Public Health Officer Healthy Weight

Team: Public Health

Job Family: Supporting – CBG8

Salary: £32,046 - £34,968 per annum pro rata

Hours: Full-time role - 37 hours per week

Base Location: You will be expected to attend a CBC office location as often as needed to carry out your role, which will usually be a minimum of once a week.

Contract Type: Hybrid (Permanent)

Closing Date: 1st November 2026

Interview Date: 9th November, 11th November or 12th November 2026

About the role:

Central Bedfordshire Council has several exciting opportunities for experienced and enthusiastic officers to work in the Choose You service, part of the Shared Public Health Service across Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.

As a Public Health Officer – Healthy Weight you will deliver our healthy weight offer, which includes adults’, children and families’, antenatal and postnatal programmes to improve outcomes for residents. Working under the Public Health Behaviour Change Practitioner you will be a key part of our behaviour change support service, Choose You.

This is an ideal opportunity for individuals who are passionate about public health, supporting healthy lifestyles and reducing health inequalities.

We want to hear from experienced applicants who are interested in helping us deliver a flexible offer to our residents. The work will include delivering in-person and on-line weight management programmes, some of which will be outside the normal working day – evenings and weekends.

Find your greatness by helping us to deliver better services to the local community.

Responsibilities will include:

• Delivering face to face and virtual weight management groups to residents across Bedford, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire
• Support daily tasks and decisions regarding service needs and delivery of healthy weight programmes.
• Use case management system to record attendance, metrics and outcomes.
• Effectively manage daily workload and time management.
• Follow policies and programmes to improve health outcomes of those engaging with the service and reduce health inequalities.
• Support service delivery and manage waiting lists, identifying any opportunities for development through feedback if current practice needs to be amended to improve the quality of the service.
• Ensure the delivery of Choose You interventions in line with principles of motivational interviewing, providing quality assurance of staff delivery.
• Develop and agree objectives with the Behaviour Change Practitioner for ongoing development.
• Communicate effectively with Behaviour Change Practitioner and Senior Management team.
• Provide accurate reporting to inform and support all aspects of service development.
• Support in building relationships with wider stakeholders to support the ongoing development and delivery of services.
• Collaborate effectively with the Health and Wellbeing Coaches, Client Services, and Behaviour Change Practitioners, to provide consistent practice and integrated service delivery.
• Work flexibly across the wider service, supporting areas outside of your usual role and taking on additional responsibilities as required to meet service needs and priorities.

Qualifications and Experience

We want to hear from you if you are passionate about improving outcomes, committed to enhancing service delivery and have:

• Demonstrable experience of successfully supporting and motivating individuals and groups to achieve outcomes.

• Degree-level education and/or relevant professional qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.

• Knowledge and experience of supporting the public through nutritional, motivational interviewing and healthy lifestyle interventions to achieve desired outcomes.
• Previous experience leading and co-ordinating groups for customer focussed services.

• Understanding of health inequalities and experience working with diverse populations, including ethnic minorities and individuals from deprived areas.

• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders, including service users, to support the service and drive improved outcomes for residents.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle as travel across Bedford, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire is required for this role, to deliver programmes in person.

Our Offer

We have a number of rewards and benefits available to our staff, to view these please visit our Rewards and Benefits page

Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer. We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.

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You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies in this Recruitment Pack.

Our Competency Framework and Qualification Guidance are to be read in conjunction with our Recruitment Pack.

If you are interested in finding out more about these positions, please contact: Andy at Andrew.Mason-Keaney@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or on 0800 013 0553.

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To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline.

Your application to us is a reflection of who you are professionally and should give us an accurate and authentic picture of your skills, experiences and if applicable qualifications. Before you submit your application, we will ask you to confirm if you have used AI.

All new starters will join us on a four‑month probationary period. During this time, if you are offered a Hybrid role you will be required to attend a Central Bedfordshire Council office location more frequently to support thorough and well‑supported onboarding into your role. Please keep this in mind if you anticipate extensive travel to Central Bedfordshire.

Please note we are unable to offer sponsorship for our roles. Successful applicants that may require a visa will need to consider the options for obtaining and/or maintaining the legal right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the contract offered.

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