Job Title: Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health
Hours: 37
Grade: Director 70% £87,834 - £96,418
Our ambition is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK; one that is compassionate and caring, with a strong economy, tackling poverty and reducing inequalities. We want to be a healthy city for all ages, where people who are the poorest improve their health the fastest. Leeds Public Health plays a major part in delivering this vision as part of the highly collaborative approach of ‘Team Leeds’, and we have the ideal partners and assets in Leeds to succeed.
We are seeking a Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health to play a significant leadership role in our dynamic and collaborative public health team, and a key member of the city’s public health leadership team. You will be responsible for programmes and services across all the public health functions, covering health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health. You will be a senior adviser and leader on health matters to elected members, officers and partners and be strategically responsible for over-arching public health objectives. This role combines broad strategic leadership across all the public health function, in addition to specific responsibility for a broad portfolio of public health programmes, with initial priorities around drugs, alcohol & safer communities, localities and primary care. This post will specifically provide essential Consultant in Public Health leadership for the Leeds Drugs and Alcohol Strategy and commissioned services, which includes responsibility for the additional drug and alcohol grant funding from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). The portfolio will be flexible and subject to changing priorities, in addition to your overarching leadership role as Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health.
You will be a strategic leader, driving improved health and wellbeing with Leeds communities, with a relentless focus on reducing health inequalities. In addition to working across all of Leeds City Council as a public health organisation, this role requires excellent relationships and joint working with NHS and public sector partners, community and private sector organisations and other key colleagues, including UK Health Security Agency and other partners within the public health system, as well as with the people of Leeds.
This demanding, varied and interesting role requires someone who is highly skilled and experienced across a broad range of public health leadership roles and has a strong track record of delivery, working in collaboration with others.
If you relish challenge and have the energy, enthusiasm and skills to deliver better outcomes and make a real impact, then we would like to hear from you. It is important that you are a registered GMC, GDC or UK PHR public health specialist with significant experience in all areas of public health practice.
For further information, please request a candidate information pack by emailing recruitment@leeds.gov.uk.
How to Apply
To apply, please upload your CV and personal statement on the Leeds Jobs site ensuring your application reflects the requirements of the role as outlined in the Job Profile.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health via email: Victoria.eaton@leeds.gov.uk or on: 0113 378 8653
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 31st July 2024
Interviews will be held on Friday 13th September.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.
Leeds City Council Job Profile
Job Title: Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health
Employing Organisation: Leeds City Council
Accountable to: Professionally accountable to Leeds City Council, Managerially to Leeds City Council via the Director of Public Health
Hours: Full time Normally 37 hours
Grade: Director 70% (£87,834 - £96,418)
Work base: Merrion House Merrion Way Leeds
Responsible for: Consultant role with portfolio covering elements of Health Improvement, Health Protection and Healthcare Public Health
Key Relationships: The post will be required to work across the Council including Elected Members, the Health and Wellbeing Board and Adults and Health Directorate Leadership Team. It will also have key relationships across NHS organisations including the Integrated Care Board and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
Job Summary
The Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health is a leader for improving the health and wellbeing of residents, reducing inequalities in health outcomes and protecting local communities from public health hazards (infectious diseases and environmental threats). The Consultant in Public Health is a Chief Officer of the authority and an adviser on health matters to elected members, officers and partners. The post will be responsible for a public health services which range from health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health. Day to day line management accountability will be to the Director of Public Health (DPH), although the Consultant in Public Health will work corporately across all functions of the Council to support the delivery of responsibilities.
The post holder will support the DPH and other colleagues to lead on improving the health and wellbeing; underpinned by the statutory duty placed on local government to take steps appropriate to improve the health of its residents. The post holder will have a portfolio of responsibilities and objectives of the local authority and the Health & Wellbeing Board and act as a change agent to enable delivery of improved population health outcomes and to reduce inequalities. The post holder will be expected to work across organisations, influence budgets held by partners across the city, as well as effectively lead and advocate for change. They will hold direct managerial responsibility for services and budgets (in their portfolio) which directly contribute to these objectives, but they will additionally have substantially greater responsibilities across the council and other partners.
Job purpose
Our vision is for Leeds to be the best city in the UK: one that is compassionate and caring with a strong economy, which tackles poverty and reduces health inequalities. We want Leeds to be a city that is distinctive, sustainable, ambitious, fun and creative for all, with a council that its residents can be proud of: the best council in the country. This role will drive improvements in the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Leeds, to reduce inequalities in health outcomes and work in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to protect local communities from threats to their health.
This Chief Officer/Consultant in Public Health role will lead work reflecting the 3 main cross cutting strategies of Health and Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Climate Change.
The role will identify, drive and secure opportunities to improve and transform services, improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. These opportunities will be found across the services directly managed and across the Council and partner organisations. As part of a dynamic senior team and system, the portfolio of this Consultant in Public Health role may change over time, so adaptability and focus on delivery are critical features.
This post holder will play a significant part in providing senior public health advice and support to NHS partners, and will work closely with NHS colleagues in further developing effective and equitable population healthcare, and maximising the contribution of healthcare in reducing health inequality and improving health outcomes across Leeds.
Description of the LA and the Public Health Department
Leeds is the third largest city in the UK. The Council serves a population of 812,000 (ONS 2021) and has a workforce of around 14,000 people.
Local NHS organisations: NHS Leeds Integrated Care Board, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England and a range of third sector partners.
There are around 91 staff within the public health function. The post holder will be responsible for a section/s within this structure. Public health services include child and maternal health, health protection, mental health, sexual health, localities and primary care, workforce development, healthy living, health improvement, older people, long term conditions and cancer. The post holder will be responsible for line and team management and will adhere to Leeds City Council mandatory training requirements.
Key Responsibilities
In delivering responsibilities the post holder is expected to demonstrate expertise across the full range of relevant competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public Health (Appendix 1) and where required, take responsibility for resolving operational issues. In negotiation with the Director of Public Health, the post holder may be asked to take on responsibilities that are underpinned by any of the FPH competencies. Post holder will be expected to maintain both the general expertise as well as develop topic based expertise as required by the Director of Public Health and will be expected to deputise for the Director of Public Health as and when required.
The range of duties expected of the post holder include:
Taking responsibility for a range of public health issues and work across organisational and professional boundaries acting as a change agent managing complexity to deliver improvements in health and wellbeing; including responsibility for development, implementation and delivery of policies.
Providing briefings on the health and wellbeing needs of local communities to Councillors, Council Officers, Integrated Care Board, the 3rd sector, the public and partners. Where required to so, the post holder will provide verbal briefings to Councillors, colleagues and stakeholders in person which may be at short notice.
Take the lead in developing detailed inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic plans and programmes based on needs assessments leading to service specifications. The post holder will be expected to contribute appropriately to the procurement process.
Providing expert public health support, advocacy and whole system leadership to ensure an evidence- based approach for commissioning and developing high quality equitable services, within and across a range of organisations including voluntary, public and private sector. This includes the health service component of the mandated core service. This will include expertise in evaluation and development of appropriate KPIs.
Utilising (and if appropriate developing) information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action across disciplines and organisations. This may include providing leadership for collation and interpretation of relevant data including production of the JSNA. Working with the DPH, this will include the integration of the appropriate elements of the public health, NHS and social care outcomes frameworks within the systems developed by the local authority as well as with relevant partner organisations.
Supporting the DPH in the development and implementation of robust strategies for improving the health and wellbeing of local communities including ensuring qualitative and/or quantitative measurements are in place to demonstrate improvements.
Providing the key local authority link to the research community, providing advice/support to colleagues and co-ordinating appropriate access to scientific information. The post holder will be expected to take part in relevant research networks and to influence research programmes of such networks so that the research needs of the local authority are taken into account.
Taking responsibility for the training obligations of the directorate, including becoming an Educational Supervisor. These duties will be agreed jointly with the relevant Head of the School of Public Health.
Provide public health advice and leadership to support and inform partners in the health aspects of communicable disease and non-infectious environmental hazards on behalf of Leeds City Council, using an evidence based approach; including support to the Director of Public Health to fulfil their responsibilities relating to Health Protection as outlined in the NHS Health Bill and Public Health Regulations
Take on those responsibilities commensurate with a Consultant in Public Health, including management of staff and budgets as determined by the Director of Public Health; including effective working relationships with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and other local partners.
Underpinning much of these duties are public health tasks such as;
Developing prioritisation techniques and managing their application to policies, services and to help resolve issues such as the investment-disinvestment debate.
Effective communication of complex concepts, science and data and their implications for local communities, to a range of stakeholders with very different backgrounds; including undertaking health needs assessments as required to enable actions to be taken to improve the health of the local population.
Develop a constructive relationship with the media and the public, within the context of the Council Communications policy.
A capacity to apply the scientific body of knowledge on public health to the polices and services necessary to improve health and to formulate clear practical evidence-based recommendations. The understanding of human and organisational behaviour and the application of this knowledge to the achievement of change.
Management arrangements and responsibilities
The post holder will be professionally accountable to the employing authority and managerially accountable to the employing authority via their line manager, the Director of Public Health. Professional appraisal will be required. This job plan will be reviewed as part of the annual job planning process.
The post holder:
Will manage staff from across the Public Health function including line management duties, recruitment, appraisals, PDP’s and disciplinary and grievance responsibilities
Will manage a budget portfolio as part of the overall Public Health budget and be an authorised signatory
Will be expected to take part in on call arrangements for communicable disease control/health protection as appropriate depending on local arrangements
Will be expected to deputise for the Director of Public Health as required
Professional obligations
These include:
Participate in the organisation’s staff appraisal scheme and quality improvement programme, and ensure appraisal and development of any staff for which s/he is responsible.
Participate in ongoing organisational development/service improvement work for the public health function.
Contribute actively to the training programme for Specialty Registrars in Public Health and other public health education and professional development programmes as appropriate. In agreement with the DPH contribute as an appraiser to the professional appraisal system.
Undertake an annual professional appraisal including completion of a programme of CPD, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health (Specialist) Register or other specialist register as appropriate. In agreement with the DPH, contribute to the wider the public health professional system.
Practice in accordance with all relevant sections of the General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice (if medically qualified) and the Faculty of Public Health’s Good Public Health Practice and UKPHR requirements.
It is a duty of a health professional to foster scientific integrity, freedom of scientific publications, and freedom of debate on health matters, and public health professionals have a further responsibility to promote good governance and open government.
Public health practice must be carried out within the ethical framework of the health professions and the post holder will be expected to maintain effective, courageous, and responsible public health advocacy.
These professional obligations should be reflected in the job plan. The post-holder may also have external professional responsibilities, e.g. in respect of training or work for the Faculty of Public Health. Time allocation for these additional responsibilities will need to be agreed with the Director of Public Health.
Personal Qualities: The post holder will deal with complex public health and wellbeing challenges in a multi-organisational environment with widely differing governance and finance system and organisational cultures. It is expected that the post holder will be able to cope with such circumstances as well as multiple and changing demands, and to meet tight deadlines. A high level of intellectual rigor, political awareness and negotiation and motivation skills as well as flexibility and sensitivity are required. The post holder will advise the Health and Wellbeing Board and other Strategic Groups and make recommendations regarding services, residents’ care and wider determinants of health. A high level of tact, diplomacy and leadership is required including the ability work within the local political and at the same time maintain the ability to challenge and advocate for effective working and on specific issues in order to achieve public health outcomes. The achievement of public health outcomes, through the successful pursuit of change to enable improved population health and a reduction in health inequality are the purpose of the job, and the measure against which performance will be assessed.
LCC Values
Leeds City Council values are at the heart of everything we do. They inform the way we design and deliver our services and the way we all work and behave. Leeds City Council expects all its employees and councillors to observe our core values and to understand our codes of conduct for ethical behaviour, correct use of the Digital Information Service (DIS) facilities and protection of sensitive information.
They reflect the current needs of the city. In a period of immense change and real challenge we must be both confident and decisive about what we do and how we do it. Observing our values can help us:
Working as a Team for Leeds Work in ways which are open, inclusive, responsive and accountable to develop and maintain good working relationships with internal and external customers, other stakeholders and partners to achieve excellent outcomes for the citizens of Leeds
Being Open, Honest & Trusted Ensure citizens and council members are provided with all relevant information to make decisions, learn from mistakes and seek to promote continuous improvement and best practice
Working with Communities Work effectively with the variety of partners to deliver services, communicate and involve stakeholders and the wider community in new developments to encourage ownership and commitment
Treating People Fairly Recognise that everyone has an equally important part to play within the Council and value the diverse and vibrant nature of the city and all its citizens
Spending Money Wisely Set high expectations of achievement across a range of strategic outcomes, actively seek out opportunities to improve delivery of services though partnership and feedback from service users
Appendix 1: FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMPETENCIES
(Based on the 2022 PH Specialty Training Curriculum)
Use of public health intelligence to survey and assess a population’s health and wellbeing
To be able to synthesise data from multiple sources on the surveillance or assessment of a population’s health and wellbeing and on the wider environment, so that the evidence can be communicated clearly and inform action planning to improve population health outcomes.
Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of interventions, programmes and services intended to improve the health or wellbeing of individuals or populations
To be able to use a range of resources to generate and communicate appropriately evidenced and informed recommendations for improving population health across operational and strategic health and care settings.
Policy and strategy development and implementation
To be able to influence and contribute to the development of policy as well as lead the development and implementation of a strategy.
Strategic leadership and collaborative working for health
To use a range of effective strategic leadership, organisational and management skills, in a variety of complex public health situations and contexts, dealing effectively with uncertainty and the unexpected to achieve public health goals.
Health Improvement, Determinants of Health and Health Communications
To influence and act on the broad determinants, behaviours and environmental factors influencing health at a system, community and individual level to improve and promote the health of current and future generations. To be proactive in addressing health inequalities and prioritising the most vulnerable or disadvantaged groups in the population.
Health Protection
To identify, assess and communicate risks associated with hazards relevant to health protection, and to lead and co-ordinate the appropriate public health response. To understand how those risks associated with hazards relevant to health protection may be influenced by climate change and environmental degradation currently and in the future.
Health and Care Public Health
To be able to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, safety, reliability, responsiveness, sustainability and equity of health and care services through applying insights from multiple sources including formal research, health surveillance, needs analysis, service monitoring and evaluation.
Academic public health
To add an academic perspective to all public health work undertaken. Specifically to be able to critically appraise evidence to inform policy and practice, identify evidence gaps with strategies to address these gaps, undertake research activities of a standard that is publishable in peer-reviewed journals, and demonstrate competence in teaching and learning across all areas of public health practice.
Professional, personal and ethical development
To be able to shape, pursue actively and evaluate your own personal and professional development, using insight into your own behaviours and attitudes and their impact to modify behaviour and to practise within the framework of the GMC's Good Medical Practice (as used for appraisal and revalidation for consultants in public health) and the UKPHR’s Code of Conduct.
Integration and application of competencies for consultant practice
To be able to demonstrate the consistent use of sound judgment to select from a range of advanced public health expertise and skills, and to use them effectively, working at senior organisational levels, to deliver improved population health in complex and unpredictable environments.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
CHIEF OFFICER/CONSULTANT IN PUBLIC HEALTH
Leeds City Council
IMPORTANT: This person specification contains changes introduced in amendments made to the NHS (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales which came into force during 2005. Further amended in June 2015, and September 2018
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
Education/Qualifications
The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 (legislation.gov.uk)
In line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists at the point of application.
If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register, UKPHR register or GDC Specialist List in dental public health must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview
If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment, or equivalent
Personal qualities
Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs
Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues
Commitment to work within a political system irrespective of personal political affiliations
Experience
Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences
Skills
Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational nous
Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public’s health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies
Knowledge
In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluations and evidence based public health practice
Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS
Education/Qualifications
Masters in Public Health or equivalent
Experience
Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages
Shortlisting notes
Applicants in training grades
Medical and dental applicants
All medical/dental applicants must have Full and Specialist registration (with a license to practice) with the General Medical Council or General Dental Council (GMC/GDC) or be eligible for registration within six months of interview. Once a candidate is a holder of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), registration with the relevant register is guaranteed.
Applicants that are UK trained must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview demonstrated by a letter from their Training Programme Director (TPD).
Non-Medical Applicants in training programme
All non-medical applicants must be registered with the UKPHR or be within six months of registration at the date of the interview. Applicants must provide proof (letter of confirmation from their TPD or the CCT) at interview.
Applicants in non-training grades
Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT.
Applicants from a medical background will be expected to have gained full specialist registration with the GMC through the Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) route.
Applicants from a background other than medicine are expected to have gained full specialist registration with the UKPHR at the point of application.
Employers are advised that individuals should not take up consultant in public health posts (including DPH posts) until such point as they have gained entry to the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UK Public Health (Specialist) Register. Although applicants will be able to provide documentary evidence that an application is in progress, no guarantee can be made as to the outcome of an application to the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers. The exception to this is when the candidate holds the CCT.
The above guidance applies to applications for both general and defined specialist registration with the UKPHR. Individuals with defined specialist registration are eligible for consideration for shortlisting for, and appointment to, consultant posts including those at DPH level. In all appointments, employers will wish to ensure that an applicant’s areas of competence meet those required in the person specification.
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