London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Department of Public Health & Policy
Research Fellow in Public Health
London Teaching Public Health Network
We are seeking a part-time public health specialist. The postholder will be on the GMC Specialist Register or Public Health Voluntary Register with at least five years UK public health experience at a senior level. They will be responsible for taking the lead role in the implementation of the new London Teaching Public Health Network which will be coordinated by LSHTM.
Working with network partners, the Network Steering Group and London’s Public Health Cabinet, the postholder will develop and co-ordinate teaching and training resources building on existing programmes of work in London, involving a range of target groups including the future medical workforce, broader healthcare workforce, and public health practitioners.
The post will involve training development, the development of academic-service partnerships in public health, research and teaching.
Further details of this post and an application form are available from the Personnel Office at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT (telephone: 020 7927 2203; fax: 020 76364771; email
personnel@lshtm.ac.uk).
Salary will be pro rated on the clinical research fellow/ honorary consultant scale (£ 69,298 - £93,768 pa inclusive or pro rated research fellow/ honorary specialist (£36536 - £50,756 pa inclusive)).
Closing date 3 October 2006. Reference number is: KL3.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
(University of London)
Department of Public Health & Policy
(CLINICAL) RESEARCH FELLOW/ HONORARY CONSULTANT/ SPECIALIST IN PUBLIC HEALTH (PART TIME)
Background
The English Department of Health recently issued a call for proposals to establish a series of teaching public health networks (TPHN) in each of the English NHS regions. A consortium of academic institutions, NHS and local government organisations, and voluntary bodies, was successful in the bid to establish this network in London.
The partners involved are committed to developing a Teaching Public Health Network that will make a significant contribution to implementation of and achieving the much sought-after “fully engaged” scenario for the people of London. We aim to pursue it by harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of multiple partners, each with a relevant contribution to make. A key aim will be to enhance public health capacity across the Chief Medical Officer’s three levels of the public health workforce.
Through a joined up programme of work involving all its Partners and building on examples of existing good practice, the Network will address identified needs:-
• Through innovation and diversity in teaching methodology and delivery, including e-learning and other forms of distance learning, embedding public health appropriately into educational curricula,
• modernisation of existing undergraduate and postgraduate courses that have or could have a public health element
• developing capacity within the NHS in London, to support it in its function both as a health promoting service and as ‘a learning organisation’
The London Teaching Public Health network (LTPHN) will work under the strategic guidance of the new Director of Public Health for London and in close collaboration with a proposed Pan-London public health resource hub.
The scope of public health is vast. Therefore, a focussed approach will be taken with the
identification of timely and relevant themes with which key stakeholders can identify. This will deliver a model that we believe will be appropriate and effective a key requirement for successful
knowledge transfer. The LTPHN will:
• Create a shared ‘needs based’ vision with its partners and stakeholders enabling its sustainability by ensuring that all outputs are truly welcomed and thus identified as
mainstream. It will support other elements within the proposed Public Health resource hub.
• Be developmental and incremental in its approach, building on the high quality teaching programmes that are already in place, using a combination of TPHN resources and additional public health education, training and development resources
• Bridge the gaps and, where feasible, strengthen academic links, increasing public health teaching and research capacity
• Demonstrate that the network adds value by disseminating ‘good practice’ and joining up teaching initiatives
• Engage key influencers, decision makers and knowledge brokers across a range of organisational sectors
Its objectives are:
1. To create a coherent network of providers and users of public health teaching and training across London
2. To support the development of new and improved public health teaching and training opportunities in London
3. To work with partners in the Network, to produce new and innovative public health training resources
4. Develop a 3-year strategy that fits with a London-wide three year public health education and training strategy for the CMO’s three levels of workforce
5. To build on existing examples of excellence in public health teaching and ensure dissemination of good practice
6. To leverage substantial additional resources, necessary to address the enormity of the challenges facing this Network, including funds for career development of the next generation of service and academic leaders, to ensure that the Network is sustainable beyond the lifetime of this project.
Duties of the post Network development
• Coordinate and support the delivery of the agreed LTPHN strategic plan, finalising accountability and governance arrangements.
• Build London wide relationships with relevant health and social care educational organisations to encourage them to increase capacity and capability
Training development
• working with network partners, the Network Steering Group and London’s Public Health Cabinet, to develop and co-ordinate teaching and training resources in three areas, building on existing programmes of work, which include:
a) The future medical workforce.
The post holder will work with the University of London Undergraduate Collaborative Teaching Project Steering Group to coordinate the development and integration of a public health component within the curricula of the London medical undergraduate teaching programmes.
b) The broader healthcare workforce.
The post holder will identify and exploit opportunities to apply the materials developed within the framework of the University of London Undergraduate Collaborative Teaching Project to training programmes for other health and allied professionals within London.
c) Public health practitioners.
The post holder will contribute substantially to the development of Learning Sets designed to facilitate development of multidisciplinary PH Teams across London.
d) Academic-service partnership
Through the above initiatives and others, the post holder will identify and promote opportunities for better academic-service partnerships in public health within London.
• to develop and submit proposals for funding to extend the scope and duration of the project beyond the current period of funding
Teaching
• to participate in the teaching programme of the Department of Public Health & Policy, (up to 15% of available time)
• to supervise students registered for higher degrees and which may include both clinical and non-clinical research students or fellows
Citizenship
• to contribute to activities that will help to achieve the Health Services Research Unit's objectives
Research
• to develop research to understand the resistance of medical students to public health education
• to lead development of a public health research programme, using opportunities available in London, as well as nationally, which capitalise on the framework provided by “Choosing Health”: in particular, contribute to research into the public health role in primary care
• to contribute to the multidisciplinary research programmes of the department, providing public health scientific advice and support as appropriate
Accountability
The post-holder will be accountable to Professor Martin McKee as the grant-holder and through her/him to the Head of the Health Services Research Unit, the Head of the Department of Public Health & Policy, and ultimately to the Director of the School. An honorary consultant appointment will be sought with the new London Strategic Health Authority.
Professional obligations
The postholder will be expected to:
• participate in the organisation’s staff appraisal scheme, and ensure appraisal and development of any staff for which s/he is responsible,
• 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 Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists or other specialist register as appropriate.
Person specification
Relevant experience, skills, and knowledge Essential
Five or more years’ experience of public health at a senior level Detailed knowledge of the NHS
Budget management skills and experience Experience of project management
Experience of leading change in a challenging environment
Experience in undergraduate and/or postgraduate training and supervision
Understanding of epidemiology, statistics, public health practice, health promotion, and health care evaluation
Computer literate
Developing education and training resources
Experience of working across the NHS and academic interface
Publication of papers in peer-reviewed journals
Qualifications Essential
A Masters degree in public health or related discipline
On the GMC Specialist Register or Public Health Voluntary Register (Medical degree for those seeking an honorary consultant appointment)
Communication and interpersonal skills
Strong commitment to public health principles and practice Ability to work independently and within multi-disciplinary teams Ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries Excellent written communication skills
Self-motivated, pro-active and innovative Good presentational skills
Salary and conditions of appointment
Salary will be on the clinical research fellow/ honorary consultant scale (£ 69,298 - £93,768 pa including London weighting, pro-rata) or research fellow/ honorary specialist (£36536 - £50,756 pa including London weighting, pro-rata) as at 1st August 2006 and will be part time (0.6 FTE). The post will be subject to the LSHTM terms and conditions of service, including membership of the Universities or NHS Superannuation Scheme. Relocation expenses will be payable in accordance with School policy. The post is supported by a full time administrator and there are funds available (£39,000 during 2006/7/8) to commission project work from within the network.
The post is initially for eighteen months, starting October 1st, 2006.
Please contact Dr Karen lock, for an information discussion about this post. Email: Karen.lock@lshtm.ac.uk
