IPC Nurse Specialist

UK Health Security Agency

Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 7th November 2024

 

Details

Reference number

374211

Salary

£62,215 - £72,293

Job grade

Other
AFC Band 8b

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

CPH

Type of role

Medical
Other

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

This role is being offered as hybrid working. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).

Job summary

The Infection Prevention Specialist is a key member of a multi-disciplinary team providing specialist IPC advice and guidance, they will share responsibility with other senior members of the infection prevention and control (IPC) team to provide oversight and management of the IPC workplan including development of guidance, reports and provide expert input to a range of different teams within UKHSA.

 

The post holder will:

  •  require excellent generic IPC and public health skills and have specific lead areas of work involving partnership working with external organisations. They will actively assist in the delivery of the IPC agenda.
  • have to provide support and cover for other IPC team members to ensure service continuity,
  • will contribute to the strategic work of the national IPC team deputising if appropriate and will lead and coordinate defined complex areas of work including supporting national work streams.

 The post holder may be expected to work across regional sites, providing leadership and the post holder will travel to various sites and provide on call, there may be occasional need for overnight stays away from home.

Job description

  • Use expertise and knowledge to lead the management of complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases, in collaboration with the Incident Director/management team.
  •  Manage and carry out continuing responsibility for managing specific workstreams or project’s ensuring accurate, up to date records of contacts/action by completion of relevant records and compliance with team handover procedures, in line with UKHSA’s standards for record keeping and governance.
  • To utilise an evidence-based approach to manage clinical/professional advice and discussions within the team and support and participate in the team’s formal case review process.
  •  To monitor IPC and public health standards, ensuring quality and consistency and to take action to improve the service where any shortfall occurs using quality improvement approach.
  •  Contribute to and where required lead ongoing longer-term management of IPC issues relevant to a defined projects or programmes.
  •  Contribute to and support the UKHSA national input into Emergency Planning arrangements relevant to IPC.
  •  May be required to participate in a local on call rota at national level as required.
  •  There will be a need to travel to a range of locations/sites and occasional overnight stays
  •  Contribute proactively and where required lead the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and infection for a designated area of work.
  • Proactively use surveillance outputs to inform and influence national IPC and Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
  • Contribute to health needs, health inequalities, health impact assessments and influencing both national and local priorities.
  • Develop and nurture key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to UKHSA role.
  • Contribute actively to the development and implementation of system wide priorities and programmes for public health action or improvement.
  • Identify training and learning gaps to develop and deliver appropriate teaching resources and activities across a range of audiences.
  • Ensure day-to-day delivery of the IPC function, responsibilities and resources, planning and managing the physical resources that ensure the IPC function is fully equipped and fit for purpose.
  •  Direct, design and undertake audit/quality improvement as part of a wider programme of governance and quality/service improvement activity across the UKHSA.
  • Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
  • Pursue a programme of CPD, including statutory and mandatory training, in accordance with the relevant regulatory body and UKHSA requirements

 

Person specification

Essential criteria
•    Registered Nurse or Allied Health Professional in relevant clinical discipline with current professional registration e.g., NMC, HCPC
•    Educated to Maters or higher level degree in a related subject, or equivalent evidence of CPD in infection prevention and control and or health protection with documented experience at master’s level practice
•    Recognised qualification in Infection Prevention and Control or demonstrable equivalent experience
•    Recent experience in an IPC role at a senior level and leading a team with specialist knowledge and expertise in infection prevention and control
•    Ability to identify areas for development and delivery of training programmes ensuring national and strategic objectives
•    Incident and outbreak investigation and management
•    Ability to undertake on call responsibility for IPC

Desirable criteria
•    Professional Public Health qualification and registration e.g., Specialist Community Public Health (SCPHN) part of the NMC Register or UK PH Register for practitioners
•    Experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
•    Understanding of public health law
•    Experience of budget management and financial processes
•    Evidence of understanding of the principles of workforce profiles, strategic workforce planning and workforce deployment issues

Essential criteria - you will be assessed on the below (7 number) essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description Document.

  • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Selection process details

Selection Process:  

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.  

Stage 1: Application & Sift  
 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed (7 number) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of   

  • Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 
  • a (1000 number of words) word Statement of Suitability.  

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.  

 Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment  

Please do not exceed 1000 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number. 

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Interview 

You will be invited to a single remote interview

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview   

Interviews will be held week commencing 18th November, 2024. Please note, these dates are subject to change. 

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London)

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.   

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Reasonable Adjustments 

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. 

To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. 

An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.  

This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.  

If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:  

Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.  

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/ 

International Police check: 

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check.  This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own. 

  



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : Esther Taborn
  • Email : esther.taborn@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/

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