About this role
Job summary
Are you passionate about improving population health and tackling health inequalities? We are looking for an experienced and motivated Public Health Practitioner to join our ambitious and forward-thinking Public Health team. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to local communities by developing and delivering evidence-based prevention programmes that improve health outcomes and wellbeing across Buckinghamshire. Working with a wide range of partners, you will help shape innovative public health initiatives while contributing to a healthier future for residents.
Main duties of the job
As a Public Health Practitioner, you will lead and support the development, delivery and evaluation of public health prevention programmes, with a particular focus on Public Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Council, the NHS, voluntary and community organisations, and other key partners to reduce health inequalities and improve population health outcomes. The role also involves using evidence and data to inform decision making, contributing to strategic priorities, and adapting to changing service needs by supporting a range of public health programmes as required.
About us
About the organisation and teamAt Buckinghamshire Council, public health is at the heart of our work. We are a high-performing, innovative organisation committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our diverse communities. You will join a supportive and collaborative team of Public Health professionals who are passionate about making a positive impact and sharing expertise. We foster an inclusive, flexible and agile working environment that encourages professional development and career progression. Alongside the opportunity to undertake meaningful work, we offer excellent benefits including flexible working arrangements, a generous pension scheme, health and wellbeing initiatives, employee assistance support, staff networks, discounts on a wide range of services, and support towards UK Public Health Register Practitioner accreditation. Our values of being Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy underpin everything we do and create a culture where colleagues feel valued, empowered and supported to succeed.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Purpose and Job Context
To develop and deliver an effective public health prevention work programme for specified lead areas/ prevention priorities. This work involves multi-agency working engaging with internal and external stakeholders and customers to deliver against specified prevention priorities and where appropriate instigate behavioural change in these partners.
Main Responsibilities and Duties
Surveillance and assessment of the populations health and well-being
To inform public health interventions and identify and analyse national and local information sources related to specified lead areas, contribute to monitoring of targets and support the development of key reports e.g. JointStrategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), Director of Public Health (DPH) annual report and support the identification of health needs and public health areas for action.
Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of health and healthcare interventions, and translating this into localdelivery of programmes and services
To use academic and best practice evidence to develop high quality public health programmes and services which are expertly project managed in terms of performance, risk management, monitoring and evaluation.
Leadership and collaborative working for health
To develop collaborative working to reduce inequalities and provide leadership and specialist advice concerning public health initiatives and key topic areas to partner organisations; and to influence their contribution to the public health agenda. e. g. Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust (BHT), Thames Valley Police (TVP) etc
Health Protection
To promote and protect the populations health and wellbeing by contributing to the organisational response to public health emergencies including communicable disease outbreaks and major incidents involving chemical, biological or radiological hazards
Policy and strategy development and implementation
To be responsible for interpreting and implementing national public health policy at a local level and support the development and evaluation of long term multi-agency plans and strategies, impacting on a range of community agencies and strategic partnerships. Facilitate public involvement and consultation exercises on designated issues promoting a dialogue with community groups and working in partnership with other public involvement leads. To contribute to the public health work programme and produce business cases for investment in prevention programmes
Research and development
To maintain an up to date specialist knowledge of public health research activity and key findings to inform service developments in all areas, evaluation and audit and work with others on health needs assessment and health impact assessment
Health Improvement
To provide specialist advice to local communities to support the development of action to tackle longstanding and widening health inequality issues, using community development approaches or social marketing as appropriate
Ethically managing self, people, and resources
To ethically manage self and resources and maintain a personal development plan in order to maintain knowledge and skills and work flexibly in order to manage workload to meet the needs of the public health service area.
Values and Behaviours
We expect your values and behaviours to reflect the values of the organisation:
Proud
Perform to your best every dayCares about delivering the role and setting high standardsUpholds the reputation of the service and the wider Council
Ambitious
Ambitious to learn, develop and fulfil potentialAmbitious to do things betterSolution focused looking for suitable resolutions
Collaborative
Effectively engages with others sharing ideas and solutionsAble to look at things from different perspectivesHappy to work with others to achieve outcomes
Trustworthy
Accountable for actionsBehaves professionally and to professional standardsQuick to respond and show initiative
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Good first degree OR equivalent professional qualification Postgraduate degree (masters level) in an area related to Public Health (e.g. Masters degree in public health related subject such as Masters in Public Health (MPH) and/or MSc in Health Promotion and Public Health or evidence of equivalent qualifications OR either a local authority, NHS or the voluntary and community sector
Desirable
Demonstrable evidence of continuing professional development and working towards registration as a Public Health Practitioner on the UK Public Health Register (PHR).
Experience Essential
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Desirable
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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.
Employer details Employer name Buckinghamshire Council
Address Walton Street
Aylesbury
HP20 1UA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)