Vacancy -- CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER DIRECTORATE OF POPULATION HEALTH (DPH)

Recruitment Principles

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

Vacancy Details

Health and Social Services Group
Senior Civil Service 1
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Pan Wales

Closing Date

10/08/2020, 16:30

Purpose of Post

The Welsh Government has responsibility for most aspects of public health and health service provision in Wales. This includes policy development and implementation, legislation, funding, workforce development in the health sector and operational delivery.

 

These responsibilities are discharged by the Directorate of Population Health.

 

The key policy objectives for PHD are derived from the programme for Government ‘Taking Wales Forward’ which sets out the government’s programme to drive improvement in the Welsh economy and public services, delivering a Wales which is prosperous and secure, healthy and active, ambitious and learning, united and connected. The public health agenda leads to close collaboration with all other Welsh Government Departments such as Education and Public Services, Economy, Skills, and Natural Resources.

 

The purpose of this post is to advise and support the Chief Medical Officer, the PHD, the Health and Social Services Group and the other component parts of the Welsh Government and the wider public health service in Wales in order to provide leadership in the development of environmental public health policy and to inform the response to new and emerging threats.

 

The post is designed to support the Chief Medical Officer in his duties. The post holder will assist in all areas of environmental public health, regulation, policy development and contemporary professional practice. He/she will be required to work without supervision to undertake and deliver specific projects and initiatives including the development and implementation of legislation. He/she will be expected to represent the Welsh Government within a wide range of environmental public health areas. Whilst maintaining an independent advisory role across Welsh Government the post holder will be expected to take a leadership role for the Public Health Division which has policy responsibility for environmental public health matters.

 

The post holder will report to a Deputy Director within the Directorate of Population Healthcare.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

Welsh Government accepts the social definition of disability, in which it is recognised that barriers in society act to disable people who have impairments or health conditions or who use British Sign Language. We are committed to removing barriers so that all (or potential new staff) can perform at their best. The Equality Act 2010 uses the medical definition of disability (“a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term impact on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities”).

We guarantee to interview anyone who is disabled whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean that you must provide us with evidence in your application which demonstrates that you generally meet the level of competence for the role and any qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential. We are committed to the employment and career development of disabled people.

If you have an impairment or health condition, or use British Sign Language and need to discuss reasonable adjustments for any part of this recruitment process, or wish to discuss how we will support you if you were to be successful, please email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales as soon as possible and a member of the team will contact you to discuss your requirements and any questions you may have.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Not necessary to undertake the duties of this post

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Assessment Process

The Recruitment Team via the Welsh Government system will acknowledge your application and when appropriate you will be advised about the outcome of the short list meeting. Candidates who proceed to the next stage of selection will be required to complete online psychometric tests and a written brief to present to the selection panel on the day of interviews. Both activities will form part of the overall assessment required for this recruitment exercise in addition to the selection panel interview.

 

Assessments

Shortlisted candidates will undergo:-

 

On-line Psychometric Tests 

These will include numerical and verbal reasoning and a discussion with a psychologist. You will receive a link to these on-line tests within 10 working days from the shortlisting meeting. The shortlisting meeting will take place on 17 August 2020.

Please note- If you have completed the online psychometric tests in the last 2 years it will not be necessary for you to take these tests again for this particular recruitment exercise. 

 

Brief to present to the panel

 Shortlisted candidates will be given a topic/brief, on the day of their interview, to prepare a 5 minute presentation to deliver to the interview panel. Presentations will be delivered without the use of hand-outs or electronic devises; however candidates are welcome to use prompt cards.

 

Interviews 

Interviews are scheduled for 14 September 2020 and it is likely that they will be held via video conferencing facilities. Interviews will last around 45 minutes. The panel will receive feedback following your psychometric tests before you are interviewed. Your interview will be a competency based interview that will consider how your skills and experience as outlined in your CV and personal statement meet the requirements for this post.

How to apply

Completed application form, an up to date CV, together with a personal statement of suitability for the post should be submitted by the closing date.  All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have a disability which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SCSrecruitment@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format or if you need to request a reasonable adjustment related to a disability in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Senior Civil Service recruitment process within the Welsh Government, please see the SCS Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link). Further guidance on Preparing Your Personal Statement (link) is also available.

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Other information about the vacancy

An Honours Degree in Environmental Health or the predecessor equivalent is essential for this post.
Interviews are scheduled for 14 September 2020 and it is likely that they will be held via video conferencing facilities.
Dr Frank Atherton - 03000 259911

This vacancy is closed to applications.