Job Vacancies - W&F
Cumbria has such a lot to offer. We're proud of our heritage and we're excited about our future.
We're creating a new council and are looking for the key people to help to develop and grow our brand-new local authority.
Following successful appointments to our Senior Leadership Team, including Chief Executive, we are now looking to recruit a talented, innovative, and inspirational professional to the post of Director of Public Health.
Join us in this vital role and you'll provide the leadership to drive improvements in the wellbeing of the residents of Westmorland and Furness, work to reduce inequalities in health outcomes, and protect local communities from threats to their health through infectious diseases, environmental and other public health hazards.
Councillor Patricia Bell, Deputy Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council and Portfolio holder for Adult Social Care, said:
"Public health is a critical focus for our new council. It is something that we want to see woven through all of the council's business as we seek to address significant divergence in health outcomes across different parts of Westmorland and Furness. Our new Director must have the passion and skill to drive this work, both internally and across our partnerships. It will be a challenging role, but it is an incredible opportunity to help shape our approach to public health from day one."
The Government has made the decision to create two brand new councils for Cumbria - Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. Westmorland and Furness Council will comprise of the area covered by Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland districts.
Key to this decision was the business case that committed us to:
- Put our customers and communities first, to be at the very heart of everything we do.
- Delivering better outcomes for our customers and communities, enhancing their life opportunities.
- Deliver excellent services and undertake transformation and change that will ensure services are better and more cost-effective in the future.
- Create organisations that are flexible and agile and enable us to respond to change and be more adaptable to our customer needs in the future.
- Create opportunities for our staff.
- Work in partnership to deliver better outcomes for all.
- Create more financially balanced and sustainable Council.
The role of the new council is to create the conditions for Cumbria's diverse people and places to thrive. Delivering lasting transformation that improves lives, and in that we have a proven and proud track record of achievement.
We will only be able to do this through the support of an effective management structure.
We now have a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity, to shape public services for the better - building on the best and transforming services for the future.
We want to:
- Look positively to the future and build on the best.
- Feel confident about the future.
- Embrace and understand that this change presents real opportunities.
Salary: £107,000 - £120,000
Apply online for Director of Public Health
For a confidential discussion about any of these exciting roles, please contact our consultants at Penna:
Nick Raper on 07715 690 463
Carol Coyle on 07500 887 849
Closing date: Midnight on Friday 10 March 2023
Final interviews: will take place week commencing 20 March 2023
Cumbria is a Centre of Nuclear Excellence: a world leader in nuclear waste and decommissioning, decarbonising heat, power, and transport, and driving clean growth as we head towards Net Zero by 2050. Through the Barrow shipyard we are also at the core of the UK's defence industries and nuclear deterrent.
Cumbria has significant assets for renewable energy including a large coastline and wide-open spaces which can support the UK's clean energy agenda and net zero ambitions, for instance through Offshore Wind Leasing.
Cumbria is home to a wealth of natural assets including the Lake District world heritage site, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, parts of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Cumbria Coast Marine Conservation Zone.
These cultural landscapes and their biodiversity supports tourism which brings over 47 million people and £3.1bn to the local and national economy every year.
Cumbria makes a significant contribution to national rural economy with the commitment to innovate and the use of new technologies to support food self-sufficiency and wider national agricultural policy.
Cumbria has good connections and a high quality of life so is well placed to benefit and grow from changes to working practices resulting from COVID-19.
Population: 225,400 persons; a decrease of 0.4% over the last decade. 15.6% of the population are aged 0-15 years (lower than the national average of 19.2%), while 26.3% of the population are aged over 65 years (higher than the national average of 18.5%).
By 2028 the population of Westmorland and Furness is projected to increase (+1.1% vs. England +5%) and become older; with numbers of 0-15 and 16-64 year olds projected to decrease by 5.5% and 3.5% respectively (England -1.6% and +2.7%), while numbers of people aged 65+ are set to increase by 15.5% (England +19.6%).
There are 114,000 jobs at workplaces in Westmorland and Furness.
The public administration, education and health sector accounts for the greatest proportion (24%), followed by wholesale and retail (18%), manufacturing (15%) and accommodation & food services (14%). The median annual household income in Westmorland and Furness is estimated to be £34,638; lower than the national average ( £37,436). The unemployment rate is below the national average (2.3% vs. 4.0%). 33.9% of residents in Westmorland and Furness are estimated to be qualified to level 4 or higher, below the national average (43.5%); this is in part due to the sector and occupational profile of employment in the area.
20% of residents in Westmorland and Furness report their day-to-day activities are limited because of an illness or disability, higher than the national average (18%). Public Health England (PHE) report that Westmorland and Furness has worse rates than the national average in relation to emergency hospital admissions for heart attack, hospital stays for self-harm and deaths from stroke. However, Westmorland and Furness performs better than the national average in relation to: hospital admissions for all causes; emergency hospital admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; incidence of cancer; deaths from all causes; deaths from cancer; deaths from circulatory disease in under 75s; deaths from respiratory diseases; and deaths from causes considered preventable in under 75s.
15% of children in Westmorland and Furness live in relative low-income families. While this is lower than the national average (18.7%), there are some wards where levels of child poverty are much higher than the national average; the proportion of children in relative low-income families is more than one and a half times the national average in the wards of Ravenstonedale, Central, Hindpool, Barrow Island and Warcop. 12 communities (LSOAs) in Westmorland and Furness fall within the 10% most deprived of areas in England; these communities are all located within Barrow-in-Furness. It is generally in these deprived areas that unemployment and crime rates are higher, while household incomes and educational attainment are lower and health outcomes can be poor. Inversely, Westmorland and Furness has six LSOAs that are classified as being in the 10% least deprived of LSOAs nationally; these LSOAs are all located in South Lakeland.