Job description
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Type of role
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About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
The Infection Prevention Specialist is a key member of a multi-disciplinary team providing the day-to-day acute service response. They will share responsibility with other senior members of the infection prevention and control (IPC) team to provide oversight and management of incidents and outbreaks of infections.
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 development of joint plans and system wide priorities for public health action or improvement.
The post holder will have to provide support and cover for other IPC team members to ensure service continuity.
The post holder will contribute to the strategic work of the locality/patch-based IPC team deputising if appropriate and will lead and coordinate defined complex areas of work including regional and national work streams.
The post holder may be expected to work across regional sites, providing leadership and the post holder will have the ability to travel to various sites and provide on call, there may be occasional need for overnight stays away from home.
Location
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working – this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our offices, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home. UKHSA have office locations across the UK.
This role can be based at one of our UKHSA offices/locations (Leeds, Manchester, Totnes, London, Horsham, Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, Harlow, Liverpool, Fareham, Gloucester, Newcastle and Birmingham) with opportunities for an element of working from home.
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business needs and in line with departmental policy.
*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*
Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working
Job description
As the IPC Nurse Specialist your main responsibilities will include:
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Use expertise and knowledge to lead the management of complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards, in collaboration with the Incident Director.
- Assume management and supervision of the day-to-day acute response service within the team and complex incidents to ensure high quality safe and effective delivery, if required.
- Manage and carry out continuing responsibility for managing an outbreak or public health infectious incident 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 approaches.
- Contribute to and where required lead ongoing longer-term management of IPC issues relevant to a defined geographical area within a defined region.
- Contribute to and support the UKHSA regional input into Emergency Planning arrangements relevant to IPC.
- 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 local and national IPC and Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Person specification
As the IPC Nurse Specialist your main responsibilities will include:
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Use expertise and knowledge to lead the management of complex incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and non-infectious environmental hazards, in collaboration with the Incident Director.
- Assume management and supervision of the day-to-day acute response service within the team and complex incidents to ensure high quality safe and effective delivery, if required.
- Manage and carry out continuing responsibility for managing an outbreak or public health infectious incident 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 approaches.
- Contribute to and where required lead ongoing longer-term management of IPC issues relevant to a defined geographical area within a defined region.
- Contribute to and support the UKHSA regional input into Emergency Planning arrangements relevant to IPC.
- 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 local and national IPC and Public Health actions, policies and strategies.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Benefits
- 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 average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria – please do provide evidence of how you meet this.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW
This competition will involve an interview by video.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. Candidates will also be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 5-minute presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 21st March 2023 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Shortlist: 28th March 2023
Interviews: w/c 17th April 2023
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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