Public Health Practitioner in High Wycombe

Oakhill Secure Training Centre is a custodial environment for children both females and males between the ages of 12 years old and 18 years old. Children may present with complex physical health, wellbeing and mental health, undiagnosed neurodivergent needs and complex trauma.

This role sits within the healthcare team, which is divided into three different teams: Primary Care, Wellbeing Service and Substance Misuse Service. The teams consist of Assistant & Trainee Psychologists, Qualified Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychiatrist, Registered Mental Health Nurses, Registered General Nurses and Substance Misuse Practitioners.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an innovative and motivated Public Health Practitioner to lead the development and delivery of a comprehensive public health programme within Oakhill Secure Training Centre. This post is primarily a public health programme and service development role. The post holder will lead, coordinate and evaluate public health initiatives across the establishment and may come from a range of professional backgrounds including public health, nursing, allied health professions, social work or health promotion.

Where the post holder holds a professional registration, they will maintain registration and practise within their professional code of conduct, scope of practice, competency framework and organisational governance arrangements. The post holder is not expected to independently undertake clinical procedures unless appropriately qualified, trained, assessed as competent and authorised to do so. Responsibility for clinical interventions, clinical decision-making, diagnostic interpretation, prescribing, referrals and medical follow-up remains with the appropriately registered clinical professionals.

Working within the Secure Stairs framework, the Public Health Practitioner will adopt a trauma-informed, child-centred and strengths-based approach, ensuring that public health is embedded throughout the establishment. The role will involve close partnership working with healthcare staff, operational colleagues, education providers, psychology services, youth justice professionals, local authorities, NHS England, UKHSA and community health services.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Health Improvement
• Lead the development and implementation of a whole-setting Public Health Strategy for Oakhill STC.
• Design and deliver evidence-based health promotion programmes for children and young people.
• Develop initiatives focusing on:
• Healthy lifestyles
• Physical activity
• Healthy weight management
• Sleep hygiene
• Oral health
• Health literacy
• Emotional wellbeing
• Support delivery of Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education programmes alongside education teams.
• Co-produce health promotion initiatives with children and young people through engagement forums and child voice mechanisms.
• Ensure all programmes are accessible to children with neurodevelopmental needs, communication difficulties, learning disabilities and additional vulnerabilities.
• Contribute to the development and regular review of Oakhill STC's Health and Wellbeing Needs Assessment.
• Analyse health, wellbeing and epidemiological data to identify priority health needs and inequalities affecting children and young people.
• Translate needs assessment findings into a prioritised annual Public Health Delivery Plan.
• Work with healthcare, operational, education and psychology colleagues to agree measurable objectives, actions, delivery leads, timescales and outcome measures.
• Review progress against agreed priorities and recommend service improvements.
• Screening and Immunisations
• Lead work to increase uptake of national NHS screening programmes.
• Review and improve pathways relating to:
• Screening eligibility
• Consent processes
• Recall systems
• Follow-up arrangements
• Coordinate immunisation programmes including:
• Routine childhood vaccinations
• Catch-up vaccinations
• Seasonal vaccination campaigns
• Monitor uptake and outcomes through regular audit and performance reporting.
• Work closely with community providers to ensure continuity of care following release.
• Coordinate age-appropriate and risk-based screening, testing and preventative healthcare programmes in accordance with national guidance, commissioned pathways and eligibility criteria.
• Work with healthcare providers to obtain previous immunisation histories and screening information where available.
• Identify children who have missed routine vaccinations or preventative interventions and coordinate catch-up arrangements.
• Support systems to ensure timely recall, follow-up and escalation of outstanding health interventions.
• Monitor uptake, completion and equity of access for screening, testing and vaccination programmes.
• Ensure robust handover arrangements are in place for outstanding vaccinations, test results, referrals and follow-up requirements.
• Work within agreed governance arrangements ensuring that clinical ownership and management of results remains with appropriately qualified clinicians.
• Sexual Health and Health Inequalities
• Promote access to sexual health services and STI screening.
• Deliver age-appropriate sexual health education and awareness programmes.
• Support access to contraception advice where appropriate.
• Develop targeted interventions for groups experiencing poorer health outcomes.
• Identify and address barriers impacting access to healthcare for vulnerable children and young people.
• Promote awareness of healthy relationships, consent, sexual exploitation and online safety.
• Work collaboratively with safeguarding, psychology and specialist services to deliver appropriate interventions.
• Smoking and Vaping Reduction
• Lead smoking cessation and vaping reduction initiatives.
• Deliver health education regarding the risks associated with vaping and nicotine dependence.
• Support healthcare teams in delivering evidence-based smoking cessation interventions.
• Monitor outcomes and produce regular evaluation reports demonstrating impact.
• Health Protection
• Support infection prevention and control strategies across the establishment.
• Participate in outbreak preparedness and management.
• Contribute to disease surveillance and public health monitoring.
• Liaise with UKHSA and local public health teams regarding communicable disease incidents.
• Support vaccination responses during outbreaks where required.
• Partnership Working
• Develop strong working relationships across health, education, psychology, residential and operational services.
• Work collaboratively with NHS England Health and Justice teams.
• Engage with Youth Custody Service partners, local authorities and community healthcare providers.
• Participate in relevant governance, safeguarding and partnership meetings.
• Support release planning and continuity of healthcare provision following discharge.
• Support continuity of healthcare provision from admission onwards, including transfers between establishments, release into the community and transition into adult services.
• Ensure outstanding vaccinations, investigations, test results, health interventions and referrals are included in transfer and discharge planning.
• Data, Audit and Quality Improvement
• Analyse public health data and trends.
• Develop performance dashboards and reports.
• Undertake audits and service evaluations.
• Monitor achievement against agreed public health objectives.
• Present findings to governance groups and senior leaders.
• Lead quality improvement projects aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes.
• Performance measures may include:
• Percentage of children with vaccination status reviewed.
• Percentage of eligible children offered screening or preventative interventions.
• Vaccination uptake and completion rates.
• Follow-up completion for screening and health interventions.
• Identified barriers to access and actions implemented.
• Continuity-of-care arrangements completed following transfer or release.
• Health inequality indicators linked to agreed public health priorities.
• Measures should be interpreted alongside population turnover, length of stay and population characteristics.

• Ensure all practice complies with safeguarding legislation and local safeguarding procedures.
• Uphold information governance and confidentiality requirements.
• Work in accordance with Secure Stairs principles and trauma-informed care approaches.
• Maintain professional registration and mandatory training requirements.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of service delivery.
• Demonstrate understanding of consent, capacity and competence principles relevant to children and young people.
• Apply Gillick Competence and Fraser Guidelines where relevant within healthcare delivery pathways.
• Explain confidentiality and the limits of confidentiality in a developmentally appropriate manner.
• Recognise, respond to and escalate safeguarding concerns in line with local and national safeguarding procedures.
• Work closely with safeguarding leads when concerns regarding exploitation, abuse, neglect, self-harm or vulnerability are identified.

• Lead designated public health programmes.
• Coordinate delivery of interventions across healthcare teams while recognising clinical responsibilities remain with registered clinicians.
• Work under the professional supervision arrangements appropriate to their discipline and role.
• Escalate health protection incidents through agreed organisational governance structures and clinical leadership arrangements.
• Work collaboratively with UKHSA, NHS England and clinical leaders in relation to outbreaks and communicable disease incidents.

The post holder may be required to perform other relevant and appropriate duties as reasonably needed. This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Please note, in order to apply, all applicants need to have been living in the United Kingdom (with residency in the UK, such as UK/Irish/EU Passport, or an Indefinite Leave to Remain Visa) for the last 5 years with no more than a 28 day break being outside of the UK and no gaps in employment during this time.