Assistant Director / Consultant in Public Health

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties:

Leading and developing cross-agency strategic plans to improve health and tackle health inequalities. These include public health plans to address national public health priorities such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, food and health, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, gambling, health inequalities and service improvement.

Lead on strategic groups which are co-ordinating these priority areas within the Boroughs Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the councils Corporate Plan.

Ensure that the specialist subject lead staff within the team managed by the post holder provide expert advice and input into the commissioning of related public health services, pathway development and quality improvement activity.

Play a lead role in the ongoing evolution of the departmental and wider council neighbourhood development and engagement approach, with a focus on health in all policies within the context of a social model of health and wellbeing.

To oversee the departments co-ordination with children's services and adult services, and take a lead role in the departments contribution to the cost of living crisis and the Greenwich Supports programme.

Supporting the Director of Public Health in ensuring the effective operation of the Health and Wellbeing Board and its engagement with the local population and strategic partners.

Liaise with the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services, other lead Members and the Leader of the council as required by the Director of Public Health; providing written and verbal briefings and responding to Member-led strategy and enquiries.

Deputise for the Director of Public Health and the Director of Health and Adult Services as required. This can include representing senior colleagues and the directorate at Greenwich Management Team level, in meetings with elected members, within the borough, regionally and nationally through the Association of Director of Public Health (ADPH) and ADASS networks and working groups.

Take a London-wide leadership role for specific pan-Borough programmes of work of relevance to their expertise (e.g. tobacco, food & health, physical activity, health in all policies etc.), as a Consultant / AD member of the London ADPH professional network.

Provide supervision and support for public health and GP registrars on placement within the department, assisting them to develop their skills and competence in Public Health and managing their work programmes in liaison with other senior colleagues in the department.

Contribute to the interpretation of monitoring and surveillance data; advising on priorities and securing evidence-based interventions and service improvements to address local priorities.

Support the Director in the provision of an expert public health input within the local authority and with partner agencies as required; presenting to meetings, attending ICS and council committees as required.

The post holder will be professionally responsible to the Director of Public Health. Professional appraisal will be required of the post holder in line with Faculty of Public Health requirements.

The post holder will:

a. support any surge capacity requirements relating to communicable disease control / health protection as requested by the UKHSA.

b. be expected to deputise for other senior colleagues as required

c. supervise Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine, Public Health Specialist Trainees in addition to a range of expert substantive staff teams

Professional obligations: the post holder will be expected to:

a. participate in the organisations staff appraisal scheme and departmental audit processes, and ensure appraisal and development of any staff / trainees for which s/he is responsible

b. contribute actively to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors/SHOs/Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine and Public Health Specialist Trainees as appropriate, and to the training of practitioners and primary care professionals within the locality as needed

c. pursue a programme of CPD/CME, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation via enhanced appraisal process (for doctors), audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists or other specialist register as appropriate

In line with the Faculty of Public Health's competency areas for senior public health practitioners, as recognised by the Faculty of Public Health and the UK Voluntary Register Board, it is expected that this post will, over time, need to cover the vast majority of the range of tasks as set-out in both core and defined areas outlined below.

To undertake any other work appropriate to the level and general nature of the posts duties.

Where necessary for the job role or appropriate for continued development in the role, the post holder may be required to participate in training and development courses made available via the Councils Apprentice Levy funding.

To undertake all duties with due regard to the provisions of health and safety regulations and legislation, Data Protection/GDPR, the Councils Equal Opportunities and Customer Care policies.

To perform all duties in line with Councils staff values showing commitment to improving residents lives and opportunities, demonstrating respect and fairness, taking ownership, working towards doing things better and working together across the council.

To ensure that appropriate levels of emergency planning and business continuity management preparedness are in place for the service, and that your teams are appropriately briefed on their roles in an emergency.

To be responsible for undertaking employee investigations, hearings and appeals in line with the RBG policies and procedures.

Responsible for providing mentoring opportunities to junior staff (e.g. graduates, apprentices etc.)

This post does not require a DBS

To undertake supervision/management of staff as and when required.

You may be required to undertake alternative, additional or ancillary duties from time to time or transfer to another service department within the Council as the Council may reasonably direct to meet service user demand in the event of a crisis or emergency.

Person Specification

Knowledge/Skills/Personal Qualities

Essential

• 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
• 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 utilise both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies
• Able to influence senior members 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

Experience

Essential

• Delivery of successful change management programmes across organisational 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

Qualifications

Essential

• The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 (legislation.gov.uk)
• In line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists at the point of application.
• 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, UKPHR register or GDC Specialist List in dental public health must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview
• 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 [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• 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, or equivalent

Desirable

• Masters in Public Health or equivalent

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Borough of Greenwich

Address

The Woolwich Centre

35 Wellington Street

Woolwich

London

SE18 6HQ

Employer's website

https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)