Consultant in Health Protection

Job responsibilities

The post is subject to the core competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public Health for Consultant appointments and the post holder will be expected to demonstrate expertise in all of them (Appendix A).

Please see the attached Job Description outlining full responsibilities of the role.

Other Information

Selection process details

STAGE 1 Application & Sift:

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the person specification. You will be required to complete an application form. You will also be asked to provide information within the Employer/ Activity history section of the application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised criteria.

At sift stage you will be assessed on the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Applicants are strongly advised to use the person specification section as sub-headings in the application to make it clear how you meet each of the selection criteria.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview and assessment, a presentation will form part of this assessment.

STAGE 2 Interview

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will progress to an interview and will be assessed on the essential criteria as advertised.

This vacancy is being assessed against the essential and desirable criteria as outlined in the Job description

You will be asked to prepare and present a 5-10 minute presentation. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview.

Interviews will be held in person, in exceptional circumstances , we may be able to offer a remote interview

Option 3 External - Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Security Clearance Level Requirement:

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance.UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

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

Further information

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 should contact 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 website here

For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact: scienceprivateoffice@ukhsa.gov.uk

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

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
• 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/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/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/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• 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
• Masters in Public Health or equivalent

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strong commitment to public health principles
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
• High standards of professional probity

Experience

Essential

• Strategic experience of leadership for public health
• Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
• Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards/chemical incidents
• Experience of working with other agencies
• Experience of evaluation of interventions and policies

Desirable

• Staff management and training
• Practical experience of providing public health advice to government
• Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc

Skills

Essential

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills
• Proven excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the media)
• Proven and effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
• Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
• Good presentational skills (oral and written)
• Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
• Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
• Project Management skills

Desirable

• Resource and staff management skills
• Training and mentoring skills

Knowledge

Essential

• High level of understanding of public health practice, health protection and health care evaluation
• Understanding of national and local government cultures, structures and policies
• Understanding of social and political environment
• Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
• Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of grant development and research methodology

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, but also 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).