Risk Communications and Community Engagement Specialist for the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) At UK Health Security Agency

Salary: £53,396 – £62,286

Pay band: Civil Service Grade G7

Location: Nobel House, London – This role will involve overseas travel as required by the UK-PHRST

Hours per week Full-time – 37.5 hours

Contract: Fixed Term, Permanent This is a fixed term appointment until 31 March 2025 (with an option to extend, subject to onward UK-PHRST funding (Internal Loan/Secondment will be considered).

Reference:

UK Health Security Agency

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our staff are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is renowned for its research, postgraduate studies and continuing education in public and global health.

Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice.

We embrace and value the diversity of our staff and student population and seek to promote equity, diversity and inclusion as essential elements in contribution to improving health worldwide. We believe that when people feel respected and included, they can be more creative, successful, and happier at work. While we have more work to do, we are committed to building an inclusive workplace, a community that everyone feels a part of, which is safe, respectful, supportive and enables all to reach their full potential.

The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-Phrst)

Launched in 2016, the UK-PHRST is an innovative government-academic partnership funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and co-led by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with a consortium of academic and implementing partners in the UK and internationally. It is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of public health professionals and researchers with a novel integrated triple-remit of outbreak response, research and capacity strengthening to prevent and control epidemics of infectious diseases in countries eligible for UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). Both institutes contribute and are responsible for delivery of the UK-PHRST triple mandate across outbreak response, research and capacity strengthening, with LSHTM leading the research programme and UKHSA who lead the outbreak response.

The UK-PHRST has the following objectives:

1. Support partners in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond rapidly to disease outbreaks, with the aim of stopping a public health threat from becoming a health emergency

2. Identify research questions with partners and deliver rigorous research with partners that improves the evidence base for best practice in disease outbreak prevention, detection, and response in LMICs

3. Support the development of in-country capacity for an improved and rapid national response to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks

The UK-PHRST is a multidisciplinary team that includes a range of technical skillsets from across public health, core programme/operational management, and senior leadership.

Joining the UK-PHRST is conditional to:

• Satisfactory completion of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

• National Vetting System Security Clearance (Security Check). Individuals must either have a pre-existing Security Clearance or be able to obtain and maintain one for the duration of their employment with the UK-PHRST.

• Being declared medically ‘fit for deployment’ prior to placement. All medical appointment records will be confidentially retained in line with UKHSA information governance policies.

• Completing the UK-PHRST mandatory training programme.

Job Summary

Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is an essential component in any public health response. The RCCE specialist will be a key member of the multi-disciplinary UK Public Health Rapid Support Team. The postholder will be responsible for leading the RCCE functions of the UK-PHRST and for providing expert advice during outbreak responses and emergencies, where required.

As a member of the Core Deployable Team, the post holder will be available to be deployed to outbreaks within 48 hours’ notice. They will also be expected to conduct research projects and provide capacity development in LMICs on behalf of the UK-PHRST. The post-holder should expect to spend up to 40 percent of their time overseas. The post holder will be employed by UKHSA with an honorary contract with LSHTM. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with both institutions.

When not required for outbreaks, the post holder will, among other things, contribute to capacity development activities overseas, and conduct, when possible, operational research relevant to the UK-PHRST’s role and remit in partnership with well-established networks of collaborators. The post holder will also spend some time in the UK on teaching, training and operational research.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide support on outbreak response activities for the country of deployment and the UK- PHRST for risk communication and community engagement activities.

• Lead and/or contribute to the design, development, and implementation of targeted interventions (informed by community engagement, rapid research and appropriate theoretical approaches), to assist with outbreak management and reduce spread of disease either nationally or in specific, affected areas.

• Contribute to and support the design, development, pre-testing, production, and dissemination of culturally relevant outbreak response RCCE materials meeting on the ground requirements and international quality standards.

• Lead and/or contribute to the development, elaboration and implementation of the risk communication and community engagement plan as part of outbreak response operations.

• Identify and develop strong partnerships with key stakeholders – community groups, leaders and other partners in the community and civil society – for the promotion of key practices to stop disease transmission.

• Support the tracking and management of misinformation and rumours in communities of concern to ensure a fluid response.

• Liaise closely with local and regional counterparts for risk communication ensuring coherence of strategy, materials and messages. Ensure that technical material produced by the response locally integrates community engagement principles and practice.

• Support management of outbreak priorities and activities in line with outbreak response needs.

• Provide additional support to the development, implementation and evaluation of social and behavioural science components within the national outbreak response (e.g., revisions to guidance documentation, advising on national intervention design and implementation).

• Support response in affected countries to reduce the impact of the outbreak, including scoping the need for further support and research.

• Work on sustainable RCCE plans. Projects conducted by RCCE UK-PHRST should aim to be sustainable even after the end of deployment.

Data Management and Analysis

• Contribute to the development, strengthening and application of data collection for risk communications and community engagement interventions.

• Liaise with appropriate national and regional counterparts to integrate findings from knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) surveys, focus group discussions and other feedback from community engagement activities into risk communication activities and products.

• During deployments, provide strong data management and analytical support, and apply adequate tools.

• When required, conduct rapid qualitative analysis to inform risk communications and community engagement interventions.

• Interpret relevant data and make appropriate recommendations for risk communications and community engagement.

• During deployments or as part of capacity building, train communications and information staff, and manage/supervise communications and information staff in the development of outputs and appropriate data collection and analysis.

Partnership Working

• Develop and nurture key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders as required for role.

• Contribute to building regional and in-country capacity and capability through training and coaching.

Teaching and Training

• Contribute to teaching/training programmes and activities on RCCE.

• Support quality assurance and training activities to strengthen risk communication products in the deployed country in the context of the healthcare system in collaboration with partners (e.g. Ministry of Health, WHO, NGOs) as appropriate.

• Contribute to the development and management of a capacity building programme overseas.

• Teach colleagues and stakeholders on risk communications and community engagement and support ongoing training activities within the UK-PHRST and partners.

• Develop teaching material and courses.

Research

• Conduct and contribute to UK-PHRST research projects.

• Contribute to and/or develop grant proposals.

• Analyse datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions.

• Write research reports and peer-review manuscripts.

• Present at scientific conferences, meetings and other fora.

• Maintain active participation with the LSHTM and other academic partners and networks.

Management

• Actively engage in meetings with internal and external colleagues.

• Identify and seek to resolve potential problems.

• Be responsible for managing own workload, including developing objectives and reviewing progress against these.

• Comply with UKHSA Information Governance standards, including understanding the ethical, legal and technical obligations for protection of personal patient information

• Line management as necessary within the team

Other Duties

• The above is an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The post holder will carry out additional duties as may reasonably be required by the directorate, with appropriate training as required.

• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organization and programme.

Closing date: Wednesday 14th December 2022, 11.55pm

How to apply

Apply link: https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?jcode=1825462

Job details

Share this job

Contact Us

Maiduguri Borno State Nigeria

Available Jobs