Public Health Apprentice

Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire (OX1 1ND)

Closes in 18 days (Wednesday 14 May 2025)

Posted on 22 April 2025

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Summary

Are you passionate about improving health outcomes for the people of Oxfordshire? We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and committed individual to join us as an apprentice on the Public Health Apprenticeship Degree programme, starting in September 2025.

Wage

£26,530 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Possible progression to £30,559 once progression criteria have been met.

Training course
Public health practitioner - integrated degree (level 6)
Hours
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

37 hours a week

Start date

Friday 1 August 2025

Duration

3 years 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you’ll do at work

  • Application of learning from the academic element of the apprenticeship to day-to-day work within the public health team
  • To support Senior Practitioners in interpreting and implementing national public health policy at a local level and support the development and evaluation of long-term multi-agency plans and strategies
  • To build effective relationships with stakeholders and partner organisations in the statutory and voluntary sectors to collaboratively work on specific topic areas and improve health outcomes whilst influencing their contributions to the public health agenda
  • To contribute to team efforts to provide specialist advice, training, or support to enable the wider workforce to promote positive health and wellbeing
  • To assist with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of relevant public health information
  • To provide support to key programmes of public health activity as required; this will include supporting health promotion marketing campaigns, researching best practice, writing reports, collating data on service data and key performance indicators, organising events and meetings, raising purchase orders, keeping accurate records, taking action notes, assisting in freedom of information requests, drafting letters to partners and providers and other tasks as required
  • To work co-operatively, as part of a team, liaising with both internal and external colleagues to provide efficient and effective specialist support
  • To contribute to the scoping, review, development and implementation of harm reduction and health improvement interventions/projects, working with partner agencies to target local communities, and vulnerable groups and populations
  • To support the public health team to demonstrate value for money and ensure that systems are developed which both meet the needs of the service and stakeholders and are in line with the county council systems and procedures
  • To manage resources as appropriate
  • To provide flexible cross-cover for other members of the public health team

Where you’ll work

County Hall
New Road
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX1 1ND

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL

Your training course

Public health practitioner - integrated degree (level 6)

Equal to degree

Course contents
  • analyse a range of data sets to draw informed conclusions about local public health needs and use of services, contributing to strategic needs assessments and operational service planning
  • provide and present public health information, analysis, interpretation and insight to support decision making, business planning, policy and strategy development, performance monitoring, and quality assurance
  • manage data and information in compliance with policy and protocol and assess and manage risks associated with using and sharing data and information, data security and intellectual property
  • work with communities to facilitate their engagement and participation in needs assessments, service design and delivery, including action to improve access to, and navigation of, local services
  • recognise where health inequalities prevail; determine how they will influence the planning of public health interventions and services; and to apply the evidence appropriately to make the most impact in alleviating these inequalities
  • apply behavioural insights and information about community needs to support healthy choices that individuals might wish to make, and provide individuals, groups and communities with the capabilities to make changes to their behaviours (eg: increasing levels of physical activity), in the context of a wider set of interventions and actions
  • participate effectively in the assessment and management of outbreaks, incidents, and single cases of contamination and communicable disease, locally and across boundaries
  • apply protocol and standard operating procedures related to the management of infectious disease, and in response to civil emergencies and unscheduled events, within the scope of the role
  • help to identify, analyse and manage the local impact of longer-term hazards and risks to health that may play out at a global, national or local level
  • communicate the risks and benefits of immunisation and screening programmes to a range of audiences eg: health professionals, parents, people from a range of cultures
  • use appropriate methods to access and appraise evidence gained through systematic methods and through engagement with the wider research community
  • critique published and unpublished research, synthesise the evidence and draw appropriate conclusions
  • report and advise on the implications of the evidence base for the most effective practice; to define problems and shape solutions; and to help in the delivery of value for money
  • present an evidence based narrative that is suitably adjusted to inform different types of audiences with different levels of health literacy
  • use and adapt appropriate research techniques and principles to evaluate local services and interventions to contribute to the local evidence-base for effectiveness
  • monitor, evaluate and disseminate (report) the impact of health and care projects, services and interventions, including quality impact
  • engage stakeholders (including service users) in service design and development, to deliver accessible and equitable person-centred services
  • implement standards, protocols and procedures, incorporating national ‘best practice’ guidance into local delivery systems
  • appraise and implement government-led policies and strategies locally (eg: ensuring the equitable and effective implementation of winter fuel schemes to prevent deaths from cold; the implementation of the NHS Health Check programme)
  • assess the impact and benefits of health and other policies and strategies on the public’s health and health inequalities (eg: using health impact assessment approaches or tools)
  • develop or implement actions plans, with, and for, specific groups and communities, to deliver outcomes identified in strategies and policies
  • evaluate one’s own interpersonal skills, and adapt to different situations through a developed proficiency in negotiation, influencing, diplomacy, mediation, facilitation
  • use appropriate methods to establish and sustain effective working relationships with local partners in order to bring about positive outcomes in the health and wellbeing of the local population
  • work collaboratively with colleagues across a broad range of partnership organisations to identify local needs, agree priorities, and deliver on action plans for joint health improvement programmes or services across the area
  • interact with other specialists and colleagues to improve health and reduce health inequalities through the development, monitoring and review of public health programmes, including the commissioning and delivery of these programmes
  • ensure, where relevant, that tendering and procurement processes are managed appropriately and within policy and legislative requirements when commissioning, planning or providing a range of services to bring about improvements in the public’s health (including the drawing up and negotiation of service specifications and performance indicators)
  • facilitate positive contractual relationships understanding how disagreements and changes can be managed within legislative and operational frameworks
  • Operate appropriately within the decision making, administrative and reporting processes that support political and democratic systems
  • present a compelling case for action to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities, using appropriate methods to capture and interpret the evidence
  • use appropriate community engagement techniques to support individuals and communities to have more control over decisions that affect them while promoting health equity, equality and justice
  • respond constructively to political and other tensions while encouraging a focus on the interests of the public’s health
  • to engender trust by acting reliably with integrity, consistency and purpose
  • work effectively within a team that is collectively responsible for leading and managing areas of public health business including the management or supervision of staff, resources or finances
  • use appropriate leadership skills to engage others, build relationships, manage conflict, encourage contribution and sustain commitment to deliver shared objectives
  • adapt to change, manage uncertainty, solve problems, and align clear goals with lines of accountability in complex and unpredictable environments
  • communicate complex information and concepts, including health outcomes, inequalities and life expectancy, to a range of different audiences using different methods (e.g.: exploiting the evolving opportunities of digital capability and dependency, and the associated need for some audiences to be assisted with digital communications)
  • work with communities to facilitate their engagement and participation in action to improve access to, and navigation of, local services and interventions, and to improve health literacy where it is a barrier to access
  • apply a range of tools and technologies to improve health literacy where it is creating a barrier to accessing services and information
  • manage public perception of health risks or solutions, and convey key messages using a range of media processes
  • consult, and listen to individuals, groups and communities likely to be affected by planned intervention or change
  • engage stakeholders and work collaboratively with colleagues across a broad range of partnership organisations to identify local needs, agree priorities and develop action plans for joint public health programmes across boundaries
  • support the development, monitoring and review of public health programmes; identifying risks to delivery and the appropriate risk and issue reporting mechanisms; and re-assessing delivery schedules and methods to respond constructively to change
  • develop projects and plans with key stakeholders and partner agencies to address local public health needs and bring about improvements in identified areas. Lead or contribute to delivery of these projects as appropriate within the scope of your role
  • identify the resources needed to develop and deliver new public health activity, or to sustain public health services and interventions, and how these resources might be sourced
  • help to determine shared priorities and action plans for public health programmes working with colleagues both from within the same organisation and across a range of other agencies
  • build capacity and capability across the field of operation to increase impact and effectiveness of public health programmes and interventions, engaging with professional colleagues, and other groups of workers or volunteers who make up the wider public health workforce
  • use appropriate tools and methods to appraise ethical tensions and to make decisions that promote ethical practice
  • think and write reflectively about one’s own practice, lessons learned, and things that can be done differently for better outcomes eg: to keep a reflective log as part of one’s continuing professional development
  • demonstrate professional characteristics throughout the course of one’s work eg: engendering trust; assuring confidentiality where appropriate; understanding one’s own limitations in terms of capability, accountability and expertise; the addressing of risks and issues in a timely and appropriate manner
  • demonstrate awareness of personal impact on others, both fellow professionals, external partners and members of the public
  • analyse a range of data sets to draw informed conclusions about local public health needs and use of services, contributing to strategic needs assessments and operational service planning
  • provide and present public health information, analysis, interpretation and insight to support decision making, business planning, policy and strategy development, performance monitoring, and quality assurance
  • manage data and information in compliance with policy and protocol and assess and manage risks associated with using and sharing data and information, data security and intellectual property
  • work with communities to facilitate their engagement and participation in needs assessments, service design and delivery, including action to improve access to, and navigation of, local services
  • recognise where health inequalities prevail; determine how they will influence the planning of public health interventions and services; and to apply the evidence appropriately to make the most impact in alleviating these inequalities
  • apply behavioural insights and information about community needs to support healthy choices that individuals might wish to make, and provide individuals, groups and communities with the capabilities to make changes to their behaviours (eg: increasing levels of physical activity), in the context of a wider set of interventions and actions
  • participate effectively in the assessment and management of outbreaks, incidents, and single cases of contamination and communicable disease, locally and across boundaries
  • apply protocol and standard operating procedures related to the management of infectious disease, and in response to civil emergencies and unscheduled events, within the scope of the role
  • help to identify, analyse and manage the local impact of longer-term hazards and risks to health that may play out at a global, national or local level
  • communicate the risks and benefits of immunisation and screening programmes to a range of audiences eg: health professionals, parents, people from a range of cultures
  • use appropriate methods to access and appraise evidence gained through systematic methods and through engagement with the wider research community
  • critique published and unpublished research, synthesise the evidence and draw appropriate conclusions
  • report and advise on the implications of the evidence base for the most effective practice; to define problems and shape solutions; and to help in the delivery of value for money
  • present an evidence based narrative that is suitably adjusted to inform different types of audiences with different levels of health literacy
  • use and adapt appropriate research techniques and principles to evaluate local services and interventions to contribute to the local evidence-base for effectiveness
  • monitor, evaluate and disseminate (report) the impact of health and care projects, services and interventions, including quality impact
  • engage stakeholders (including service users) in service design and development, to deliver accessible and equitable person-centred services
  • implement standards, protocols and procedures, incorporating national ‘best practice’ guidance into local delivery systems
  • appraise and implement government-led policies and strategies locally (eg: ensuring the equitable and effective implementation of winter fuel schemes to prevent deaths from cold; the implementation of the NHS Health Check programme)
  • assess the impact and benefits of health and other policies and strategies on the public’s health and health inequalities (eg: using health impact assessment approaches or tools)
  • develop or implement actions plans, with, and for, specific groups and communities, to deliver outcomes identified in strategies and policies
  • evaluate one’s own interpersonal skills, and adapt to different situations through a developed proficiency in negotiation, influencing, diplomacy, mediation, facilitation
  • use appropriate methods to establish and sustain effective working relationships with local partners in order to bring about positive outcomes in the health and wellbeing of the local population
  • work collaboratively with colleagues across a broad range of partnership organisations to identify local needs, agree priorities, and deliver on action plans for joint health improvement programmes or services across the area
  • interact with other specialists and colleagues to improve health and reduce health inequalities through the development, monitoring and review of public health programmes, including the commissioning and delivery of these programmes
  • ensure, where relevant, that tendering and procurement processes are managed appropriately and within policy and legislative requirements when commissioning, planning or providing a range of services to bring about improvements in the public’s health (including the drawing up and negotiation of service specifications and performance indicators)
  • facilitate positive contractual relationships understanding how disagreements and changes can be managed within legislative and operational frameworks
  • Operate appropriately within the decision making, administrative and reporting processes that support political and democratic systems
  • present a compelling case for action to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities, using appropriate methods to capture and interpret the evidence
  • use appropriate community engagement techniques to support individuals and communities to have more control over decisions that affect them while promoting health equity, equality and justice
  • respond constructively to political and other tensions while encouraging a focus on the interests of the public’s health
  • to engender trust by acting reliably with integrity, consistency and purpose
  • work effectively within a team that is collectively responsible for leading and managing areas of public health business including the management or supervision of staff, resources or finances
  • use appropriate leadership skills to engage others, build relationships, manage conflict, encourage contribution and sustain commitment to deliver shared objectives
  • adapt to change, manage uncertainty, solve problems, and align clear goals with lines of accountability in complex and unpredictable environments
  • communicate complex information and concepts, including health outcomes, inequalities and life expectancy, to a range of different audiences using different methods (e.g.: exploiting the evolving opportunities of digital capability and dependency, and the associated need for some audiences to be assisted with digital communications)
  • work with communities to facilitate their engagement and participation in action to improve access to, and navigation of, local services and interventions, and to improve health literacy where it is a barrier to access
  • apply a range of tools and technologies to improve health literacy where it is creating a barrier to accessing services and information
  • manage public perception of health risks or solutions, and convey key messages using a range of media processes
  • consult, and listen to individuals, groups and communities likely to be affected by planned intervention or change
  • engage stakeholders and work collaboratively with colleagues across a broad range of partnership organisations to identify local needs, agree priorities and develop action plans for joint public health programmes across boundaries
  • support the development, monitoring and review of public health programmes; identifying risks to delivery and the appropriate risk and issue reporting mechanisms; and re-assessing delivery schedules and methods to respond constructively to change
  • develop projects and plans with key stakeholders and partner agencies to address local public health needs and bring about improvements in identified areas. Lead or contribute to delivery of these projects as appropriate within the scope of your role
  • identify the resources needed to develop and deliver new public health activity, or to sustain public health services and interventions, and how these resources might be sourced
  • help to determine shared priorities and action plans for public health programmes working with colleagues both from within the same organisation and across a range of other agencies
  • build capacity and capability across the field of operation to increase impact and effectiveness of public health programmes and interventions, engaging with professional colleagues, and other groups of workers or volunteers who make up the wider public health workforce
  • use appropriate tools and methods to appraise ethical tensions and to make decisions that promote ethical practice
  • think and write reflectively about one’s own practice, lessons learned, and things that can be done differently for better outcomes eg: to keep a reflective log as part of one’s continuing professional development
  • demonstrate professional characteristics throughout the course of one’s work eg: engendering trust; assuring confidentiality where appropriate; understanding one’s own limitations in terms of capability, accountability and expertise; the addressing of risks and issues in a timely and appropriate manner
  • demonstrate awareness of personal impact on others, both fellow professionals, external partners and members of the public

Your training plan

  • You will have at least 6 hours of off-the-job training per week.
  • You will be studying at the University of West of England in Bristol, although most learning will be online and in the workplace,

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4-9)
  • Maths (grade 4-9)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Team working

About this company

We're the local authority for Oxfordshire, committed to delivering top quality services and value for money on behalf of the county's 600,000+ residents.

http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

To become a qualified Public Health Practioner.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000316109.

Apply now

Closes in 18 days (Wednesday 14 May 2025)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.