Consultant in Public Health

at  London Borough of Merton

The post holder will work closely with colleagues in the Community and Housing directorate and the Integrated Care Board (ICB)/local NHS on the future development of the local health and care integration programme; with colleagues in Environment and Regeneration on supporting Mertons climate emergency response and across the council on further strengthening and embedding a Health in All Policies approach. Merton Council is committed to reducing local inequalities and the post holder will support the current Health and Wellbeing Programme, including its ambition to transform the deprived East of the borough. Merton as a Place and Population Merton is rich in physical and social assets, in particular its green spaces, libraries and sports history and culture. It contains neighbourhoods with accessible and well-maintained parks, vibrant highstreets, strong local engagement, rich cultural and historic assets and good transport and active travel infrastructure.
Equally, Merton has neighbourhoods with socio-economic deprivation and neglect, poor housing lacking insulation, traffic and transport, air pollution and environment vulnerability. The 2021 Census data released at the end of June 2022 shows Merton has a resident population of 215,200 and a GP registered population of 232,368 people as of 1st October 2022. East Merton currently has a larger population compared to West Merton by around 6,000 people. The number of people is estimated to increase by an additional 6,000 people in East Merton and an additional 3,000 people in West Merton by 2035.
Mertons population is ageing, with falling births. Population growth is slow, but churn is high. Persistent significant social and health inequalities between the East and West of the borough. The gap in life expectancy between the 10% most deprived and the 10% least deprived in Merton, is 7.7 years for males and 5 years for females.

In addition to Mertons increasing and ageing population its local communities are becoming far more ethnically diverse and multicultural, with a profile reflective of London. The extent of diversity has increased markedly over the last ten years with emerging new Polish and Tamil communities resident in the borough. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES On behalf of the local authority, the post-holder working with the DPH, and other consultant colleagues will: - Lead on improving the health and wellbeing of the residents which is underpinned by the statutory duty placed on local government to take such steps as it considers appropriate to improve health of its residents. - Act as a change agent to enable delivery of relevant outcome indicators from the public health, NHS and social care outcome frameworks.

• Work as part of the public health senior management team, providing public health leadership, advice, and support to public health practitioners within the public health department, to colleagues and departments across the Council and to other partner organisations including the ICB/local NHS and voluntary sector. - Lead and manage various programmes of work focused on health improvement and reducing inequalities for children and young people, for people in need of sexual health services and programmes relating to Place. This includes responsibility for commissioning of public health services such as the 0-19 programme (public health nursing), and sexual health services. -Lead on developing, implementing and evaluating joint pathways, service models and commissioning approaches with London Borough of Merton and NHS colleagues focussing on preventative and holistic care, delivering specific commissioning support to the NHS, providing senior leadership for population health management to the local health and care integration programme (Merton Health and Care Together) and the Merton Health and Wellbeing Board.
• Lead on strengthening and embedding a Health in All policies approach across the council, working particularly with colleagues in the Environment and Regeneration, Civic Pride and Climate Emergency, Housing and Sustainable Development, Future Merton, Cost of Living and creating healthy, green, and safe workplaces across Merton. - Support the Health and Wellbeing Boards programme to transform the deprived East of the borough including the development innovative health and community facilities providing a new model of an integrated health and wellbeing offer led and owned by health and the community together. - Oversee the Public Health statutory health protection function relating to immunisation, working closely with NHS England, SWL ICB, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Local Authority emergency planning and scrutiny function. - Oversee the Public Health Intelligence function including the production of the JSNA, Merton Story, Annual Public Health Report intelligence aspects, and system intelligence support and advice.
• Fulfil an effective educational supervisor role, heading up the education function for Public Health trainees and GP trainees, attracting continuous placements of high calibre candidates to work in the Public Health team and in turn receive good quality training. - Analyse complex public health issues, undertake critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative data, model expected impacts, engage public and service users effectively, and develop business cases to inform evidence-based public health interventions. - Understand other cultures to advise, challenge and advocate to enable effective working across organisational boundaries and influencing without direct authority. Manage relevant Public Health staff and delegated budgets.

Carry out delegated tasks on behalf of the Director of Public Health as well as representing the Director of Public Health and the service at meetings and events, as required. Areas of work will change over time as projects come to an end and the needs and priorities of the department and organisation change. All consultant portfolios are subject to regular review. KEY TASKS The postholder will undertake the following: Be responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of strategic plans, programmes and policies focused on improving the health and wellbeing of the population of Merton and reducing health inequalities.
Provide expert public health advice and leadership to support and inform an evidence-based approach within ethical frameworks for developing high quality, equitable health and social care services and programmes, across primary, secondary, and social care, and across sectors including local government, the NHS, the community, and voluntary sectors. Support the development and utilisation of information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action across disciplines, Council departments and organisations, leading the collation, interpretation and dissemination of relevant data and information. Manage relevant staff and deliver a training programme as part of the job e.g., training Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine and Public Health Specialist Trainees, and GP trainees. Budget management-authorised signatory, budget or delegated budget holder (budget/department/service); Lead on public health research, commission research audits/projects, and undertake research or audit.
MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS The postholder will be managerially & professionally accountable to the Director of Public Health. The Public Health Team is part of the Directorate of Adult Social Care, Integrated Care and Public Health but has strong working relationships across the whole council and with the ICB. The current post has direct line management of the Head of Public Health Services, a Health Improvement Officer (Healthy Places), and the specialist trainees. Arrangements might change according to context.
PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS The postholder will be expected to: Participate in the London Borough of Mertons staff appraisal scheme and departmental audits and ensure appraisal and development of any staff for which s/he is responsible. Undertake an annual professional appraisal including completion of a programme of CPD, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health (Specialist) Register or other specialist register as appropriate. In agreement with the DPH, contribute to the wider public health professional system by becoming an appraiser or practitioner appraiser for a specified period of time. Contribute actively to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors/SHOs/Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine and Public Health Specialist Trainees as appropriate, and to the training of practitioners and primary care professionals within the locality.
Pursue a programme of CPD/CME, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health Register or other specialist register as appropriate. In delivering the strategic objectives of this post, the postholder will be expected to demonstrate expertise in the full range of relevant competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public Health (set out later in this Job Description). This includes evaluation techniques, policy analysis and translation and ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders including politicians. In addition to any direct responsibility for managing staff or budgets, he/she will be responsible for change and improvement in the agreed areas of work and for supporting the delivery of the statutory duty of the Council to take the steps it considers necessary to improve the health of its communities

• Work as part of the public health senior management team, providing public health leadership, advice, and support to public health practitioners within the public health department, to colleagues and departments across the Council and to other partner organisations including the ICB/local NHS and voluntary sector. - Lead and manage various programmes of work focused on health improvement and reducing inequalities for children and young people, for people in need of sexual health services and programmes relating to Place. This includes responsibility for commissioning of public health services such as the 0-19 programme (public health nursing), and sexual health services. -Lead on developing, implementing and evaluating joint pathways, service models and commissioning approaches with London Borough of Merton and NHS colleagues focussing on preventative and holistic care, delivering specific commissioning support to the NHS, providing senior leadership for population health management to the local health and care integration programme (Merton Health and Care Together) and the Merton Health and Wellbeing Board.
• Lead on strengthening and embedding a Health in All policies approach across the council, working particularly with colleagues in the Environment and Regeneration, Civic Pride and Climate Emergency, Housing and Sustainable Development, Future Merton, Cost of Living and creating healthy, green, and safe workplaces across Merton. - Support the Health and Wellbeing Boards programme to transform the deprived East of the borough including the development innovative health and community facilities providing a new model of an integrated health and wellbeing offer led and owned by health and the community together. - Oversee the Public Health statutory health protection function relating to immunisation, working closely with NHS England, SWL ICB, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Local Authority emergency planning and scrutiny function. - Oversee the Public Health Intelligence function including the production of the JSNA, Merton Story, Annual Public Health Report intelligence aspects, and system intelligence support and advice.
• Fulfil an effective educational supervisor role, heading up the education function for Public Health trainees and GP trainees, attracting continuous placements of high calibre candidates to work in the Public Health team and in turn receive good quality training. - Analyse complex public health issues, undertake critical appraisal of quantitative and qualitative data, model expected impacts, engage public and service users effectively, and develop business cases to inform evidence-based public health interventions. - Understand other cultures to advise, challenge and advocate to enable effective working across organisational boundaries and influencing without direct authority. Manage relevant Public Health staff and delegated budgets