INFORMATION FOR APPLICATIONS FOR RECRUITMENT TO START IN AUGUST 2020
Higher Specialist Training in Public Health
Health Education England (West Midlands)
Recruitment to a post in the West Midlands is through the national recruitment process.
For full recruitment information such as job description, frequently asked questions etc., please visit the Faculty of Public Health Website at www.fph.org.uk.
The recruitment process is managed by Health Education England East Midlands. For all enquiries about the recruitment and selection process please contact [email protected]
Training placements available in 2020
Starter training location 1 post Warwickshire Council 1 post Coventry Council 1 post Walsall Council 1 post Sandwell Council 1 post Worcestershire Council 1 post Hereford Council 1 post Telford and Wrekin Council
There is also one NIHR funded Academic Clinical Fellow post shared between: Solihull Council and Warwick University.
A second NIHR funded Academic Clinical Fellow is being advertised for Birmingham University across a number of specialties. If the successful candidate wishes to train in Public Health their local government base will be Wolverhampton.
1 The West Midlands
The West Midlands covers a population of 5.6 million and is very diverse. It contains many areas of outstanding natural beauty, such as the Malverns and the Shropshire Hills. There are many historic market towns and cathedral cities such as Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Warwick, Stratford upon Avon and Lichfield. The largest city is Birmingham, with other large conurbations in Coventry, Stoke and Wolverhampton.
2 Higher Specialist Training in the West Midlands
The School of Public Health has about 50 Specialty Registrars placed in approved training locations within the West Midlands. The Higher Specialist training scheme balances academic training with experience of working in public health. Each public health registrar is assigned an Educational Supervisor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss their work in the placement organisation. Public Health registrars agree a training plan with their Educational Supervisor which is assessed every six months to ensure that the registrars receive good experience.
Registrars generally currently spend most of their training in Local Government Departments of Public Health. This is apart from the posts based at the Universities of Warwick and Birmingham and Public Health England. Public health departments see their role as assessing the needs of the population for health care, helping to change services and other agencies to provide care, and contributing to protecting the health of the population.
Training departments are grouped in three zones:
January 2020 Staffordshire & Shropshire Black Country, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry & Warwickshire
The first training placement is either in a specific Local Authority or the Universities of Warwick or Birmingham. Registrars usually work in two training departments across the training period, usually in the same zone. Registrars are allocated their first training location based on their personal preference list and their ranking from national recruitment.
3 Training placements in 2020
It is expected that training placements will be available in each of the following training locations for an August 2020 start:
Starter training location 1 post Warwickshire Council 1 post Coventry Council 1 post Walsall Council 1 post Sandwell Council 1 post Worcestershire Council 1 post Hereford Council 1 post Telford and Wrekin Council
Please note there is the potential for these locations to change.
There is also one NIHR funded Academic Clinical Fellow post shared between Solihull Council and Warwick University. A second NIHR funded Academic Clinical Fellow is being advertised for Birmingham University across a number of specialties. If the successful candidate wishes to train in Public Health their local government base will be Wolverhampton.
Starter locations for Public Health
New registrars who live outside the region are encouraged to move the West Midlands if at all possible on starting in post. Commuting from outside the West Midlands is feasible due to its location centrally in England but prospective applicants need to be realistic about the practicalities of this.
Please consider that if you are starting at ST1, you will be doing the MPH at the University of Birmingham and will need to spend much of the first year on site. In addition, you will have an on-call commitment with a travel requirement during your training as described in the OOH section below.
Further information on some of the starter locations is given below
January 2020 Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a predominantly rural county, with the 4th lowest population density in England, although the population is growing slowly, largely as a result of international migration to the county. There are 180,000 residents living in the rural areas and the key urban/town centres of Hereford, Ledbury, Bromyard, Leominster and Ross on Wye. Although rural, Herefordshire is readily accessible with direct trains from Birmingham/Shropshire/West Midlands and Wales. The largest industry sector in Herefordshire is ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ accounting for 24% per cent of total businesses, although the industry employs a disproportionately low number of people in the county. Life expectancy in Herefordshire is 80.4 years for males 83.9 years for females, with both figures being higher than the national figure. Please see the following link for the JSNA and more demographic information https://factsandfigures.herefordshire.gov.uk/understanding-herefordshire
Herefordshire Council's priorities are set out in full in the corporate plan and are to: • Enable residents to live safe, healthy and independent lives • Keep children and young people safe and give them a great start in life • Support the growth of our economy • Secure better services, quality of life and value for money
More information on the structure and business of the Council is available at https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200148/your_council/557/about_herefordshire_council/ 1
The public health team is based at Plough Lane in Hereford city and is made up of consultants, practitioners and staff working across the domains of public health. Herefordshire provides an opportunity for Registrars to be involved in a wide variety of areas covering all ten competencies. Registrars are encouraged to be fully involved in the day-to-day working of the team and depending on their stage in the training programme, be part of the Senior Management Team within the department. There are a range of excellent opportunities to work on commissioning of services, children’s and adults health and wellbeing, health protection issues and the wider determinants of health. Protected time with a designated supervisor is regularly timetabled and Registrars are encouraged to attend relevant training events whenever possible. There are currently two educational supervisors in the team, with a third likely by Summer 2019.
The team has close links to the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (HCCG) where a further consultant in public health is based who is also an educational supervisor –projects can therefore also be arranged within the CCG. The team are exploring the potential for placements within the acute trust – Wye Valley Trust and also have links with Birmingham University and with Public Health England based in Birmingham and Kidderminster in Worcestershire. Herefordshire Public Health look forward to welcoming you to their beautiful county and work base.
Warwick University
The aim of time spent at the university will be to both 1. Achieve generic training competencies in an academic setting. 2. Undertake academic work
January 2020 The public health registrar with the University of Warwick as their main base will undertake work with public health clinical academics to achieve a wide range of competencies alongside a focus on research and teaching. Training at this base will be complemented by local authority, health protection, and other attachments to ensure a rounded training in consultation with the training programme director team.
Groups with public health consultants and specialists at the University of Warwick include: Public Mental Health - Prof Sarah Stewart Brown can supervise full or part time attachments including evaluation of public mental health programmes and projects, and work on the Faculty of Public Health's mental health programme by reviewing and updating the evidence base. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/staff/stewart-brown
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands – Professor Aileen Clarke is deputy director of the West Midlands ARC Research Methodology, Rapid Repsonse and Informatics theme. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/about/centres/arc-wm/ https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/staff/clarke/
Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery Low and middle income country focussed work focuses particularly on service delivery in African countries with public health registrars overseen by Dr Oyinlola Oyebode. https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/staff/ooyebode/
Warwick Evidence - systematic reviews This NICE - HTA supported group, led by Prof Aileen Clarke, undertakes a wide range of commissioned systematic reviews for NICE and are also now approved to bid for National Screening Committee evidence work. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/about/centres/warwickevidence
Communicable disease control evidence and epidemiology The CDCE2 focus is on the development and application of epidemiological methods in service work in communicable disease control. It is a joint unit with Public Health England and is led by Prof Noel McCarthy. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/hscience/pet/cdcee
Attachments with other research groups at Warwick Public health registrars can also under take research and projects with other groups at the university overseen by their university based educational supervisor. Examples include Health Economics where Prof Stavros Petrou leads this group researching and teaching health economics. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/expert/healthec and mathematical modelling of infectious disease with UK and international focuses. https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/zeeman_institute/
Do feel free to search the university website or discuss particular academic interests with the training lead ([email protected]).
January 2020
Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Council is situated in the centre of historic Warwick. The council is responsible for approximately 554 000 people located across five districts and boroughs; North Warwickshire Borough, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough, Rugby Borough, Stratford-on-Avon District, Warwick District.
Although Warwickshire has a relatively affluent population, it is not excluded from public health challenges. 18 local areas in Warwickshire are in the top 20% most deprived areas nationally, and 11.8% of children are in low-income families. With an aging population 12.2% are experiencing fuel poverty. Mental health in our population is a key priority; we have a relatively high rate of 10- 24 year olds admitted to our hospitals as a result of deliberate self- harm.
Registrars will be based in the friendly Public Health department at Saltisford Office Park in Warwick. Registrars will have lots of opportunities to get involved, from commissioning services, strategic planning, communications and marketing and numerous other roles. There is a monthly departmental meeting which is a great opportunity to meet colleagues and find out what is going on in the department and the bigger aims for the department in the future. There are strong academic links with Coventry University within the Public Health team. You will have supervisors within the department who will oversee your training, and ensure you meet your portfolio requirements.
Warwick is well connected in the county, with Leamington Spa very nearby, and Stratford-upon- Avon and the Cotswolds just a short drive away. There are train stations with good regional and national connections throughout the area. Birmingham is approximately 35 minutes from Warwick, and London 1 hour and 20 minutes from Leamington Spa Station.
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a diverse city with a population of approximately 250,000. This is a time of change for the city, with ambitious plans in place for regeneration and economic growth. However, there are also significant health and social inequalities that present a challenge for Public Health.
Our vision sets out priority areas across four key workstreams – Starting & Developing Well, Healthy Life Expectancy, Healthy Ageing and System Leadership – with the aim to reduce inequalities across the life course and ensure inclusive growth. There is a strong emphasis on improving the wider determinants of health through partnership working, both internally and externally. The Public Health team has strong links with Community Safety, Resilience, Education and Planning, and with Royal Wolverhampton Trust and Wolverhampton CCG.
The training placement will be based within the recently refurbished Civic Centre in the city centre near the train station. Registrars sit together in the department with Foundation year doctors and General Practice registrars. We encourage a culture of continuous learning across the department, with monthly training and learning sessions. There are currently four educational supervisors within the team. Registrars will have the opportunity to support and lead on a variety of projects across the four portfolio areas, and to present to a wide range of audiences.
January 2020
Wolverhampton has excellent public transport links and is just 15 minutes from Birmingham by train.
Worcestershire
The population of Worcestershire is around 583,000. The county is predominantly an affluent and rural county with pockets of high deprivation in urban Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch. Overall health in Worcestershire is generally better than nationally. However there are large numbers of people living in poorer health and there are significant inequalities in health outcomes particularly between advantaged and disadvantaged communities. Life expectancy is 7.7 years lower for men and 6.4 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Worcestershire than in the least deprived areas. Priorities in Worcestershire include mental health and wellbeing, reducing harm from alcohol, and increasing physical activity. For more information see www.worcestershire.gov.uk/jsna
This training placement is a mixture of rural and semi-urban localities. Registrars are based in County Hall which is on the outskirts of Worcester, close to the M5. Worcestershire provides a variety of public health training opportunities. Health needs are diverse and challenging with a mixture of urban and rural populations. The training placement provides a good opportunity to experience public health in a rural setting as well as in significantly deprived communities. Worcestershire County Council is a two tier authority with six District Councils, three CCGs, an Acute Trust, a Community & Mental Health Trust and two prisons.
Worcestershire has three educational supervisors and hosts a number of Registrars as well as FY2 doctors and GP trainees on public health placement. There are close and developing links with the University of Worcester and a culture of learning and continuous professional development within the public health team. There are opportunities to work across the four main portfolios; producing evidence, shaping prevention services, keeping people safe and empowering people to improve health & wellbeing and reduce inequalities. Within each portfolio there are opportunities to work within the county council, across District councils, with the voluntary sector and with the local NHS. There are particularly strong opportunities in STP programmes across Herefordshire & Worcestershire and within Adult Social Care in Worcestershire County Council.
4 Other Public Health Placements
All registrars are expected to do a four month attachment with one of three Health Protection Teams (Stafford, Kidderminster and Birmingham). The acute response aspect of that placement will be in the PHE Centre in the centre of Birmingham. Other specialised attachments within the West Midlands are available usually after passing Part A and B MFPH e.g.
• PHE West Midlands Healthcare Public Health, Screening and Immunisation and Specialised Commissioning • PHE West Midlands Health and Well Being. • A specialised PHE Health Protection rotation for those who wish to specialise in Health Protection. • The academic departments at the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick. January 2020
Opportunities for registrars to go “out of programme” for placements in more specialised organisations or work areas such as “National Treasures” are available but are considered on a one to one basis. These are usually considered once both part A and part B examinations have been passed.
Academic supervision in the West Midlands
All registrars are allocated to academic learning sets which are overseen by an academic supervisor at the University of Warwick. The sets meet approximately once a term and discuss progress with the academic parts of the training. They will also help to develop work for publications, enable access to teaching opportunities and help those registrars who wish to pursue a higher degree.
5 Assessment
Examination support and training
The foundation of the training for the part A examination is the Masters in Public Health (MPH) course at the University of Birmingham. Registrars complete the taught section in the first year and the dissertation in the second year of the programme. Details of the MPH course can be found on the University of Birmingham website. Modules are taught in weekly blocks. The University is easy to reach by public transport, having its own railway station.
If registrars already have a relevant qualification, they do not need to sit the MPH and can start in the second year of training.
To help prepare candidates for the part A MFPH, registrars will have tutorials covering the examination and past paper questions. Registrars are expected to sit the part A MFPH examination in the June of the first year if joining as ST1 and the January of the first year if joining as ST2.
Regulation & Yearly Assessment
In common with all Higher Specialist Training programmes, there is a yearly assessment process. Registrars must make satisfactory progress during the year to continue into the next part of the scheme. Specialty Registrars’ training is subject to the guidance and rules currently in place from the General Medical Council and recorded in the current “Gold Guide”. The particular standards, assessments, phases of training and required learning outcomes are described in full in the 2015 Public Health Training Curriculum (www.fph.org.uk)
Registrars will be awarded the equivalent of a CCT subject to satisfactory annual review acquiring all the curriculum competencies and obtaining MFPH. The Postgraduate Dean confirms that this programme has the required educational and Dean’s approval.
January 2020
6 Other aspects
Less than Full Time (LTFT) Training
The training scheme is committed to less than full time training for people who have well founded individual reasons for doing so. An application needs to be made to the regional dean for LTFT training before starting in post.
Employer
All registrars are employed by NHS St Helens and Knowsley NHS Foundation Trust. Discussions about pay protection need to be had with this organisation.
Study Leave
Registrars have a personal budget and leave allocation to use. There is also a developing regional training programme open to all registrars.
Removal expenses
The reimbursement of removal expenses will be at the discretion of the Postgraduate Dean and subject to employer policy. You should not commit yourself to any expenditure in connection with relocation before first obtaining advice and approval otherwise you may incur costs which you might be unable to claim. Trainees are expected to live within a reasonable distance from their working base. Any trainee who chooses to live a significant distance from their working base may not receive travel expenses in lieu of relocation.
Out of Hours
All registrars in the West Midlands are required to undertake on call shifts on the Health Protection out of hours rota.
This commitment begins after passing the on-call assessment following the mandatory health protection placement. Before completing training all registrars must complete a minimum of 50 shifts on the rota, which includes both weekday night shift and weekend shifts. There is a payment for on-call shifts which is governed by national contractual arrangements.
During OOH on call shifts, all those on call must be able to travel to Birmingham, Stafford or Kiddiminster within 2 hours. These are the current sites at January 2020, but may change over the course of training.
7 For further information on the West Midlands:
Should you require further details about Public Health Training in the West Midlands, please contact:
January 2020 Dr Clare-Louise Walker Training Programme Director (recruitment) Public Health Training Scheme HEE (West Midlands) Email: [email protected]
Please note it is not necessary to make any pre-application visits.
January 2020