Emergency Preparedness Manager

Job summary

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

UKHSA is a Category 1 responder as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act, 2004 and Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) is an essential element of its activity. This role is pivotal in ensuring that UKHSA delivers and maintains a high-quality service in this area.

The Emergency Preparedness Manager (EPM) provides the UKHSA Health Protection in Regions London team with expert advice and support for health emergency preparedness and resilience working in conjunction with the wider EPRR team and Lead Consultant in EPRR. Assisting in ensuring governance annual assurance and audit of all regional and UKHSA Regional emergency plans including arrangements to prepare for and recover from incidents and events.

The EPM will be required to attend Local Resilience Fora, Local Health Resilience Partnerships and associated sub-groups. Working with the Senior EPM and wider EPRR team the EPM will assist in implementing recommendations from lessons identified from response to incidents both major and other less significant incidents, events, and exercises. The EPM will be expected to develop and deliver training in EPRR to different professional groups within and outside UKHSA.

Job description

As part of the London Region EPRR team, help develop and deliver a high-quality, high-performing EPRR function, supporting the London Region and its partners in preparing for and responding to emergencies and incidents affecting London.

Planning and guidance

• Ensure the UKHSA London region is resilient by providing, tactical and operational advice and guidance in the development and coordination of the organisation’s emergency preparedness and planning arrangements.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of UKHSA’s preparedness for and response to major incidents and emergencies, as defined in the UKHSA Concept of Operations, National Incident Response Plan and Regional Incident Response Plan
• Lead the development and improvement of UKHSA and London Region EPRR policies, guidance and response plans complying with UKHSA’s requirements as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act. This may include plans to respond to specific risks as identified in regional and local risk assessments e.g. site-specific risks
• Work with colleagues across the London Region, and specifically the Business Operations team to develop and maintain robust and resilience business continuity arrangements.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, including specialist teams in UKHSA, emergency services, the military, emergency services, government departments, local authorities and others to ensure strategies, policies and plans are aligned, operable, tested and reviewed
• Ensure all emergency preparedness activities in their area of responsibility are audited and auditable in accordance with UKHSA’s status as a Category 1 responder

Responding to incidents and emergencies

• Fulfill in and out of hours duties as part of the regional EPRR duty rota, to support emergency response
• Deliver, tactical, and operational support to facilitate UKHSA‘s response to emergencies and incidents in an out of hours
• Ensure there is robust, coordinated, secure and resilient communication within UKHSA and with partners and coordinate teams and arrangements to support the response
• Lead the review and debriefing of UKHSA’s response to incidents, to ensure lessons are identified, shared and lead to future improvements
  Education, Training & Exercising
• Design and deliver education and training to a range of internal UKHSA and external stakeholders, to improve knowledge, skills and experience in emergency planning, incident response, business continuity and related issues.
• Contribute to the assessment, design and exercising of response systems, ensuring that UKHSA is fully engaged with and involved in UK, regional and local multi-agency exercises.
• Contribute to the review of exercises to ensure lessons are learned, shared and improvements made for the future
• Contribute to audit and research relating to EPRR responsibilities to capture, refine and disseminate learning.

Engagement

Develop strong working relationships and communication with a wide range people and stakeholders, within and outside UKHSA, including:

• UKHSA colleagues in London, other regions, the National Response Centre and other directorates
• stakeholders and partners including the NHS, Integrated Care Boards, Local Resilience Fora, Local Health Resilience Partnerships, Local Authorities, DHSC and other departments, and other responders under the Civil Contingencies Act .
• Represent the UKHSA at multi-agency meetings, such as Local Resilience Fora and Local Health Resilience Partnerships, to share information, contribute to risk assessments and strategy development, and facilitate cross-agency collaboration

Team working

• Work flexibly and collaboratively as part of the London Region EPRR team to deliver expert, high-quality EPRR, business continuity and response function to support the London Region
• Work with UKHSA and London EPRR colleagues, as part of an EPRR network, providing mutual aid across regions and teams where appropriate
• Where appropriate, manage any Emergency Preparedness Officer(s) in the team.
• Carry out any other duties, reasonably required by your line manager.

Personal And Professional Development

• Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation, as required under UKHSA and professional policy.
• Take responsibility for your own CPD, including maintaining any statutory and mandatory training, developing your personal development plan and seeking opportunities to improve your knowledge, skills and experience with the support of your line manager

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Degree, NVQ level 4 or equivalent level vocational expertise in an emergency planning discipline or significant experience of working at a similar level in the specialist area.
• Knowledge of emergency and resilience planning methodologies.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholder as required.
• Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often challenging timescales.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of the public sector.
• Experience of working as part of a multi-agency team.
• Demonstrated experience in a Healthcare environment.
• Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques, and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,310, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,416 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 9 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the piles ‘Meets all essential criteria’ and ‘Meets some essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Knowledge of emergency and resilience planning methodologies.
• Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholder as required.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often challenging timescales.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a single face to face interview.

If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills will be tested at interview.

There will be a Presentation. The presentation question will be: "Describe the process of identifying and assessing a risk, through to developing adequate control measures to prevent/control/respond to that risk, and how you would influence senior leaders to commit resource for the arrangements agreed."

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Communicating and influencing (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the big picture
• Changing and improving
• Making effective decisions
• Working together
• Working at pace

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our core HQ in London, Canary Wharf. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month)working at our office. Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a standard disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information UKHSA Hub , Civil Service Careers

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Timor Miakhel
• Email : timor.miakhel@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for further information: Home - Civil Service Commission

http://www.healthjobsuk.com/vacancy/7870044