About the job

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated registrar level trainee in Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology and Virology, or Paediatrics to join the Clinical and Public Health Group in UKHSA.

This clinical of public health fellow training placement is an outstanding opportunity for the individual to gain experience and expertise at a national level in areas including investigation and management of major incidents and outbreaks; infectious disease surveillance; guidance and policy development and implementation; research; service development and improvement including close collaborative work across the Clinical and Public Health Group.

The appointee will be embedded within relevant specialist teams in the Public Health Clinical Response or Centre for Climate and Health Security. An individual plan will be agreed with the Fellow depending on prior experience and interests, setting out their duties and objectives. The agreement will be tailored to take in consideration the both the needs of the Directorate/Division and the individual. It will include objective setting, and mapping expected outputs and timescales for any projects

The post will be located within Canary Wharf, London with hybrid working from home or one of UKHSA Regional Bases 

Working for your organisation

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health. 

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work. 

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working. 

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. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Job description

Gain understanding and experience of:

• The delivery of the national role of UKHSA
• The delivery of the programme
• The commissioning and financing of different aspects of the delivery of the programme and
• their impact on programme performance
• The role of the various agencies in delivering, managing and monitoring programme
• Guidance and policy development (national infection guidance and policy)

Develop skills in:

• Liaising with other stakeholders to optimise the delivery of clinical and public health programmes and projects
• Providing clinical input into delivery of the national planning and preparedness workstreams.
• Policy development and implementation
• Decision making and time management
• Working on ad hoc incident responses as directed by consultants in the division
• Identifying, investigating, and responding to incidents across all hazards

Take responsibility for arranging 1:1 sessions with their supervisor(s)

• Inform their educational supervisor of any special requirements, ideally at the pre-placement meeting;
• Inform their education supervisor promptly of any difficulties, including concerns about lack of opportunities to gain experience;
• Attend the workplace as required and on time;
• Share their diaries with UKHSA staff;
• Notify their educational supervisor (or unit/department administrator if unavailable) when unwell;
• To deliver the objectives set out in the plan the SpR will be expected to work closely with members of the individual teams
• Short induction including familiarisation with base, the team, and organisational arrangements.
• Dealing with enquiries from across UKHSA and government
• Issuing clinical and public health advice on individual incidents
• Participating in investigation of clusters/ outbreaks
• Attendance at (and presentation where appropriate) key meetings relevant to the division
• Work on projects which contribute to the strategic work of the division and which are appropriate to the individual SpR
• To meet regularly with their project and educational supervisors.
• To complete an evaluation of the placement.
• The SpR should pursue a programme of continuing professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, whilst maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements.

The SpR is encouraged to attend:

• Unit/departmental education meetings
• Educational meetings with partner agencies
• Other local/national training as appropriate

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Medical degree MBBS or equivalent experience of working in a clinical field, including Public Health Trainees on accredited training programmes
• Applicants must currently hold a National Training Number (NTN)

Desirable criteria

• Additional qualification in relevant field, or relevant equivalent experience, including PhD or Masters

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Strong experience of the UK national health system 

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of the UK research and NHS system
• Experience of collaborating within other agencies (e.g. NHS England)
• Experience of presenting complex ideas to stakeholders

Skills / Capabilities / Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Experience in preparation of written reports and published work
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team
• Ability to prioritise work in a timely manner
• Working in a multidisciplinary team
• Able to convey ideas and opinions clearly and concisely, orally and in writing

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria.

Prospective candidates are invited to send any queries or questions to pgtf@ukhsa.gov.uk in the first instance.

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

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

Security

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.