Description Organisation : London Borough of Waltham Forest Salary: AD £91,871.19 - £103,848.40 Contract Type: Full-time/Part-time, Temporary Working hours per week: 36 Application Deadline: 14th April 2025 Proposed Interview Date(s): 25th April (TBC) DBS: Standard Reference: 1676 About Us: Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents. London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment. The Public Health team sits within the Stronger Communities Directorate of the council, a directorate focused on prevention and addressing inequalities. Led by the Director of Public Health for Waltham Forest, the team consists of approximately 30 officers, in a variety of roles, including a minimum of 3.0 WTE establishment public health consultant roles in addition to the DPH. The Council’s preference is for online application. However, if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application, please email recruitmentwalthamforest.gov.uk so we can arrange an alternative application method. About the role: Waltham Forest Council is looking to appoint two Consultants in Public Health/Public Health Medicine on a locum basis for one year, both covering a separate period of parental leave. The first role would be primarily to lead on child and maternal health; the second would health on healthcare public health, health protection and health intelligence. These opportunities are available for applicants that wish to work either part or full time (0.6 to 1 WTE), covering roles that are normally 0.7 WTE and 0.9 WTE respectively. The successful candidates will be technically able, excellent at partnership working, and be committed to tackling health inequalities and to leading a successful programme of public health responsibility within Local Government, including commissioning of services. Salary will be £91,871 to £103,848 per annum pro rata (Assistant Director scale). Waltham Forest Public Health team is committed to building a more inclusive and equitable health system, and we are excited to offer the opportunity for two Public Health Consultants to join our passionate and diverse Public Health team, each to cover a one year period of parental leave. >> Click here to download the Role Profile Key Responsibilities: Child and Maternal Health The first role will focus on Child and Maternal Health. You will lead a team of around 5-6 WTE public health officers, with direct line management responsibility for 4 public health strategists and senior strategists. You will have a key role in commissioning and managing a range of public health services, including our Healthy Child Programme 0-19 service (incorporating Health Visiting and School Nursing). The focus will be on creating accessible, inclusive services that address the needs of Waltham Forest's diverse and vibrant communities. In addition, you will play a key role in supporting other council departments, including Early Help (particularly in relation to Family Hubs), Education (including SEND), and Children’s Social Care, in achieving positive health outcomes and preventing future need. You will also play a leadership role in taking forward our local BCYP (Babies, Children and Young People) strategy, underneath our Health and Care Partnership Board. Healthcare Public Health, Health Protection and Health Intelligence The second role will focus on Healthcare Public Health, Health Protection and Health Intelligence You will lead a team of 5 WTE public health officers, with direct line management responsibility for at least 3 public health strategists and analysts. You will have a key role in meeting the council’s statutory duty to provide support to the wider health and care system, particularly supporting the work of the Health and Care partnership board; especially with the provision of health intelligence. The focus will be on facilitating a population health approach, where the commissioning of services is informed by current and future need and inequality of outcomes. In addition, you will play a key leadership role in ensuring the local system provides a robust health protection offer, particularly with regard to improving vaccination and screening rates. Both roles will also include partnership working with other boroughs, statutory partners, healthcare providers and our communities to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for everyone, particularly those from underserved and historically marginalized communities. You may request to be considered for either or both of the roles. Qualifications and Requirements: The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record in managing complex public health initiatives, and a commitment to working collaboratively with the team and wider partners to improve outcomes and tackle inequities. We are looking for someone who will thrive in a senior post, forming part of our senior management team, and contributing to the strategic leadership of both the portfolio and our wider public health team. You should have: Qualification as a public health consultant (or be within 6 months of expected achievement of this status) A strong commitment to diversity, inclusivity and health equity. Experience supporting colleagues in a team environment, with a focus on developing an inclusive team culture and ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. Strong communication skills - you will need the ability to engage with diverse communities, challenge inequalities, and advocate for improvement and systemic change within and outside the Council. Resilience & Adaptability - an ability to work in a fast-paced and evolving environment while maintaining a focus on equity and inclusion. For the first role, experience with the child and maternal health portfolio, and with public health commissioning, would both be desirable. For the second role, experience with health intelligence, and in working with NHS commissioners and providers, would both be desirable. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from those who identify as Black, Asian, or from Global Majority communities. We also welcome applications from people of all genders, sexual orientations, and disabilities, and welcome applications from those who would like to work less than full time (as per the current post holder). Why Join Us? Waltham Forest is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a population that reflects a rich mix of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. As a Council, we are deeply committed to reducing health inequalities and providing services that meet the needs of everyone. We are a team that thrives on collaboration, respect for diversity, and the shared goal of improving health and wellbeing for all residents, and tackling inequities. In this role, you will help shape the future of public health in a borough that values inclusivity. We have a strong focus on professional development, CPD, learning and support within the team. The current expectation is that team members are present one day a week in person in the office (Wednesday), and the remainder of the time, flexible working applies. Terms and conditions: The below terms and conditions apply to this role: Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks; Satisfactory declaration of interest; This role is subject to safer recruitment practices as it involves work with children and/ or vulnerable adults; Satisfactory DBS check; Standard Continued professional body registration; UK Public Health Register This post is politically restricted therefore the post holder is disqualified from undertaking certain political activities under the Local Government Officers (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990. As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any particular English language qualifications, regional or international accents, dialects, speech impediments or the tone of conversations. It does not require staff to speak only in English. How to Apply: Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications online by pressing the ‘Apply’ button below. This includes a supporting statement that outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. Equal Opportunity Employer: Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy. We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below or feel free to discuss this during your interview. For more information on the benefits of working for the Council, please visit https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/find-jobs-and-other-opportunities/working-us. Contact Information: If you would like to discuss this role informally, please contact Joe McDonnell, Director of Public Health, joe.mcdonnellwalthamforest.gov.uk to arrange a conversation. Alternatively, you can also discuss with the current post holders, Nicola Ellis (Child & Maternal Health - Nicola.elliswalthamforest.gov.uk ) & Laura Stoll (Healthcare etc – Laura.Stollwalthamforest.gov.uk ). We encourage candidates to reach out if they have questions or would like to understand more about the role, the team, or our organisation. If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post, please contact our Recruitment Team via email at recruitmentwalthamforest.gov.uk. Click here for further information on the Human Resources recruitment privacy notice .