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Public Health Wales NHS Trust

About

Welcome to Public Health Wales, the national public health organisation for Wales. We exist to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities for people in Wales.

To find out more visit Public Health Wales and watch this about our Strategic Plan

Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference

Our purpose is ‘working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help all people in Wales live longer, healthier lives. With our partners, we aim to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.

Together, our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the main source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales.

Executive Summary - Public Health Wales (nhs.wales)

Contact

Address: No.2 Capital Quarter; Tyndall Street; Cardiff; CF10 4BZ
Contact Number: 02921 500200

Find out more

Jobs Website

Open

Ref: 028-NMR003-0126 Vacancy ID: 7453071

Lead Nurse Infection, Prevention & Control - HARP

Accepting applications until: 06-Feb-2026 23:59

Vacancy status: Open

Accepting applications until: 06-Feb-2026 23:59

Location

Site: Capital Quarter 2 / or other PHW site
Address: TBC
Town: Cardiff / or other PHW site
Postcode: CF10 4BZ
Major / Minor Region: Cardiff

Contract type & working pattern

Contract: Permanent: 22.5 hours
Hours: 22.5 hours per week (Part time – 22.5 hours per week (7.5 hours per day, with core times being 8am to 6pm, Monday - Friday) days to be agreed on appointment.)

Salary

Salary: £65,424 - £76,021 Pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Grade: (Band 8b)

Specialty

Main area: Nursing

Welcome to Public Health Wales, the national public health organisation for Wales

Our vision is Working to achieve a healthier future for Wales

To find out more visit Public Health Wales and watch this video about our Strategic Plan

Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference

Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English. To support our all Wales service, we particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a strategic role within Public Health Wales (PHW) for leadership, advise and support on matters relating to Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) best practices standards and organisational arrangements. The post holder will be responsible on leading the provision of specialist IPC advice and support to the Healthcare Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Prescribing Programme (HARP) for Public Health Wales. The post holder will be an experienced IPC specialist nurse/practitioner able to advise and supports managers and teams in complex decisions in the management prevention of Healthcare Acquired Infections. in This person will be dynamic and adaptable and be able to work on their own, as part of a team and in collaboration/matrix working.

The post holder will provide system resource, support, and expertise in IPC to all areas in NHS Wales, providing assurance that performance and regulatory functions (as applicable) and responsibilities are met. You will assist and support NHS Wales, and health and social care to provide oversight and assurance to ensure safe, efficient, and effective IPC provision is maintained

. Through effective leadership, strategic and professional management s, the post holder will drive forward a planned programme of work through partnership working within Public Health Wales and wider NHS teams and work with other key partners as relevant to IP&C e.g. Health Board and Trust Infection, Prevention & Control Colleagues, Health and Social Care, Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW), NHS Executive or associated specialists in AMR, microbiology, decontamination, procurement, education and training.

The post holder will utilise their expert knowledge and experience to support the development, implementation, and monitoring of high standards of care ensuring equality of service. You will be responsive to the needs of the services and its users and empower both clinical and non-clinical staff to make informed decisions regarding IPC through the education and training provided. The post holder will be experienced in quality improvement methodology and practice to enable a quality improvement approach to be taken, where applicable to the IP&C agenda. This will include providing leadership and advice on IP&C audit related activity.

The post holder will promote the provision of safe environments of care for Service users, the public and staff (to include contractors) in terms of infection prevention and control. The role involves high level advice and support for the care and management of service users with known or suspected communicable infections, leading local surveillance, auditing of clinical and non-clinical practice, management and control of outbreaks and periods of increased infectious incidence (to include Welsh Government no surprises reporting), research and practice development.

The post holder will provide senior leadership and operational support for the development, implementation and ongoing review of the Infection Prevention and Control Strategy, policies, systems and processes, decontamination. This includes providing an advisory function for commissioned services and any capital developments which have IP&C implications or requirements.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that the prevention and control of infection is integral and embedded in the day-to-day activities and practice of the organisation. This work also contributes to achieving the PHW strategy ‘Working to Achieve a Healthier Future for Wales’ specifically the objective of ‘protecting the public from infection and environmental threats’.

All professional staff are accountable and responsible for their own clinical competence and should limit their actions to those for which they are deemed competent. Clinical staff are also required to comply with the requirements of their professional organisation regarding supervision and validation. The safe care of service users and patients will remain central to this role with a strong focus on preventing harm and improving practice in IP&C.

This post incorporates clinical sites across Wales; therefore, it is essential that the post holder has the ability to travel to ensure the needs of the service and role are met. The post holder will primarily be based at a Public Health Wales office, with also the ability to work from home (hybrid working).

Public Health Wales, reserves the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage early applications.

Priority is given to staff awaiting redeployment. We therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.

If you have a disability and have any particular requirements to enable you to participate in the application process, please contact [email protected]

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR APPLICANTS: Applications for our roles are carefully reviewed and shortlisted based on specific criteria, which varies from job to job.

Using a generic application or automated AI application services, such as Lazy Apply or AI Apply, does not usually provide enough personal evidence of your skills and experience relevant to the role. This can make it difficult for us to assess your suitability and will reduce your chances of being shortlisted.

To ensure your application is given full consideration, we recommend submitting a tailored application that directly addresses the criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the advert, providing clear evidence and examples to demonstrate how you meet each requirement.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

If you require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Visa routes, please ensure you self‑assess your eligibility for sponsorship for this role before applying.
Check the Skilled Worker visa guidance or Health and Care visa guidance for details on job eligibility, salary, English language, and sponsorship requirements.

If you are successful and short listed for interview you will be contacted by email using the address with which you registered. Please ensure you check your email account regularly.

We are committed to fair, transparent recruitment and believe in equality of opportunity in our workplace and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender identity, religion or belief, race or nationality, marriage or civil partnership status, sex, sexual orientation, working pattern, caring responsibilities, trade union activity or political beliefs – or on any other grounds. We welcome applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements.

The salary scale shown is for a full-time member of staff, with the amount being adjusted pro rata for those working less than 37.5 hours per week.

In general, anyone joining our Trust who has not previously worked in the NHS will, by default, start on the first point of the advertised pay band. Pay progression will then be determined by annual Performance and Development Reviews in accordance with the NHS Wales Pay Progression Policy. An application for Incremental Credit may be considered, but can only be awarded based on evidenced, reckonable service and/or equivalent, relevant experience.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Welsh language skills are desirable

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Registered Nurse level one, Relevant Master’s Degree or equivalent demonstrable experience, Postgraduate teaching qualification (ENB 998/C&G 7307, PGCE or equivalent, Recognised post graduate qualification in Infection Prevention & Control or similar (level 6 or above), Evidence of ongoing professional development, ANTT eLearning completion

Desirable criteria

Evidence of higher level of practice development within specialist area, Qualification in Leadership and/ or Management, ANTT competent, Evidence of antimicrobial, stewardship training

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive management and leadership experience working in Infection Prevention across varied health care settings, Demonstrable understanding and experience in the decontamination of medical devices and clinical environment, Extensive experience in the identification and implementation of audit and surveillance, Demonstrate ability to lead upon the development of relevant policies/ guidelines/ protocols, Experience in formal and informal presentation skills to a variety of audiences, Demonstrable experience of complex decision making, Demonstrates leadership and management experience, Demonstrates experience where a degree of autonomous working has been required, Experience of multi- professional/multi agency working, Critically analysing and synthesising evidence

Desirable criteria

Experience of leading professional projects, Significant experience managing IP&C in all healthcare settings, Experience in change management and quality improvement, Experience of conducting/participating in research, Teaching/training assessment experience, Experience in performance monitoring and management, Links to academia

Skills

Essential criteria

Able to demonstrate situations where effective leadership and management skills have been used to improve care, Ability to represent a team and liaise with other professional organisations, Ability to innovate, lead and implement change, Highly effective communication skills with healthcare workers/patients/service users, Effective verbal and written presentation and reporting skills

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of formal publication of scientific work, poster production, or oral presentations, Financially astute/ business aware, Confident and competent in leading national meetings

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Extensive specialist practical and theoretical knowledge in the field Infection Prevention and Control and HCAI reduction, • Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of wider professional nursing issues, In depth knowledge of the key clinical interventions required to reduce AMR and HCAI, Sound knowledge and understanding of advanced practice, Understanding of evidence based practice and its application to HCAI reduction and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, Sound knowledge and understanding of wider professional nursing issues, Working knowledge of appropriate HR policies/ procedures

Desirable criteria

Understanding of organisational strategic frameworks and their implementations, Understanding and knowledge in using the drivers to reduce HCAI in the primary and secondary care settings, Knowledge of the PHW strategic objective of ‘protecting the public from infection and environmental threats’, Involvement in professional nursing issues, Experience in work force planning Knowledge of nursing structure within PHW

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria

Self-motivated, Reliable and punctual, Ability to work independently and as part of the team • Professional and approachable, Professionally autonomous, Resourceful and adaptable, Confident and innovative, Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when working with others