Job Introduction
This is a new and challenging role, providing public health leadership for a new programme of work to improve people’s health through appropriate design of the built environment. The post will sit in the shared public health team that serves three neighbouring local authorities: Milton Keynes, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire. This post will be hosted by Milton Keynes Council. This is a permanent position, offered as full-time post. The post reports to the Head of Service (Built Environment and Social Housing).
The post will sit in a new team of four people, providing public health leadership around the built environment and social housing. This post is concerned with the built environment and the influence this has on people’s health.
The successful candidate will be responsible for providing public health expertise and leadership to integrate health into the design and management of the built environment (i.e. place making, urban planning, strategic transport) across the three local authorities, working closely with professional colleagues in these directorates across the three councils.
All three councils have significant plans for growth as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. Milton Keynes Council has introduced Health Impact Assessment for all major new housing developments and has restricted the development of new takeaway food outlets near schools in recent years. Better integration of health into these plans is a core part of the public health team’s strategy to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities.
Interviews will be held in the week commencing the 11 April.
Main Responsibility
- To work with urban and transport planning experts to influence the development of the built environment to support people’s health and wellbeing and to reduce health inequalities. This will entail close working with planning and strategic transport professionals to understand how decisions are made in their work areas, and identifying major opportunities for health.
- To undertake evidence and case study reviews to identify best practice for integrating health considerations into urban and transport planning and disseminate the findings with key local stakeholders.
- To develop a high-level of expertise in Health Impact Assessment and lead the public health response (formal written response, liaising with planning colleagues and developers) of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for which training will be provided.
- Lead the formation of significant health and planning policies (e.g. Supplementary Planning Documents) and the health-contribution to other major planning policies (e.g. Local Plan, Local Transport Plan).
- To train other public health team members in health impact assessment methods, links between the built environment and health; planning processes/rules and the opportunities for public health to influence.
The Ideal Candidate
- The role is open to individuals with significant senior experience in planning/place making/strategic transport; or public health. The ideal candidate will have a professional background in at least one of these areas and a demonstrable interest in the other.
- A background in public health whilst helpful is not necessary, and appropriate support will be offered to a successful candidate without a public health background. Masters-level education and/or relevant professional qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience in public health or closely related area with an excellent understanding of the principles and practice of Public Health. Or masters-level education and/or relevant professional qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience in urban planning or closely related area with a good understanding of the principles and practice of planning combined with a demonstrable interest in public health
- Excellent ability to collate, analyse and synthesize data and/or evidence to produce intelligence that informs decision making, policy development, practice and/or evaluation. Be able to draw out pragmatic actionable recommendations for local use from analysis of data, evidence or guidelines.
- Programme or project management experience and the ability to lead, with support, cross sector work-streams, manage risk, political challenge, and deliver effective stakeholder engagement.
- Excellent communication skills (verbal and written), and ability to communicate to different audiences both technical and non-technical across the council, external organisations, stakeholders, members of the public and councillors.
- An ability to understand, work with and learn from people with different professional backgrounds will be important. A high level of tact, diplomacy and political awareness is also required and an ability to understand other cultures (i.e. planning, strategic transport and place making), to enable effective working across disciplines and influencing without direct authority.
Package Description
We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes Council, including:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 19.7%
- 27 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years
- Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, Apprenticeship Programmes (junior and senior), coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Health Cashplan
- MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
- SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
- Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles)
- Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs)
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements
- Childcare Subsidy
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes is a diverse, multi cultural, adrenaline packed expanding city with so much to offer on its door step. From beautiful open spaces, a busy theatre district, large shopping centre to a number of cultural and leisure facilities.
Milton Keynes Council has an array of responsibilities, such as: education, housing, highways and social services. Altogether, the council provides over 240 services to the citizens of Milton Keynes, and to meet such an extensive and diverse range of challenges we must be innovative and dynamic to provide services successfully to meet the increasing demands that will accompany the growth of Milton Keynes. How better to contribute to that continued success than through a unique and rewarding career with us. Here at Milton Keynes Council, we pride ourselves on modelling our values, that were co-created with colleague. We are dedicated, respectful and collaborative as we strive every day to make a difference to local people and the community we serve. If you share our values and want to experience a fulfilling job measured on outcomes and results with great work-life balance, make a move to Milton Keynes Council.
