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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.

Contact

Address: 10 South Colonnade; London; E14 4PU

Find out more

Jobs Website

Open

Ref: 919-LT-35203594-EXT Vacancy ID: 6604587

Senior Health Protection Practitioner

Accepting applications until: 06-Jan-2025 23:59

Vacancy status: Open

Accepting applications until: 06-Jan-2025 23:59

Location

Site: Newcastle Civic Centre
Address: Barras Bridge
Town: Newcastle
Postcode: NE1 8QH
Major / Minor Region: London

Contract type & working pattern

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Salary

Salary: £53,755 - £64,485 AFC 8a £53,755-£60,504; CS G7 £54,416-£64,485 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Grade: (NHS AfC: Band 8a (Individuals who are a Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional with current professional registration will be appointed as NHS AFC Band 8a. Individuals who are registered with an appropriate health or science related professional body e.g. UKPHR/CIEH will be appointed as Civil Service Grade 7))

Specialty

Main area: Senior 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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

RESPONSE

Management and supervision of the day to day acute response service to ensure high quality safe and effective delivery.
Use expertise and knowledge to support and where required lead under supervision the management of routine and complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards.
Manage and carry out continuing responsibility for a geographical patch 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.
To monitor standards, ensuring quality and consistency and to escalate to senior manager and/or take action where any shortfall occurs as appropriate to role.
Contribute to and where required lead under supervision of the Principal/Advance Practitioner/Consultant in HP the ongoing longer-term management of issues relevant to a defined geographical area within their region.
Participate in a local on call rota at regional or national level as required.

SURVEILLANCE

Contribute proactively to the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards.
Proactively use surveillance outputs to inform and influence local and national Public Health actions, policies and strategies..

PARTNERSHIP WORKING

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

External organisations and wider NHS stakeholders to ensure collaboration in the strategy in the Sector.
Internal leaders and staff to gain input to the development of systems, processes and activities

Deal with at times, highly challenging and/or conflicting subject matter problems or in day work load in workshops, meetings, one to one communications and other events, comprising various parts of the business, referring/escalating to senior manager(s) as appropriate.

RESEARCH, TEACHING AND TRAINING

Contribute to research activity to complement the health protection evidence base.
Develop and deliver appropriate teaching resources and activities across a range of audiences with support from senior manager(s) as appropriate.
Ensure appropriate clinical supervision and mentorship systems are in place.

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 region’s health protection function, responsibilities and resources, planning and managing the physical resources that ensure the regional HP function is fully equipped and fit for purpose.
Undertake line management responsibilities as agreed.
Develop policies and protocols for a wide range of health protection issues in conjunction with team members.
Contribute to and undertake audit as part of a wider programme of quality/service improvement activity across the UKHSA region.

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.
Actively manage and support the development of individuals and the team through appraisal, personal development planning, coaching and mentoring.
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.
To be aware of CS and KSF competencies and to be working to them as appropriate.

You will be assessed on the below 5 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description.

Please Note: Individuals who are not currently a Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional with current professional registration eg. NMC, will be appointed as Civil Service Grade 7.

You must either be a Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Hold current registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body e.g. UKPHR/CIEH

Selection Process Details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Application & Sift
Competency-based assessments
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 5 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of:

Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)

1000 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Current registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body e.g. UKPHR/CIEH
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
Substantial experience in a health protection role at a senior level with specialist knowledge and expertise in Health Protection

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.

Interview (competency based)

You will be invited to a single face to face interview which will be held at our Newcastle upon Tyne site (Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH).

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.

There will be a Presentation, details will be confirmed to those successful at gaining an interview.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK. Relocation expenses are not available. This role is based in Newcastle upon Tyne with regular travel within the geographical area of responsibility and travel elsewhere/nationally as maybe required by the post.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Newcastle Upon Tyne office. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using 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 onsite at our Newcastle Upon Tyne location.

Eligibility Criteria

 External: 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.

Face to Face interviews

If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

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.  You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. 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.

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 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.

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/

International Police Check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Essential criteria

Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g. Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Current registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body e.g. UKPHR / CIEH
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
Substantial experience in a health protection role at a senior level with specialist knowledge and expertise in Health Protection
Proven experience and ability to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of/to others including managing and motivating a team and reviewing individual standards
Experience Incident and outbreak investigation and management

Documents

Further details / informal visits contact

Name: Lisa Tweedie
Job title: Resourcing Support
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 protected]