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About the job
Job summary
AfC Band 7 £43,742 - £45,996
CS SEO: £38,724 - £44,393
There are 3 vacancies available: 2 - Full Time, 1 - 30 hrs per week.
About Us
At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.
Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.
Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for Health Protection Practitioners (Level 2) to join the UKHSA South West.
At Level 2 it is expected that the postholder will act more autonomously than a level 1 practitioner
The post holder will be part of the multi-disciplinary team contributing to the provision of the Health Protection function, including the management of infectious and environmental hazards, and response to major incidents. They will use specialist knowledge and skills to undertake case management and provide Health Protection advice 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 undergo a programme of on-going development and education. They will contribute to the out of hours on-call service
Regular on-site presence will be required at one of the SW offices
Job description
Location
This role will be based in Totnes TQ9 5NE or Bristol BS1 6EH, with regular travel within the geographical area of responsibility and travel elsewhere/nationally as maybe required by the post.
The UK Health Security Agency (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 Totnes or Bristol office. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.
*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
A full list of duties and responsibilities can be found in the job description
The postholder will contribute to operational delivery to ensure high quality, safe delivery of the Health Protection service by providing first point of contact for specialist knowledge/ advice to health professionals Undertake management of routine acute response work & non-complex incidents escalating and referring complex incidents and outbreaks
Support to the development & maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards. Support the development of effective relationships with a range of individuals and stakeholders, support to research & the development and delivery of teaching resources, role model team standards. Support the development of policies for Health Protection issues & audit as part of quality/service improvement Participate in organisational/professional appraisal, revalidation & CPD as appropriate. Participate in a local on call rota at regional level.
Person specification
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1,500 words (max) that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:
Essential criteria
AfC Band 7:
- Registered General Nurse or relevant Allied Health Professional with current professional registration e.g. NMC
CS SEO:
- Working towards registration with an appropriate health or science related professional body
Applied or both:
- 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
- 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
- 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
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
- 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
- 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
Benefits
Working for the UKHSA
For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Range of health and wellbeing support
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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK
Things you need to know
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form and a statement of suitability. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, against the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section). Your Statement of Suitability must not exceed 1,500 words.
You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. The sift selection panel will only consider relevant career history information from the last 5 years.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW:
This competition will involve an interview via Teams
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.
Candidates might also be required to prepare and deliver a presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs 21/03/2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Interviews: 4th or 5th April
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
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. People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.
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.
Please Note
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions or NHS Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.
Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
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: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
