direct clinical / professional supervision and mentorship as appropriate.

Contribute actively to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors/ Public Health Registrars as appropriate, and to the training of practitioners and primary care professionals within the locality.

Actively participate in and disseminate professional experiences/lessons learned through reports, internal and external presentations, electronic media, publications and participation in working groups.

May be an authorised signatory, budget or delegated budget holder budget/ department/ service), and/or monitor or contribute to the formulation of department/ service budgets and financial initiatives and/or be a budget holder for a department service.

As appropriate, work within agreed budgets and deliver efficiency savings in line with agreed plans.

4. Communication and key working relationships

Will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to OHID. This will include:

• Regional Director of Public Health
• Directors of Public Health
• National OHID Directorates: health Improvement; secondary prevention; early years, children and families; work and health unit; national subject matter experts
• NHSE Medical Director for Public Health and team
• Staff in other Regions
• Relevant colleagues in UKHSA
• NHS England Regional teams
• Public health consultants, specialists and the wider workforce
• ICSs colleagues in the Region and across England where relevant
• Other government departments/agencies working regionally
• Academic and research-based partners
• Voluntary and community sector organisations
• Industry and private sector organisations

5. Personal and professional development

Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.

Pursue a programme of relevant CPD, including statutory and mandatory training, in accordance with the Faculty of Public Health and OHID requirements, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health (Specialist) Register or other specialist register as appropriate.

Practice in accordance with all relevant sections of the General Medical Councils Good Medical Practice (if medically qualified) and the Faculty of Public Health's Good Public Health Practice.

To actively manage and support the development of individuals and the team through appraisal, personal development planning, coaching and mentoring.

Agree individual clinical / professional supervision or mentorship arrangements with line manager.

6. Other duties

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by and at the request of the Deputy or Regional Director.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed in accordance with the changing needs of the Region and OHID.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters in Public Health or equivalent.
• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List/UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists.
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements.
• MFPH by examination, exemption, or assessment.

Skills

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

Knowledge

Essential

• In-depth understanding of health and care system and 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
• Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience of public health practice at senior level
• An understanding of the principles of provision of a high-quality health improvement function
• Experience of working in complex political and social environments
• Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences

Desirable

• Experience of health improvement in a wide variety of settings including the NHS, local government, and other settings
• Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
• Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Able to influence senior leaders including directors and CEOs
• Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues
• Commitment to work within a political system irrespective of personal political affiliations
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).