Job info	Job info details
Job title	Public Health Specialist
Strategic team/Directorate	Public Health
Service	Public Health
Business unit	Public Health
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Consultant in Public Health
Accountable to (line manager)	Consultant in Public Health
Salary grade	K
JE ref	PH09LM

1. Key purpose of job

• To lead on the strategic development of the health inequalities, health improvement and health protection programmes by providing public health leadership, expertise and advice to significant public health programmes including: design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of several different local public health programmes across all three domains of public health (health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health).
• To provide expert public health advice within the department and to partners to improve the health and wellbeing of Torbay residents.
• To lead on and contribute to the development, management, delivery and evaluation of projects and services within the public health arena and across the wider partnership, to address established and emerging issues.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Improved public health outcomes for Torbay’s residents.  
• Reduction in premature morbidity and mortality through a range of evidence-based programmes for the population of Torbay but with a focus on improving the health of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sooner to reduce the health inequalities gap. 
• Services and programmes are designed, developed and, as necessary, commissioned to support the delivery of Torbay public health priorities, using data and intelligence to deliver value for money.  
• Empowered and enabled communities which can influence decisions relating to public health projects, initiatives and services in their local area.  
• Effective multi-agency and multi-disciplinary delivery of partnership strategic aims and objectives in Torbay.  
• Effective discharge of local authority health protection responsibilities. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Leading a portfolio as designated and provide expertise and leadership, in line with national, local and clinical policy/guidance directives, for the portfolio area for the Directorate and with partners including other Torbay Council Departments, local NHS provider services, Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise sector, the Integrated Commissioning Board and wider.  
• The post holder is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the impact of interventions and providing assurance of quality within their remit to determine the impact on the health of the local population in the medium to long-term as the benefit of programmes may not be seen for many years. 
• The postholder will formulate strategies/plans and make recommendations based on evidence of need and effectiveness using sound judgement to appraise a range of quantitative and qualitative data sources, policy guidance and local context. 
• The postholder is expected to utilise and apply both complex theories and technical knowledge to devise approaches and solutions from first principles.  
• The postholder will influence decision making and communicate findings through several routes including committee reports, papers and presentations to a range of stakeholders including the public with the intention of protecting health, improving services, reducing health inequalities and improving health and wellbeing of the local population. 
• In accordance with the postholder’s Public Health portfolio responsibilities, the postholder is expected to undertake several of the following: 
  • Developing Public Health Programmes and any commissioning intentions for portfolio area, designing services and interventions based on evidence of effectiveness, population health need and securing improved public health outcomes for the population of Torbay.  
  • Leading the procurement process where services are to be commissioned and using leadership and influencing skills to develop public health programmes with a range of stakeholders. 
  • Undertake bespoke work under the core offer as required by Public Health to fulfil the Core Offer responsibility (this may include health needs assessments, health impact assessments and health equity audits). 
  • The postholder will provide advice in areas of their expertise to assist the design, conduct, analysis and dissemination of surveys and research projects.  
  • This post holder will provide leadership in the area of health improvement with a focus on behavioural change, social marketing and place-based public health. 
  • Locality Leadership and Partnership working - Provide leadership to improve the health and wellbeing of a defined population. Use influencing and negotiation skills working with officers, members, Clinical Commissioning Group colleagues, the voluntary and community sector and the public to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population. 
  • The postholder will be responsible for monitoring and appropriate system assurance of routine and ad-hoc health protection surveillance/screening for communicable and non-communicable disease and environmental hazard programmes relevant to their portfolio in Torbay. 
  • The postholder will be expected to contribute to the Local Authority response during health protection incidents in line with Council, incident management and LRF protocols and directives. 
• The postholder will be responsible for developing programmes not only within Torbay, but across the wider geographic Devon, Peninsular and Regional areas where appropriate.   
• The postholder has the autonomy to make decisions on how best to achieve agreed objectives while staying within public health professional and ethical frameworks and organisational policies and within a broad framework determined by the Consultant in Public Health and Director of Public Health. 

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• The post holder will make daily decisions relating to project expenditure. 
• The post-holder will have delegated authority for spend up to £20,000 and the postholder may be required to commission services of significant value. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• The postholder will be expected to undertake line management duties commensurate with their portfolio and/or level of responsibility. 
• The postholder will be an accredited Activity Supervisor for specialist registrars on the public health consultant trainee programme during their placement with the Torbay Public Health Team.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions.
• The post requires travelling to/working from other bases of work as required, e.g., NHS sites and other Local Authority buildings both in and outside of Torbay. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: 
  • NHS Devon Integrated Care Board. 
  • Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. 
  • Devon Partnership NHS Trust. 
  • Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. 
  • UK Health Security Agency. 
  • Devon County Council.  
  • Plymouth City Council.  
  • Service user and carer representatives.  
  • Voluntary sector organisations.  
  • Commissioned provider services and organisations.  
  • Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.  
  • Devon and Cornwall Probation.  
  • Other organisations.  
• Internal: 
• • Staff at all levels across Torbay Council. 

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
• You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Public Health Specialist
Strategic team/Directorate	Public Health
Service	Public Health
Business unit	Public Health

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Highly developed analytical skills with experience of analysing and interpreting data and/or information to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of a population / community / group.  
• The ability to appraise published evidence and the identification of implications for own area of work. 
• Effective presentation skills including the ability to present complex issues with clarity to meet the needs of the target audience. 
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of different people and using different methods including good negotiating and facilitation skills; the ability to challenge existing practices and identify solutions; and the ability to influence decisions.
• Sound partnership skills including successful co-ordination of partners to deliver objectives.
• The ability to work independently and to collaborate as part of a team.  
• The ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries to achieve results.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Experience in delivering and evaluating social marketing campaigns.
• Ability to use Microsoft Project and Visio. 

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of the determinants of health and their effect on populations, communities, groups and individuals. 
• Advanced knowledge of the public health/health improvement agenda and wider determinants of health.
• Advanced knowledge of health protection principles. 
• Advanced knowledge of the main terms and concepts used in epidemiology.  
• Specialist knowledge of how to assess the health needs of the population and ensure programmes are evidenced based to best meet local need. 
• Advanced knowledge of the complexities of working with a wide range of commissioners and service providers. 
• Basic knowledge of the commissioning cycle.  

Desirable knowledge

• Basic knowledge of social marketing principles.
• Basic knowledge of mental health and wellbeing agendas in general and Public Mental Health in particular.
• Basic knowledge of Health Protection practices and procedures.
• Basic knowledge of local authority processes and systems.
• Basic knowledge of the local area.
• Basic knowledge of local public health networks

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience in the development and delivery of public health programmes and initiatives.
• Experience of using a range of evidence-based tools to assess the health needs of a population to inform the development and/or commissioning of public health programmes. 
• Experience of leading, developing, implementing and evaluating public health strategic development, programmes and initiatives.
• Experience of partnership working within a multi-agency environment including local government and/or the NHS and across a range of seniority levels. 
• Experience of partnership across a diverse range of agencies and people including the general public in particular with marginalised members of the community.
• Experience of problem solving, being innovative and creative in terms of designing and implementing solutions. 
• A positive track record of motivating, persuading and influencing colleagues and other stakeholders. 

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience in the commissioning of public health programmes and initiatives. 
• Experience of health protection. 
• Experience of taking part in research and evaluating public health initiatives and programmes.
• Experience of managing a budget. 
• Experience with using and responding to the media.  
• Experience of working with community groups to empower them to make decisions and take action in their neighbourhoods. 
• Experience of organising and providing training programmes.
• Experience of working with elected members of local government. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Relevant postgraduate qualification or relevant work based experience equivalent to this level. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Masters in Public Health. 
• Public Health Practitioner qualification. 
• Prince2 qualification or equivalent.  

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate on-call working. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.