Interim Consultant in Public Health

About the job

Key information

• The post is a hybrid position and office time will be expected on a weekly basis, as well as a number of meetings which are held face to face. The post will also require the successful candidate to be part of the out of hours rota.
• 29.6 hours per week.
• The post will be offered on an interim basis for 6 months with a possibility of extending.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic public health team which has an excellent reputation. Public Health is embedded within the local authority and this is a great opportunity to develop and influence the public health agenda and tackle the inequalities that exist across the county.

What will I be doing?

The individual will play a major part in the delivery of key health programmes for up to six months. The Interim Consultant in Public Health will provide specialist public health advice and expertise and lead on substance use:

• Deliver the somerset drug and alcohol strategy
• Develop the specialist treatment services according to the evidence base
• Comply with the DATRIG reporting requirements
• Develop the OST and needle exchange pharmacy specification
• And to contribute to improving the overall health status of the population of Somerset.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

Applicants must meet the following criteria for this role (essential):

• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List/UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine practice
• Public health specialist registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers

You will need to be a confident, politically skilled and highly credible professional who is flexible and used to working across organisation boundaries and have experience in commissioning of services. This post is suitable as an acting up position for those who are within six months of their CCT.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

Supporting documents and information

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Alison Bell (Interim Director of Public Health) or Lou Woolway (Consultant in Public Health) via 01823 359 249.

Interviews: 21st May 2025 (face to face, County Hall, Taunton)

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button – we can’t wait to hear from you.

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now