Public Health Officer (POA)

The Public Health Team operates across three core areas, and the post holder will be expected to contribute to and support work within each of these domains: Health Improvement This area focuses on promoting healthier lifestyles through targeted programmes and community engagement. Activities may include smoking cessation support, encouraging physical activity and delivering NHS Health Checks. The team also addresses wider socio-economic factors that influence health, such as housing and environmental conditions, aiming to reduce health inequalities by tackling the root causes of poor health. Health Protection This involves safeguarding the population from a range of health threats, including communicable diseases, environmental hazards, chemical, radiation, and nuclear risks, as well as occupational health concerns. Key initiatives include immunisation and vaccination programmes (e.g. for childhood diseases), cancer screening, and emergency preparedness. Healthcare Public Health This area supports the improvement of healthcare services by focusing on health outcomes, service quality, clinical effectiveness, and evidence-based practice. It includes health economics and understanding the needs of the local population. The role involves collaborative working to ensure that healthcare commissioning and delivery is high-quality, equitable, and responsive to the needs of Hillingdon residents. This includes contributing to Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and the development of evidence-based care pathways. The postholder will work within the Public Health Team, ensuring agreed team plans and performance targets are delivered and that a culture of ‘putting our residents first’ is maintained. The postholder will play a vital role in delivering health improvement programmes across a variety of key areas. The responsibilities will include planning and managing public health projects that align with both local and national priorities through community engagement. A key part of this role will be to manage a range of Public Health Contracts such as drug and alcohol treatment ,smoking cessation, sexual health services, mental health support, and NHS health checks. Also contributing to the commissioning and procurement of existing and new Public Health Services Contracts. Supporting the improvement of population health and wellbeing by contributing to the design and delivery of evidence-based public health programmes and projects. This includes working collaboratively across departments, organisations, and with external partners to ensure coordinated and impactful interventions. Also to support the integration of the public health agenda within broader strategic priorities by fostering connections with key areas such as climate change, housing, environmental health, and community safety—ensuring a coordinated approach to addressing the wider determinants of health