Band 8a Principal Public Health Practitioner - Childhood Obesity
This is a Principal Public Health role in the Powys Public Health Team to drive forward the implementation of a systems-wide approach to obesity prevention in Powys.
This will include maintaining effective partnerships and networks with statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations at a local and regional level. The post-holder will provide specialist advice and support on the development of public health/health promotion programmes and support community health development approaches and initiatives to address health inequalities, with a particular emphasis on systems working to prevent childhood obesity. The postholder will have a lead role in projects and programmes within the public health directorate's annual work plan focusing on driving forward the delivery of the whole systems approach to health weight action plan.
This post is a fixed term/secondment appointment until 31 March 2026 due to maternity cover. Please ensure that your line manager/current employer would support a secondment before applying.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will have a lead role in the local implementation in Powys of the national obesity strategy Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales using a whole system approach. The main duties of the job will include:
* Strategic leadership and collaborative working with strategic partners.
* Policy and strategy development and implementation.
* Developing health programmes and services to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.
* Surveillance and assessment of the population's health and wellbeing.
* Promotion and protection of the population's health and wellbeing.
* Leading a team within the Powys local public health team and line management of staff.
* Contributing to the leadership and management of the public health team.
About us
Being the smallest Heath Board in Wales means that you won't get lost in the crowd. Everybody at Powys Teaching Health Board is valued for the contribution they make to our varied and diverse portfolio of community-based services. Together, we can continue to make a real difference to our patients and build on our unrivalled reputation.
As a supportive and progressive employer, we actively encourage you to carve out a career with us, through a range of development pathways. We're also lucky enough to be situated in one of the most beautiful rural counties in Britain, let alone Wales! Achieving a healthy 'life work' balance is essential, and something we recognise by prioritising your well-being.
To start your journey with us, and to learn more about what we can offer you please visit: https://pthb.nhs.wales/working-for-us/. There you will find information about our benefits and values, read staff experiences and more about what our beautiful county has to offer.
Job responsibilities
The main responsibilities of the job include:
Leading on the implementation of the whole system approach to healthy weight in Powys using the nine-step methodology developed by Public Health Wales. In Powys, the whole system approach to healthy weight programme has been agreed as one of the Public Service Board's priorities and this work is currently focused on "children, families and access to healthy food".
Strategic leadership and collaborative working with strategic partners including the Powys Public Service Board and Powys Regional Partnership Board.
Developing and implementing policy and strategy including working with stakeholders to agree and implement strategic partnership action plans.
Developing and implementing health programmes, interventions and services to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities in Powys.
Providing leadership and management for the public health team's healthy weight work. This will include:
-leading the planning and implementation of the whole system approach to healthy weight work in Powys.
-leading and managing the work of the Powys healthy weights/obesity systems team (part of the public health team). This will include line managing a senior public health practitioner (healthy weights) and matrix managing the team's admin and support officer.
-providing leadership and management for the Powys Healthy Preschools Scheme. This has a focus on obesity prevention and is aligned in Powys to the local whole system approach to healthy weight programme. This will include line managing a senior public health practitioner (healthy schools/preschools), overseeing the development and delivery of an action plan and monitoring and reporting progress.
-leading on the development and implementation of interventions that contribute towards the promotion of healthy weight focusing on children, families, healthy eating and access to healthy food.
-providing support and public health advice to the health board in relation to work to develop weight management pathways in Powys.
-direct line management of two Band 7 senior public health practitioners (as outlined above).
-developing and implementing action plans, preparing and submitting high quality reports for a range of internal and external audiences, planning and chairing meetings and events, finding, assessing, analysing and interpreting data and evidence, attending and presenting at meetings and events including at strategic partnership level, engaging effectively with a range of stakeholders including senior strategic partners, evaluating interventions, and monitoring and reporting on progress.
As a senior member of the Powys local public health team, the post-holder will also be expected to contribute to the wider leadership and management of the public health team as a whole.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click "Apply now" to view on Trac.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Person Specification
Qualifications and/or knowledge
* Masters in Public Health/Health Promotion or allied discipline or equivalent professional qualification or equivalent demonstrable professional experience
* Evidence of continuing professional/personal development
* Extensive practical and theoretical knowledge of Public Health practice, Health Promotion models and community development
* Understanding of determinants of health and health inequalities
* Registered, or working towards registration, with the UK Public Health Register (Practitioner Registration)
* Up-to-date knowledge of developments in WG health related strategies
* Awareness of sources of relevant data/information
Experience
* Significant experience in a senior role in Public Health / Health Promotion or a related field
* Substantial direct experience of working with diverse senior professional and managerial groups across a range of organisations and professional disciplines
* Track record of working in partnership arrangements
* Staff management and development experience
* Experience of leading, developing and implementing programmes and initiatives focussed on improving health outcomes and/or reducing health inequalities
* Experience of working with the main partner organisations especially local government understanding the environmental and "political" context in which they operate
* Quantitative and/or qualitative research
Aptitude and abilities
* Excellent oral and written communication skills
* Strategic and analytical thinker and planner
* Proven ability to work successfully with diverse professional partners across a range of organisations
* Ability to prioritise, plan and manage workload, including multi-tasking in a fluid environment
* Clear understanding of project planning and management, including monitoring and evaluation of projects
* Multi-media communication and presentation skills
* IT, Information and knowledge management skills
* Self-motivated
* Committed to equality of opportunity
* Resilience and commitment
* Team player
* Ability to communicate in Welsh
* Data analysis and interpretation
* Change management
* Team forming and building
* Training skills including training needs analysis and evaluation
* Ability to positively influence the actions of others
Other
* Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Public Health Dept, The Courtyard, Bronllys Hospital
Head of Service: Public Health Programmes
Public Health Dept, The Courtyard, Bronllys Hospital
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