JOB DESCRIPTION

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Job Title: Assistant Public Health Strategist: Maternity, Children and Young

People
Grade: Band 6
Salary: £29,797 - £39,516 per annum inclusive of allowances
Superannuation: 6% of salary (optional) (5% if ancillary staff)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Terms & Conditions In accordance with the Agenda for Change NHS Terms

of Service: & Conditions of Service.

Responsible to: Senior Public Health Strategist: maternity, children and young people
Accountable to: Assistant Director of Public Health
Responsible for: None

2. JOB SUMMARY

This post will provide opportunities for developing the basis of a career in general public health
or health promotion. This post will concentrate on maternity, children and young people, in
particular Islington’s ‘Healthy Children’s Centre’ initiative, but will also cover other public health
areas from time to time. In particular, the role will act as a conduit between children’s centres,
early years and health services to maximise the opportunities between key agencies to improve
the health and well-being and reduce health inequalities for children under 5 and their families.
An important focus will be supporting implementation of the Islington Healthy Children’s Centre
programme and working closely with the healthy school team. The post will provide support to
local children’s centres to build their health promoting capacity and capabilities in order to
achieve and maintain their status within the Islington Healthy Children’s Centre programme, and
will contribute to the programme’s quality assurance process.

The postholder will provide a range of public health assistance to other members of the public
health and healthy schools teams, Children’s Centres and Early Years, maternity, and more
widely with other partner agencies. This will include assisting in the development,
implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes designed to improve health, reduce
health inequalities and support the equitable delivery of NHS and other services to children and
young people and their families in Islington. This may involve carrying out or participating in:
evaluations, building health promoting capacity and capability, needs assessments and analysis
of health intelligence, literature reviews, the development and design of projects, and supporting
regular audit and stocktake of progress on Healthy Children’s Centres standards.

Areas of work may change over time as projects come to an end and priorities change. The
postholder will build strong working relationships with other staff within and outside the PCT who
support the delivery of public health programmes in Islington, including PCT, Council and
Community and Voluntary sector colleagues.

3. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Health information and needs assessment

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• To contribute to the assessment of health status and health needs of Islington, liaising
with the local authority and academic partners as appropriate, including collation and
analysis of public health and other sources of data and evidence review. This will
include working with Children’s Centres, the Healthy Schools Team, maternity and other
children’s services to help develop local needs assessments and establish priorities to
improve the health and wellbeing of local babies’ and children and their families.
• To work with colleagues to collate, analyse and interpret relevant data from a variety of
data sources that seek to understand patterns of health and health behaviour. E.g. key
public health data sources (e.g. compendium of Clinical and Health indicators, Hospital
Episode Statistics, National Statistics (ONS) and consumer data sources (e.g. MOSAIC,
MORI market research) as well as local data sources.
• To attend local, regional and national events which promote good practice, increase
professional development or disseminate evidence that supports the aims of the post.
• Contribute to world class commissioning and joint strategic needs assessments by
supporting health needs assessments, health profiles and health equity audits, and
support health impact assessments.

Partnership working and building health promoting capacity and capability

• To work in partnership with Cambridge Education @ Islington and London Borough of
Islington to ensure that the development of the Islington Healthy Children’s Centres
programme reflects both local and national public health priorities.
• Provide individual centres with support to develop their policies, audits, action plans,
activities and evaluations, as well as contributing to the ongoing development and
evaluation of the programme as a whole.
• To contribute to achieving sustainable programmes through helping to develop and
maintain a network of Healthy Children’s Centres through a variety of approaches e.g.
producing newsletters, providing training or organising celebratory events.
• Contribute to the development of local health indicators and support the performance
management of public health projects through integrated monitoring and evaluation.
Research and Evaluation
• To support children’s centres in evaluating their activities, applying for and achieving
Healthy Children’s Centre status, and working their way through the quality assurance
process.
• To work with universal services, children’s centre leads, maternity services and key
agencies in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of public health
programmes to deliver on Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives and other public health priorities
and contribute to reductions in health inequalities, including action to reduce the risk of
infant mortality and promotion of protective factors for good health and wellbeing.
• To monitor and evaluate work undertaken, including the provision of local health and
early years data to inform the development of the Healthy Children’s Centres programme
and other public health programmes. This includes providing monitoring information and
reports for local Area Children and Young People’s Partnerships (ACYPP) as required,
and contributing to annual reports or local research.
• To carry out research and evaluation in other areas, from time to time.

Project management
• Manage specific projects and pieces of work as necessary and make recommendations
and develop action plans for improvement where necessary.
• To provide support to children’s centres to develop their health-related activity, in line
with the Islington Healthy Children’s Centres programme, advising on appropriate
interventions and health impact as required.

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 • To monitor progress and performance of projects to ensure that they are effectively
delivered and evaluated, seeking advice and support from the Health and Wellbeing
Manager and Senior Public Health Strategist where necessary.
• To ensure all monitoring and evaluation of projects are systematically recorded.
• Contribute to the communication and dissemination of learning and good practice.
• To support the Senior Public Health Strategist: Maternity, Children & Young People to
explore additional sources of revenue and resources as leverage for health improvement
projects and write project and funding applications as required.
• To be a self starter, able to manage and prioritise your workload

General
• To contribute to the general work of the Department in delivering the public health
function and NHS Islington. This may require some evening and occasional weekend
work.
• To contribute to facilitation, teaching and learning within the council, PCT, public health
networks and other fora.
• To manage and administer projects, including budgets, as necessary.
• To work within policies on Equal Opportunities, Valuing Diversity and Health & Safety
legislation.
• To undertake any other duties that may be allocated by the line manager as appropriate,
and as agreed in consultation with the post holder and commensurate with the grading
of the post.

Personal Development
• Extend existing competencies and acquire new ones in line with personal development
plan. This may involve following an approved course of training leading to a recognised
public health qualification.

• Support colleagues in achieving individual and corporate goals.

• Develop and maintain networks and positive organisational relationships.

• To participate in continuing professional development as required.

4. PROBATIONARY PERIOD

This post is subject to the requirements of a six month probationary scheme for new staff
only.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY

All information concerning patients/clients and staff must be treated as strictly

confidential at all times.

6. VALUING DIVERSITY

It is the aim of the PCT to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less
favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital/partnership
status, race, religion, age, creed, colour, ethnic origin, disability, part time working status
and real or suspected HIV/AIDS status and is not placed at a disadvantage by conditions
or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable. To this end the PCT has a
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 Valuing Diversity in the Workplace Policy and it is for each employee to contribute to its
success.

7. HEALTH & SAFETY

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and
Safety at Work Act (1974), and to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out
to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

8. NO SMOKING POLICY

There is a no smoking policy in operation in the Trust. In accordance with this policy
smoking is positively discouraged and is only permitted in certain designated areas.

9. DATA PROTECTION

If you have contact with computerised data systems you are required to obtain, process
and/or use information held on a computer or word processor in a fair and lawful way.
To hold data only for the specific registered purpose and not to use or disclose it in any
way incompatible with such purpose. To disclose data only to authorised persons or
organisations as instructed.

10. DATA PROTECTION ACT 1988

All staff who contribute to patients’ health records are expected to be familiar with, and
adhere to, the Trust’s Standards of Records Keeping Policy. Staff should be aware that
patients’ records throughout the Trust will be subject to regular audit.

All staff who have access to patients’ records have a responsibility to ensure that these
are maintained efficiently and that confidentiality is protected in line with the Trust’s
Confidentiality of Health Records Policy.

All staff have an obligation to ensure that health records are maintained efficiently and
that confidentiality is protected. Staff are also subject to this obligation both on an
implied basis and also on the basis that, on accepting their job description, they agree to
maintain both patient / client and staff confidentiality.

In addition, all health professionals are advised to compile records on the assumption
that they are accessible to patients in line with the Access to Health Records Act 1990.

11. WASTE DISPOSAL

All staff must ensure that waste produced within the Trust is disposed of in such ways
that control risk to health, or safety of staff and the public alike in accordance with
relevant legislation and procedures contained within the policy.

12. IMPROVING WORKING LIVES (IWL)

We are committed to meeting the rights and standards required by the patients charter.
We expect our staff to be aware of these rights and standards and to be fully involved
and co-operative in meeting them.

13. PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

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 I) If you are employed in an area of work which requires membership of a
professional body in order to practice (e.g. Nursing & Midwifery Council for
nurses), it is a condition precedent of your employment to maintain membership
of such a professional body. It is also your responsibility to comply with the
relevant body’s code of practice. Your manager will be able to advise you on
which, if any, professional body of which you must be a member.

ii) You are required to advise the PCT if your professional body in any way limits or
changes the terms of your registration.

iii) Failure to remain registered or to comply with the relevant code of practice may
result in temporary downgrading, suspension from duty and/or disciplinary action
which may result in the termination of your employment.

iv) If you are required to have registration with a particular professional body or to
have specific qualifications you must notify your manager on appointment of such
fact and provide him or her with documentary evidence of them before your
employment commences or, at the latest, on your first day of employment.
Furthermore throughout your employment with the PCT, you are required on
demand by your manager to provide him or her with documentary evidence of
your registration with any particular professional body or in respect of any
required qualifications.

14. RISK MANAGEMENT

All PCT employees are accountable, through the terms and conditions of their
employment, professional regulations, clinical governance and statutory health and
safety regulations, and are responsible for reporting incidents, being aware of the risk
management strategy and emergency procedures and attendance at training as
required.

All staff have a responsibility to manage risk within their sphere of responsibility. It is a
statutory duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others who
may be affected by acts or omissions.

All managers through out the organisation have a responsibility to ensure that policies
and procedures are followed, that staff receive appropriate training, that a local risk
register is developed and monitored on a quarterly basis and any changes reported to
the Clinical Governance Committee and Risk and Assurance Committee.

Managers are responsible for implementing and monitoring any identified risk
management control measures within their designated area/s and scope of
responsibility. In situations where significant risks have been identified and where local
control measures are considered to be potentially inadequate, managers are responsible
for brining these risks to the attention of the Clinical Governance Committee or Risk and
Assurance Committee if resolution has not been satisfactorily achieved.

15. INFECTION CONTROL

Infection Control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are
required to adhere to the Hygiene Code (2006), the Trusts’ Infection Prevention and
Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at
all times thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including
MRSA.

All staff employed by IPCT have the following key responsibilities:

· Staff must wash their hands or use alcohol gel on entry and exit from all clinical
areas and/or between each patient contact.

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 · Staff members have a duty to attend mandatory infection control training provided for
them by the Trust.

· Staff members who develop an infection (other than common colds and illness) that
may be transmittable to patients have a duty to contact Occupational Health.

16. REVIEW OF THIS JOB DESCRIPTION

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will
be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in
conjunction with the postholder on annual basis.

17. INITIALS AND DATE OF PREPARATION

(Revised JOS/KL 01/10)

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 PERSON SPECIFICATION

Health Improvement Specialist: Children & Young People

This is a specification of the qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge and abilities that
are required to effectively carry out the responsibilities of the post (as outlined in the job
description) and forms the basis for selecting a candidate.

Essential Desirable How Tested

Education to degree level in a Postgraduate degree or A/I A/I
Education/ subject relevant to public health diploma in public health or
skills, or equivalent related subject such as
Qualifications early years, child
development or health
promotion
Strong verbal and written A/I/T
Skills/Abilities communication skills.

Good computing skills including A/I/T

word-processing, spreadsheet,
database, statistical &
presentations packages.

Highly numerate: ability to A/I

analyse and interpret data and
information from a range of
sources.

Critical appraisal of research and A/I/T

evaluation evidence.

Good negotiating, A/I

communication and influencing
skills.
A/I
Sensitivity to the needs of others.
A/I
Strong reasoning abilities and
critically reflective.
A/I
Organisation; managing
priorities
Demonstration of previous Demonstration of some A/I A/I
Experience relevant work experience. experience of working in a
public health setting or
Working in health education / team. A/I
health promotion setting(s)
relevant to children’s health and Working in partnership. A/I
wellbeing
Project management A/I
Proven experience of work on experience. A/I
needs assessment and
evaluation and contributing to Management of budgets. A/I
strategic work in public health or
a related field.

Co-ordinating & developing A/I

projects
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 Monitoring & evaluating projects A/I

Use and understanding of public A/I

health data
Clear understanding of children’s Knowledge of service A/I A/I
Knowledge/ policy, including maternal and improvement
child health methodologies. A/I
Understanding
Understanding of children’s Understanding of A/I
services structures e.g. children’s safeguarding & child
centres, early years provision, protection A/I
maternity

Current priorities and good A/I

practice in public health/health
promotion

Good understanding of recent I/T

NHS policy initiatives.

A sound understanding of the I/T

NHS and interagency working.

Knowledge of public health

and/or relevant social science
and statistical methodologies.

An understanding of public
health competencies.
Commitment to equal A/I
Other opportunities.

Commitment to developing a A/I

career in public health.

Ability to work in partnership. A/I

Working alone & unsupervised A/I

Maintain monitoring & evaluation A/I

systems

Working to tight deadlines A/I

Using initiative / innovation to A/I

develop appropriate interventions
and evaluations

Key:
I = Interview
A = Application
T = Test