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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 ( Level 1 )
Closed for applications on: 15-Jul-2024 00:01
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 15-Jul-2024 00:01
Key details
Location
- Site
- National
- Town
- Horsham / Ashford
- Postcode
- RH12 1XA
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Salary
- £32,469 - £42,618 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO))
Specialty
- Main area
- Health Protection Practitioner
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
As part of the SE Health Protection team the post holder will contribute to the provision of specialist advice and provide support locally to local authorities, hospitals and primary care. They will contribute to the investigating and management of a full range of health protection incidents and support the local implementation of regional and key national priorities in collaboration with other members of the team, other UKHSA departments and external stakeholders. They will also be expected to contribute to the daytime and out of hours on call service.
Advert
- Contribute to the day to day running of acute response function, providing first point of contact for specialist knowledge, support and advice to health professionals on health protection matters
- Contribute to/lead under supervision the ongoing longer term management of issues relevant to a defined geographical area
- Contribute to the UKHSA response during incidents in line with EPRR arrangements
- Contribute to the development/maintenance of effective surveillance systems and stakeholder relationships
- Contribute to the development of local policies and procedures
- Contribute and undertake audit as part of wider quality programme
- Support/lead projects and defined areas of work
- Participate in on call service
See attached job description and person specification for full details.
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 core working hours are 0900 to 1700 Monday to Friday, however during enhanced incidents it may be necessary to extend hours including weekends and bank holidays; the exact details are subject to change and will be discussed further at the time of each incident. There is also a 24 hour on-call rota which includes evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working.
The post will be based in either Ashford or Horsham offices within the South East Region and applicants will be expected to be able to travel and work at either sister site for a minimum of 60% of their working week. Applicants will also be expected to travel within the area/Region as necessary.
All IT equipment needed to undertake the work will be provided, but it is essential that applicants have access to reliable broadband facilities.
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.
Relocation expenses are not available.
SURVEILLANCE
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards.
- Contribute to the use of surveillance outputs to inform and influence local and national Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
- Support identification and reporting of health needs, health inequalities and health impact assessment.
PARTNERSHIP WORKING
- Through activities delegated and supported by line management, contribute to the development of effective relationships with a range of individuals and stakeholders.
- With support and guidance from line management, may sometimes deal with difficult and/or conflicting subject matter problems in day to day work load.
- Contribute to and support the development and implementation of initiatives for public health action and improvement.
RESEARCH, TEACHING AND TRAINING
- Contribute to research activity to complement the health protection evidence base.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of teaching resources and activities across a range of audiences with support from senior manager as appropriate.
- Support the training programmes for Faculty of Public Health, Foundation Year Doctors and Specialist Trainees in the training scheme as appropriate and to the training of public health and health care professionals and practitioners within the locality as requested by line management.
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
- To act as role model adhering to team professional standards.
- Contribute to the development of policies and protocols for a wide range of health protection issues.
- Contribute to and undertake audit as part of a wider programme of quality/service improvement activity.
- Undertake projects on defined areas of work as agreed with the line manager.
- Contribute to specified quality improvement and governance initiatives as agreed.
- Ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements within the team.
- Proactively contribute to wider organisational development.
- Contribute to the strategic work of the locality/patch based health protection team and deputise where appropriate.
- Contribute pro-actively to the development and testing of the region’s business continuity plan
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
- Pursue a programme of CPD, including statutory and mandatory training, in accordance with the relevant regulatory body and UKHSA requirements.
- Agree individual clinical / professional supervision or mentorship arrangements with line manager.
- 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.
OTHER DUTIES
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. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Regions.
COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:
Internal
- UKHSA Regional teams
- Other UKHSA divisions/directorates
External
- Local Authorities
- Healthcare Professionals
- Care Homes
- Community and Voluntary Sector
- Local Prisons
- Other Government Agencies
- Local NHS, including commissioners and providers
- Local Resilience Fora and Local Health Resilience Partnership
Selection process details
You will be assessed on the essential criteria listed on in the Person Specification below. Please see Job Description and Person Spec for full list of essential and desirable criteria.
Application stage
Competency -based assessments
At sift stage you will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria listed in the job advert and this will be in the form of :
- a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- a 1500 words Statement of Suitability.
The CV/Application form and Statement Of Suitability will be marked together.
Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Interview stage
You will be invited to a remote interview .
Behaviours, technical, experience, abilities and strengths will be tested at interview.
Interviews will be held week commencing 15 July. 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.
Location :
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 UKHSA's location Horsham or Ashford. Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site.
Eligibility Criteria:
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
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.
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 :
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.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
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/
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- First degree (Health Related) or demonstrable equivalent experience( for NHS AfC Band 6) OR Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration ( for civil service HEO grade)
- 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
- 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)
- Proven experience in the establishment and maintenance of good relationships with managers, staff and external contracts
Documents
- Job Description HEO (PDF, 744.3KB)
- Functional Requirements OH (PDF, 344.6KB)
- Job Description AfC Band 6 (PDF, 744.3KB)
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Civil Service Nationality Rules (PDF, 195.3KB)
- 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
- Jaime Morgan
- Job title
- Vacancy Holder
- Email address
- [email protected]
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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