Consultant in Health Protection (Yorkshire & Humber)

Job responsibilities

SURVEILLANCE

• Contribute strategically to the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards.
• Proactively use surveillance outputs to inform and influence local and national Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
• Lead, plan and design agreed initiatives to address health needs, health inequalities and health impact assessment, with a particular focus on health protection.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Take a lead in the proactive development and contribution to key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.

• Influence, and where appropriate, lead the development and implementation of system wide priorities and programmes for public health action or improvement.
• Employ highly effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable stakeholder relationships to deliver objectives with: a. External organisations and wider NHS stakeholders to ensure collaboration in the strategy in the Sector b. Internal leaders and staff to gain input to the development of systems, processes and activities
• Deal with complex and conflicting subject matter problems or in day work load in workshops, meetings, one to one communications and other events, comprising various parts of the organisation.
• Contribute actively to the development and implementation of system wide priorities and programmes for public health action or improvement.

RESEARCH, TEACHING AND TRAINING

• Contribute to research activity to complement the health protection evidence base and where agreed, to lead research projects.
• Deliver appropriate teaching activities across a range of audiences.
• Contribute to training programmes (including supervision) for Foundation Year Doctors and Specialist Trainees in the Faculty of Public Health training scheme as appropriate, and to the training of health and care professionals and practitioners within the locality.
• Ensure appropriate clinical supervision and mentorship systems are in place for staff within scope of responsibility.
• Provide clinical/professional supervision and mentorship as appropriate.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

• To be a visible, positive leader and role model. Meeting and demonstrating high professional standards.
• Oversee the development and implementation of policies and protocols for a wide range of health protection issues.
• Lead and coordinate defined areas of work as agreed with the Deputy Director for Health Protection/Lead Consultants e.g., specific communicable disease and non-infectious environmentalhazards, quality and training.
• Where agreed, lead the locality/patch-based health protection team.
• May undertake line management responsibilities including budgetary responsibilities as agreed with the Deputy Director Health Protection or Regional Director.
• Actively identify, lead and contribute to quality improvement and governance initiatives in line with strategic direction of the region
• Actively assist in the development of joint plans and system wide priorities for public health action or improvement.
• Ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements at all times.
• Lead and contribute to proactive and responsive media issues.
• Proactively contribute to wider organisational development.
• Contribute to the strategic work of the locality/patch-based health protection team and deputise where appropriate, using systems leadership approaches and skills.
• Contribute strategically to the development and the testing of the regions business continuity plan.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
• Pursue a programme of Continuing Professional Development, including mandatory training, in accordance with the requirements of a recognised Professional body e.g. Faculty of Public Health,Royal College of Pathologists.
• On the occasions when a medical qualification and GMC specialist registration are required, medically qualified members may be asked to undertake specific duties such as in the development of Patient Group Direction or Medical Officer functions in the Regulations of the Public Health Act. Such occasions may be based on legislative or organisational requirements.
• Where appropriate, contribute to and support the development of individuals and the team through appraisal, personal development planning, coaching and mentoring.

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 your line manager.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Centers and Regions.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

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

Internal

• UKHSA Regional teams
• Other UKHSA divisions/directorates

External

• Lower & Upper Tier Local Authorities
• Directors of Public Health & teams
• Education
• Social Services
• Environmental Health
• Health Protection Boards
• NHS England
• Clinical Commissioning Groups
• NHS Acute Trusts & provider organisations
• Infection Prevention & Control teams
• Hospital staff including clinicians, microbiologists and infection control
• Local Resilience Fora and Local Health Resilience Partnerships
• Environment Agency
• Animal Health
• Water / Utilities Companies
• Care Homes
• Universities / Colleges/ Schools
• General Practitioners and other staff in Primary Care
• Health & Wellbeing Boards
• Care Quality Commission
• Local Prisons
• Emergency Services
• Emergency Planning Resilience and Response (EPRR) team

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, 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 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

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority.

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you shouldcontact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email:Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission websitehere

Prospective candidates are invited to an informal discussion about the post with Tracy Wharam via email tracy.wharam@ukhsa.gov.ukin the first instance.

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer

Qualifications

Essential

• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register or UK Public Health (Specialist) Register
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology practice
• Public health specialist registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC Register/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/UKPHR
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Public Health/Royal College of Pathologists/Royal College of Physicians or other recognised body
• MFPH, or MRCPath, or MRCP

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Minimum 6 months experience in Health Protection practice
• Practical experience in leading and facilitating change
• Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
• Experience of working with other agencies
• Experience of emergency planning
• Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
• Knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, audit, quality improvement and evidence based clinical and/or public health practice
• Understanding of social and political environment.
• Understanding of laboratory microbiology services.
• Understanding of clinical infectious diseases services
• Understanding of clinical toxicology services.
• Understanding of the principles of radiological protection

Desirable

• Experience of budget management and financial processes
• Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards / chemical incidents
• Ability to undertake prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases of public health importance
• Peer reviewed scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars, etc

Skills and Capabilities

Essential

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills, including management of change
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Adaptable to situations, can communicate with people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Project management
• Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media)
• Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
• Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
• Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
• Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
• Computer literate
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
• Ability to concentrate for long periods (e.g. analyses, media presentations)
• Resource management skills

Desirable

• People management and training
• Training and mentoring
• Have an awareness of and be working towards the key core competencies set out in Civil Service Competency Framework 2010-2017 and KSF for those on AfC terms and conditions

Behaviours and Attitudes

Essential

• Strong commitment to public health principles
• Commitment to team-working and respect and consideration for the skills of others
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
• High standards of professional probity

Equality and Diversity

Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, and in relation to management systems

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.

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).

UK Registration

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