Public Health Consultant

Job Introduction

Role Purpose

BCP Council has a bold vision for creating sustainable, safe and healthy communities where people, nature, coast and towns come together harmoniously. We are the tenth-largest urban local authority in England and our communities are vibrant and diverse. Our corporate priorities are underpinned by our approach to put our people at the heart of our services. 

We are seeking to appoint at least 2 additional Consultants in Public Health as a central part of this mission. The creation of these posts follows the recent decision to create separate public health functions for BCP Council and Dorset Council, disaggregating the pan-Dorset shared public health service. We’re searching for dynamic Public Health professionals and leaders that can shape and deliver an aspirational public health function alongside our ambitions for empowering communities. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to have a huge influence across the council and the place and to work collaboratively with communities and partners to make a real difference to residents. You’ll spearhead the development of the public health and community services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, enhancing residents' health and well-being, mitigating health inequalities, and safeguarding local communities.

There will be a clear focus on the communities that are at the heart of the BCP area and how we can build capability and independence, tackle health inequalities, improve outcomes for our children and create healthy environments. 

To achieve our goals we are looking to appoint at least 2 additional Consultants in Public Health/Public Health Medicine. These are strategic systems leadership posts for BCP and the Dorset system. The roles offer potential career growth and progression, leading work on health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health with a real community focus.

Main Responsibilities

We are seeking to create a team of three to four consultants alongside the Director of Public Health achieving 4 FTE therefore we are able to offer the consultant roles on a less than full time basis, if preferred, for one or more successful applicants.

The arrangement of portfolios will be adapted for the right candidates, reflecting their knowledge and skills and are to be agreed. Each consultant will take a significant leadership role across the Council and will also be outward facing providing public health leadership across the Dorset system. Consultants will be members of the Public Health & Communities Senior Leadership Team and have additional corporate responsibilities.  You will be a key part of the team with support from Heads of Programmes, Senior Health Programme Advisors, Health Programme Advisors, analysts and business support staff.

The Ideal Candidate

Applicants will need to meet the qualification and professional registration requirements for the roles. In line with legislation, you must be included in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register for Public Health Specialists at the point of application. Any public health speciality registrar applicants who are currently on the UK public health training programme and not yet on either the GMC, GDC or UKPHR specialist register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview

The BCP Public Health & Communities team works from the Civic Centre in Bournemouth. We support agile and hybrid working using online technology. We also support flexible working where possible. There will be a need to work in the BCP area to build relationships with the team and partners, and to attend face to face meetings at least once a week.

If this opportunity sparks your interest, and you think you might be one of the people we are looking for, we would be delighted to hear from you. . Interviews will be held in person and are likely to be held in early September 2025. 

To arrange an informal discussion with the Director of Public Health & Communities, Rob Carroll, please contact Hollie Ranson on hollie.ranson@bcpcouncil.gov.uk

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people.  Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline.  We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services.  By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

We offer an excellent benefits package for further details see here

As a result of the creation of BCP Council in 2019, we are working on simplifying our terms and conditions of service and will be creating a single pay structure which is to be applicable for all employees. It is important to us that we offer benefits that our colleagues value as part of their total employment package and we are reviewing these to make sure we have it right. We have been in a process of collective bargaining since 2019 and have positively worked forward to reach an agreed position with the unions for the new contractual offer. This has taken longer than we hoped and therefore we are having to consider all alternative avenues available to enable us to remove inequality in the organisation as a result of bringing together 3 councils. 

We are in the process of establishing a timescale for implementation, and all colleagues joining us will be included in these changes. We want to reassure everyone that whichever route is taken to reach the new terms and conditions, we can honour continuous service and there will not be any job reduction as a result of the implementation of Pay and Reward.  If you have any questions at all about this process, please feel free to raise this with the hiring manager.

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.