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UK Health Security Agency
About
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage. UKHSA will ensure the nation can respond quickly and at greater scale to deal with pandemics and future threats.
Health Protection Practitioner
Closed for applications on: 13-May-2024 10:03
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 13-May-2024 10:03
Key details
Location
- Site
- Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH
- Address
- Newcastle Civic Centre
- Town
- Newcastle
- Postcode
- NE1 8QH
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Salary
- £43,742 - £50,056 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 7)
Specialty
- Main area
- Health Protection Operations
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
- Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
- Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
- Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
- Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
- Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Health Protection Practitioner to join the North East Health Protection Team. The post is substantive and based in our Newcastle City Centre office.
The post holder will be part of the multi-disciplinary team contributing to the day-to-day provision of the health protection function, including management of communicable diseases and environmental, chemical and radiological threats, and contributing to major incidents, including enhanced incident response.
The post holder will undergo a programme of on-going development and education to build on existing knowledge and to develop skills to provide specialist health protection advice, and meet competencies required to undertake the role. Once a period of training and induction has been completed, they will be expected to actively contribute to the development, training, and supervision of others within the team, and participate in the out of hours on-call rota.
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Job description
- Under supervision, contribute to the day to day running of the acute response function to ensure high quality, safe and effective delivery of the health protection service.
- Provide first point of contact for specialist knowledge, support and advice to health professionals on health protection matters.
- Undertake initial assessment and management of routine acute response work and non-complex incidents.
- Escalate and refer challenging or complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards to senior colleagues as appropriate.
- 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 UKHSAs standards for record keeping.
- To utilise an evidence based approach to manage clinical/professional advice and discussions within the team, seeking senior advice as/when appropriate.
- Contribute to the UKHSA response during incidents in line with UKHSAs Emergency Planning and Resilience Response (EPRR) arrangements as part of the region’s responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act.
- Participate in a local on call rota at regional level as required.
Please review the attached Job Description for full list of responsibilities.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will be part of the multi-disciplinary team contributing to the day to day provision of the health protection function, including the management of infectious and environmental hazards and contributing to the response to major incidents. They will use specialist knowledge and skills to undertake case management, liaise with, and provide health protection advice and response across a range of partner organisations, professionals and the public. They will actively contribute to the wider provision and development of the health protection function, including the development, training and supervision of others within the team. The post holder will also develop areas of expertise within regional programmes, working with relevant leads to take this work forward.
The post holder will undergo a programme of on-going development and education to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to provide specialist health protection advice and meet competencies required to undertake the role.
Essential Criteria
- First degree (Health Related) or demonstrable equivalent experience
- Registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body (e.g., NMC)
- Post registration experience as a practitioner in a related field
- 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)
- Experience of building and developing effective stakeholder relationships
- Effective verbal and written communication skills including report writing and presentations
- Ability to work independently, manage and prioritise own workload and cope with competing demands
- Ability to problem solve whilst working in an unpredictable environment, often under pressure and to tight timescales
Desirable Criteria
- Professional Public Health qualification and registration e.g. Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) part of the NMC Register or UK PH Register for practitioners
- Recognised teaching qualification, e.g. ENB 998/PGCE or NVQ Level 4 Certificate in education or equivalent experience
• Recognised qualification in Infection Prevention and Control or demonstrable equivalent experience
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
- CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- 1000 words Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The CV and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW
Interviews will be held at our Newcastle upon Tyne site (Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH).
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.
Interviews will be held week commencing 20th and 21st May. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
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.
Working for the Civil Service:
The Civil Service Code 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.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:
- life sentences
- arson
- sexual offences
- hate and terror offences
Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available
Starting salary
If you are currently employed on Agenda for Change (AfC) terms you will be offered AfC Band 7 £43,742 – £50,056.
Civil Service candidates will join on our SEO salary £37,056 - £42,481.
Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.
Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
For further details please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment
Location information
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. 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 our Newcastle City Centre office based in the Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK. Relocation expenses are not available.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
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
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
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.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. 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 (attached as a supporting document).
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: [email protected] 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.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include:
- Generous annual leave:
-26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
-28 days after 5 years of continuous service
-32 days after 10 years of continuous service
-Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday - Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
- We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
- We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
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 usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Person specification
Qualification
Essential criteria
- Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. NMC
- Working towards registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body
Desirable criteria
- Professional Public Health qualification and registration e.g. Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) part of the NMC Register or UK PH Register for practitioners
- Master’s in Public health, or higher degree in a related subject, or evidence of relevant CPD in Health Protection with documented experience at master’s level practice
- Recognised teaching qualification, e.g. ENB 998/PGCE or NVQ Level 4 Certificate in education or equivalent experience
- Recognised qualification in Infection Prevention and Control or demonstrable equivalent experience
Knowledge and experience
Essential criteria
- Post registration experience as a practitioner in a related field
- 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)
- Experience of building and developing effective stakeholder relationships
- Experience of risk management and associated reporting
Desirable criteria
- Sound knowledge of the principles of health protection
- Proven experience of undertaking and completing projects on time and within complex and challenging environments
- Experience of working in community settings and with health care providers
- Experience of designing and implementing internal processes and procedures for service improvement e.g. governance standards, audit etc
- Experience of managing others in a managerial or supervisory role including performance management and appraisal and development
- Experience of business planning including budget management and financial processes
- Knowledge of project principles, techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
Skills and capabilities
Essential criteria
- Effective verbal, written and presentation communication skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear messages accurately for a range of audiences
- Excellent planning and prioritisation skills and ability to manage competing demands
- Proven ability to problem solve whilst working in an unpredictable environment, often under pressure and to tight timescales
- Ability to demonstrate initiative and work independently with minimum supervision
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams, disciplines and organisations demonstrating respect and consideration for the role/ skill(s) of others
- Ability to analyse and interpret information in an effective manner to recommend an appropriate course of action to address the issue(s)
- Proven ability to work with quality improvement and governance frameworks
- Ability to effectively engage with others to influence and negotiate for positive outcomes
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office including Word, and Excel
- Evidence of ongoing CPD and committed to self-development
Desirable criteria
- Able to develop, interpret, implement and evaluate policies
- Proven capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
Equality and diversity
Essential criteria
- 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
Documents
- Job Description (PDF, 504.3KB)
- Functional Requirement (PDF, 344.6KB)
- CS Job Description (PDF, 552.3KB)
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Civil Service Nationality Rules (PDF, 345.1KB)
- Application Form Guidance Notes (PDF, 77.3KB)
- Information Sheet - Starting salaries and benefits (PDF, 129.4KB)
- Information Sheet - Selection Process (PDF, 110.1KB)
- Working at UKHSA and your benefits (PDF, 219.2KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lami Olayiwola
- Job title
- Resourcing
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For enquires about your application please contact recruitment team [email protected] , for enquiries about the role please contact vacancy holder email address [email protected]
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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