Job summary
THIS POST IS FIXED TERM FOR 9 MONTHS TO COVER MATERNITY LEAVE
An opportunity has arisen to join the Primary Care Division of Public Health Wales as a Senior Public Health Practitioner.
This is a strategic public health role focussing on prevention in primary and community care, and the impact of behavioural and clinical risk factors on the burden of disease in Wales. The direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have also highlighted the importance of prevention in health and care settings to effectively address disease incidence and progression. The ability to deliver evidence-based, preventative approaches to health and care has never been more important.
The work also closely aligns to the PHW Long Term Strategy and Integrated Medium Term Plan, and the national plan for the Strategic Programme for Primary Care (SPPC).
The successful candidate will be expected to apply specialist public health skills and knowledge to primary and community care settings. The post holder will contribute to the development of programmes of work and work collaboratively with primary care clusters, local health boards, local public health teams and other partners to embed preventative approaches.
Main duties of the job
This is a Senior Public Health Practitioner role located within the Primary Care Division, part of the Health and Well-being Directorate of Public Health Wales. The Division is responsible for strengthening public health impact through policy, commissioning, planning and service delivery in primary care.
The post holder will be responsible for providing specialist public health expertise according to the Divisional work plan and contributing to relevant programmes and projects.
The role will support the development of programmes of work to support primary care clusters, local health boards, local public health teams and other partners embed preventative approaches. All staff within the Division are responsible for understanding the inter-dependencies between work themes and supporting colleagues across the Division and the organisation as appropriate. Specific duties will be agreed with the line manager and the Consultant in Public Health.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health organisation for Wales. 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. Never more has public health been so important as we come through the Coronavirus pandemic, face the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis and tackle and prevent the harmful effects of climate change.
Our organisation is guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and from those wishing to work part time or on a job share basis.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit
For guidance on the application process, please visit
Job description
Job responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the post are to:
Support the regular assessment and identification of health needs and priorities
Contribute to the provision of professional support, to all sectors, on the implementation of national policies that contribute to embedding prevention in primary care to support health and wellbeing
Contribute to the development of public health capacity and networks
Identify, develop and maintain partnerships with organisations to embed prevention in primary care to promote health and wellbeing
Contribute to the development, implementation, delivery and evaluation of public health programmes to meet identified needs and priorities contributing to long term health improvement and reduction in health inequalities
Support the health and wellbeing agenda in being at the forefront of key strategies and programmes that impact on the health and wellbeing of the population.
Contribute to the planning and development of community health development initiatives that impact on health and wellbeing
Contribute to the management and professional leadership of staff working within the Division as delegated by the line manager
Contribute to the development of quality and risk management within an evaluative culture
Contribute to relevant research activities working with academic centres and others on collaborative projects
There will be close working with stakeholders within and external to the NHS with a focus on supporting health boards and clusters in delivering primary care prevention.
Specific duties will be agreed with the line manager and the Consultants in Public Health Medicine
To contribute to the provision of professional support, to all sectors, on the implementation of national policies that contribute to embedding prevention in primary care to support health and wellbeing
To identify, develop and maintain effective partnerships with organisations to embed prevention in primary care to promote health and wellbeing
Provide specialist advice and support to others in the development of knowledge, understanding and skills in collaborative working for embedding prevention in primary care.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Educated to Masters Degree level in Public Health or related field Health Promotion, or evidence of equivalent learning or equivalent experience
2. Evidence of continuing professional/personal development
Experience
Essential
3. Experience of supporting programmes in a primary care setting
4. Experience of successfully leading, developing, implementing and evaluating population interventions, projects and/or programmes at national or local level.
5. Experience of working with a range of professionals and stakeholders
Desirable
6. Quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
7. Policy development programme/ project implementation in a variety of settings
8. Experience of project planning, implementation and evaluation driven by change
Skills
Essential
9. Excellent communication skills and ability to present information using multi-media.
10. Ability to carry out analysis, interpretation and comparison of complex public health, change management and service improvement information.
11. Ability to communicate complex technical concepts and analysis effectively to different audiences
12. Ability to work successfully with diverse professional partners, and manage potentially conflicting perspectives
13. Ability to initiate, implement or support programmes that promote health and wellbeing
14. Management of meetings
15. IT skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365
Desirable
16. Project planning and management
17. Capacity building
18. Staff management and development
19. Information and knowledge management skills
20. Consultancy/ facilitation skills
Knowledge
Essential
21. Understanding of NHS/local government policy agenda and public health environment
22. Practical knowledge of public health practice and Primary Care Model for Wales.
Desirable
23. Information management and an understanding of health related data and its interpretation
24. Awareness of sources of relevant data/ information.
Other
Desirable
25. The ability to speak Welsh