About the job

Job summary

AfC 8b £58,972 - £68,525

CS G7 Upper: £59,325 - £61,414

We are looking for an Advanced Health Protection Practitioner to work within the East Midlands Health Protection Team.

The Health Protection team provides an acute response to enquiries, cases and incidents as well as delivering on topics and programmes of work. The team works closely works closely with external and internal stakeholders to achieve this.

The post holder will have extensive experience at a senior level in health protection which will enable them to act as a role model and form part of the leadership team, reviewing and updating processes, to ensure we provide a high quality service.

About Us

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Job description

The Advanced Health Protection Practitioner (AHPP) is a key member of a multi-disciplinary team providing the day to day acute service response. They will share responsibility with other senior members of the health protection team to provide oversight and management of incidents and outbreaks of infectious and non-infectious environmental hazards.

The post holder will have extensive experience at a senior level in health protection as well as having excellent generic public health skills. They will be able to lead on specific lead areas of work involving partnership working with external organisations. They will actively assist in the development of joint plans and system wide priorities for public health action or improvement.

The post holder will contribute to the strategic work of the health protection team deputising if appropriate and will lead and coordinate defined complex areas of work including regional and national work streams.

Location

This role will be based in Nottingham.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at Nottingham office, For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs. 

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*  

Main Duties and Responsibilities: See attached job description and person specification for full details.

1. Use expertise and knowledge to lead the management of complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards, in collaboration with the Incident Director.
2. Assume management and supervision of the day to day acute response service and complex incidents to ensure high quality safe and effective delivery, if required.
3. Manage and carry out continuing responsibility for a caseload ensuring accurate, up to date records of contacts/action by completion of relevant records and compliance with team handover procedures, in line with UKHSA’s standards for record keeping.
4. To utilise an evidence based approach to manage clinical/professional advice and discussions within the team and support and participate in the team’s formal case review process.
5. To monitor standards, ensuring quality and consistency and to take action where any shortfall occurs.
6. May be required to participate in a local on call rota at local, regional or national level as required.

SURVEILLANCE

1. Contribute proactively and where required lead the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards for a designated area of work.
2. Proactively use surveillance outputs to inform and influence local and national Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
3. Contribute to health needs, health inequalities, health impact assessments and influencing both national and local priorities.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING

     1. Develop and nurture key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.

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

• External organisations and wider NHS stakeholders to ensure collaboration in the strategy in the Sector
• Internal leaders and staff to gain input to the development of systems, processes and activities

     3. 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 business.

     4. Contribute actively to the development and implementation of system wide priorities and programmes for public health action or improvement.

RESEARCH, TEACHING AND TRAINING

1. Develop and deliver appropriate teaching resources and activities across a range of audiences.
2. Contribute to training programmes for Foundation Year Doctors and Specialist Trainees in the Faculty of Public Health training scheme as appropriate, and to the training of public health and health care professionals and practitioners within the locality.
3. Ensure appropriate clinical supervision and mentorship systems are in place.
4. Provide clinical/professional supervision and mentorship as appropriate.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

1. To be a visible, positive and competent role model and motivator setting and monitoring team professional standards.
2. Ensure day-to-day operational delivery of the region’s health protection function, responsibilities and resources, planning and managing the physical resources that ensure the regional HP function is fully equipped and fit for purpose.
3. Direct, design and undertake audit as part of a wider programme of governance and quality/service improvement activity across the region.
4. Lead the development of policies and protocols for a specified range of health protection issues in conjunction with team members.
5. Ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements within the team.
6. Contribute to the strategic work of the health protection team and deputise where appropriate, using systems leadership approaches and skills.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
2. Pursue a programme of CPD, including statutory and mandatory training, in accordance with the relevant regulatory body and PHE requirements.
3. To actively manage and support the development of individuals and the team through appraisal, personal development planning, coaching and mentoring.
4. Agree individual clinical/professional supervision or mentorship arrangements with line manager.
5. Undergo a programme of on-going development and education to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to meet competencies required to undertake the role.
6. To be aware of CS and KSF competencies and to be working to them as appropriate.

OTHER DUTIES

1. 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 with appropriate training as required.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The postholder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to PHE.

This will include:

Internal

• PHE regional teams
• Other PHE divisions/directorates

External

• Local Authorities
• Healthcare Professionals
• Care Homes
• Community & Voluntary Sector
• Local Prisons
• Other Government Agencies
• Local NHS, including commissioners and providers
• Local Resilience Fora and Local Health Resilience Partnerships

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1,250 words (max) that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential criteria

• Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. NMC or current registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body
• Master’s in Public health, or higher degree in a related subject, or evidence of CPD in health protection and documented experience at master’s level
• Recognised qualification in Infection Prevention and Control or demonstrable equivalent experience
• Extensive experience in a health protection role at a senior level with specialist knowledge and expertise in Health Protection
• An understanding of and ability to work under the current Health and Social Care Act (e.g. safe guarding vulnerable adults; data protection, information governance)
• Proven experience of managing others in a managerial or supervisory role including performance management and appraisal and development
• Proven experience and ability to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of/to others including managing and motivating a team and reviewing individual standards
• Ability to identify areas for development and delivery of training programmes ensuring national and strategic objectives
• Experience of leading and maintaining quality and governance frameworks
• Proven experience of leading and developing robust audit and service improvement practices
• Ability to identify areas for policy development and experience of delivering these for service improvement utilising a variety of literature and resources
• Leadership and management of projects (e.g. Quality Improvement and research)
• Involvement and co-ordination of public health initiatives
• Incident and outbreak investigation and management
• Ability to undertake on call responsibility for public health
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the wider public health agenda
• Working knowledge of the principles of epidemiology
• Experience of effectively engaging with the media e.g. reactive press statement
• Experience of developing and delivering training programmes on a wide range of topics including to trainees, pre and post registration
• Experience of professional supervision/mentorship including supporting public health trainees e.g as a project supervisor
• Highly effective verbal, written and presentation communications skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
• Proven ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships networks in a politically sensitive and/or changing environment
• Ability to interpret, analyse and disseminate complex and/or sensitive information in a concise yet insightful way, pre-empting and evaluating issues and recommending appropriate course of action(s) to large and influential groups
• Proven capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Evidence of ability to handle challenging issues taking a problem-solving approach to ensure proactive and effective resolution
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office including Word, and Excel
• Experience of clinical and/ or professional supervision/mentorship
• Evidence of ongoing CPD and committed to self-development and willing to share experience with others to influence practice
• Ability to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others including managing and motivating a team and reviewing individual standards
• Experience of leadership within a changing environment
• 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 and has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda

Desirable criteria

• Recognised teaching qualification or equivalent experience, e.g. ENB 998, PGCE or NVQ Level 4 Certificate in Education
• Professional Public Health qualification and registration e.g. Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) part of the NMC Register or UK PH Register for practitioners
• Experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
• Understanding of public health law
• Experience of budget management and financial processes
• Evidence of understanding of the principles of workforce profiles, strategic workforce planning and workforce deployment issues

Benefits

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form and a statement of suitability. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, against the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section). Your Statement of Suitability must not exceed 1,250 words.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. The sift selection panel will only consider relevant career history information from the last 5 years.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW:

This competition will involve an interview via Teams

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Candidates might also be required to prepare and deliver a presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs 19/02/2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews: w/c

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

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 Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions or NHS Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

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. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.