Job summary
To succeed, you'll need to be a visionary and authentic leader who thrives in complex systems. You will bring a track record of strategic leadership, a deep understanding of health systems, and the ability to work collaboratively across council services, health and care partnerships, and the voluntary sector. You will drive forward integration, champion innovation, and ensure that public health underpins everything we do as a council, from regeneration to local government reform.
This is a demanding role. It requires resilience, creativity, and a genuine passion for making a difference. In return, you'll have the full support of Commissioners, Members and the Senior Leadership Team to help you succeed. Together, we will ensure that Thurrock delivers the public health outcomes its residents deserve.
The Director of Public Health reports to the Executive Director of Adults and Health and will work closely with other Executive Directors.
Main duties of the job
As Director of Public Health, you will be at the forefront of this transformation, leading across the three domains of public health: health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health. This is a unique opportunity to influence population health in Thurrock, ensuring the integration of public health priorities into all aspects of the Council's work. Your role will be pivotal in tackling health inequalities, promoting healthier lifestyles, and supporting the borough's ambitious regeneration plans to deliver long-term prosperity and wellbeing.
Job responsibilities
The Director of Public Health is the system 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). As such, the Director of Public Health is a statutory chief officer of the authority and the principal adviser on all health matters to elected members, officers and partners, with a leadership role spanning health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health.
Section 73A(1) of the NHS Act 2006, inserted by section 30 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, gives the Director of Public Health responsibility for:
1. All of their local authority's duties to improve public health.
2. Any of the Secretary of State's public health protection or health improvement functions that s/he delegates to local authorities, either by arrangement or under regulations.
3. Exercising their local authority's functions in planning for, and responding to, emergencies that present a risk to public health.
4. Their local authority's role in co-operating with the police, the probation service and the prison service to assess the risks posed by violent or sexual offenders.
5. Such other public health functions as the Secretary of State specifies in regulations.
6. Producing an independent annual report on the health of local communities.
In order to deliver their responsibilities on behalf of the residents of Thurrock Council, the DPH will need to be a visible system leader in the health and wellbeing partnership arrangements. The DPH will be expected to use all the resources at their disposal to ensure that the local public health system is able to tackle the full range of determinants of health affecting communities in Thurrock, to improve population and planetary health.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
* The post holder must be a member of the Faculty of Public Health.
* 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.
Experience Essential
* Leadership in establishing and promoting a clear public health vision.
* Developing effective relationships with elected members to ensure a coherent PH vision and operational plan.
* Working with communities and media to ensure the needs of local communities are addressed.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Employer details
Employer name: Thurrock Council
Address: Civic Offices, New Road, Thurrock, RM17 6SL
Employer's website: Thurrock Council Jobs
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