About the job

Job summary

The Field Services (FS) was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, infectious diseases and data sciences capacity and skills delivering surveillance and outbreak investigations consistently of the highest quality. FS provides an effector arm for UKHSA, supporting the translation of evidence into practice as well as having a role in strengthening surveillance through closer links with the NHS and other partners. It also provides valuable links to academic centres. The FS also provides effective leadership and coordination of the UKHSA applied epidemiology training function.

The Health Protection Practitioner (HPP) will be a key member of the Rapid Investigation Team, part of Field Services, and supported by information, administrative, and scientific staff within the Team and throughout the national Field Services.

The key objectives of Rapid Investigation Team: 

DEPLOYMENTS:

• Provide initial rapid response, investigation, and sampling:
  • Support with and undertake on-site outbreak and incident investigation, including the collection of qualitative and quantitative data
  • Support with and undertake biological sampling
  • Support environmental sampling

SUPPORT AND SURGE:

• Support outbreak and incident investigations and response:
  • Support investigations of geographically dispersed clusters, outbreaks, or incidents
  • Provide surge capacity (ie. epidemiological and/or operational support) where local management capacity may be overwhelmed

RESEARCH:

• • Undertake operational research and data collection to aid outbreak preparedness and response
  • Contribute to academic research collaborations to help generate an evidence base for best practice in outbreak and incident investigations

TRAINING:

• • Contribute to training and teaching and share lessons learnt to strengthen health protection function
  • Support the FETP training and provide other training opportunities

 

Location

Role available at any UKHSA Base locations with regular travel nationally

Chilton, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London, Nottingham, Newcastle

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

Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working

Job description

Responsibilities section:

As a Health Protection Practitioner your main responsibilities will include:

RESPONSE

• Contribute to the day to day RIT functions and deployments to ensure high quality safe and effective delivery.
• Use expertise and knowledge to support management of routine and complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious disease and non-infectious environmental hazards.
• Manage 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.
• 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/incident review process.

 

SURVEILLANCE

• Support the development of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards.

 

PARTNERSHIP WORKING

• Support the development of key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.
• Employ effective communication and influencing skills to support stakeholder relationships to deliver objectives with:

1. NHS and other external stakeholders to ensure collaboration as required to achieve the objectives for RIT
2. Internal leaders and other staff to gain input to the development of systems, processes and activities

 RESEARCH, TEACHING AND TRAINING

• Contribute to research activity to complement the health protection evidence base.
• Contribute to teaching resources and activities for a wide range of audiences with support from senior manager(s) as appropriate.

 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

• To be a visible, positive and competent role model and motivator monitoring team professional standards.
• Support senior managers to ensure day-to-day operational delivery of the RIT function.

 The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Please review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. NMC, HCPC
• Significant experience in a health protection role with demonstrable working knowledge of communicable disease control, health protection and public health
• Demonstrable working knowledge and experience of Incident and outbreak investigation
• An understanding of and ability to work under the current Health and Social Care Act (e.g. safeguarding vulnerable adults; data protection, information governance)
• Willingness to undertake training and development of clinical skills to undertake biological or environmental sampling
• Experience of data collection and analysis, record keeping
• Ability to commit to an on-call rota

 Desirable

• 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 practice
• Recognised teaching qualification or equivalent experience, e.g. ENB 998, PGCE or NVQ Level 4 Certificate in Education
• Previous clinical experience of taking biological or environmental samples

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%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

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

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This post will involve an interview by video. 

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 will also be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 5-10 minute 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.

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.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 29th February 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.

Shortlist: w/c 4th March 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

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.