Community Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner

Integrated Care System; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community health service in Sheffield is seeking a Community Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner to enhance infection control practices in community settings. The role involves providing expert advice, promoting compliance with standards, and supporting community health initiatives. Applicants should have substantial experience in healthcare, excellent communication skills, and knowledge of infection prevention and control strategies.

Benefits

26 days of holiday increasing to 31 after five years

19% pension contribution

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in healthcare or health and safety.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Experience in developing and managing audits.

Responsibilities

• Provide IPC advice and support to community settings.
• Promote compliance with IPC standards.
• Contribute to IPC audits and policy development.

Skills

Infection prevention and control knowledge

Communication

Audit management

Data analysis

Team working

Job description

Community Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner

We have an exciting opportunity to join the newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service.

Sheffield is a large city with a diverse population and geography, over one-hundred care homes, supported living homes and Extra Care housing facilities, as well as a numberof early years, special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) schools, and temporary accommodation settings that support some of the most vulnerable residents of the city.

The newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service, which sits within the Public Health and Integrated Commissioning Directorate, aims to provide high quality, specialist IPC advice, support, local surveillance, and care to community-based settings such as these that provide health and social care services.

We are looking for those experienced in working with community health and care settings, and with knowledge of infection prevention and control, to join the Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) team. As a Practitioner you will contribute to the provision of all aspects of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan.

Main duties of the job

You'll support the team in promoting effective IPC practice and techniques to both staff and service users, with the aim of reducing the burden of avoidable infections, the transmission of infectious disease, and subsequent poor health outcomes across the community. You will help to foster a service that is flexible, convenient, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of the population.

Youll provide timely specialist IPC advice and support to community settings and commissioners. Youll also promote compliance with IPC standards using evidence-based and behavioural science approaches, and assist in developing local IPC strategies and best practice. You will contribute to IPC audits and help providers establish effective policies and procedures, and will support outbreak management as necessary.

You'll support the effective delivery of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan and assist in reducing preventable infections in CQC-registered care settings.

Youll support the development of policies and plans through partnership working and long-term planning, and contribute to population health surveillance and data analysis to inform strategies and services.

You will keep key Sheffield City Council teams and health protection stakeholders informed on IPC issues, service outcomes, and relevant data and engage diverse audiences, deliver training, and handle challenging conversations professionally.

About us

Asone of the largest employers in Sheffield, with over 7,000 employees, we aim torecruit and develop people who share our passion for Sheffield. If you work forus, you will be part of a team, which provides a huge range of services to our574,000 residents, businesses large and small, as well as to our many visitorsto the city.

Wework as one team for Sheffield to meet challenges head on and involve localpeople to improve our services and quality of life in our city. Our employeestalk about the pride they feel in making a difference, and in return for theirdedication and contribution, we offer a workplace where people feel supportedand can perform at their best.

Ifyou work for us, you'll have a wide range of employee benefits available toyou.

Full-time employees startwith 26 days of holiday, increasing to 31 days after five years, plus bankholidays. Part-time employees receive a pro-rated amount. Depending on yourrole, you may have the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave, temporarilyreduce your hours or take a career break.

We contribute 19% to yourpension pot. You can join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) orTeachers' Pension Scheme depending on your employment status.

We have a wide range offlexible working options. These vary depending on the job role. You are welcometo discuss options at interview.

Job responsibilities

We have an exciting opportunity to join the newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service.

Background

Sheffield is a large city with a diverse population and geography, over one-hundred care homes, supported living homes and Extra Care housing facilities, as well as a numberof early years, special educationalneeds and disabilities (SEND) schools, and temporary accommodation settings that support some of the most vulnerable residents of the city.

The newly established Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) service, which sits within the Public Health and Integrated Commissioning Directorate, aims to provide high quality, specialist IPC advice, support, local surveillance, and care to community-based settings such as these that provide health and social care services.

The role

We are looking for those experienced in working with community health and care settings, and with knowledge of infection prevention and control, to join the Community Infection Prevention & Control (CIPC) team. As a Practitioner you will contribute to the provision of all aspects of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan.

You will support the team in promoting effective IPC practice and techniques to both staff and service users, with the aim of reducing the burden of avoidable infections, the transmission of infectious disease, and subsequent poor health outcomes across the community. You will help to foster a service that is flexible, convenient, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of the population.

Key responsibilities

Service and Programme Delivery: Youll provide timely specialist IPC advice and support to community settings and commissioners, both proactively and reactively. Youll also promote compliance with IPC standards using evidence-based and behavioural science approaches, and assist in developing local IPC strategies and best practice. You will contribute to IPC audits and help providers establish effective policies and procedures, and will support outbreak management as necessary.

Performance Management: You will support the effective delivery of the Sheffield Community Infection Prevention & Control Delivery Plan, contribute to improving Public Health Outcomes Framework indicators, and assist in reducing preventable infections in CQC-registered care settings.

Planning: Youll support the development of policies and plans through partnership working and long-term planning, and contribute to population health surveillance and data analysis to inform strategies and services.

Stakeholder Management: You will build and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, commissioners, and health system partners to support collaborative working. You will keep key Sheffield City Council teams and health protection stakeholders informed on IPC issues, service outcomes, and relevant data. You will also use your strong communication skills to engage diverse audiences, deliver training, and handle challenging conversations professionally.

Representation: You will represent the service in relevant forums and communities of practice to support the operational delivery of IPC quality improvement. You will actively contribute to local, regional, and national discussions on antimicrobial resistance, ensuring the services interests and expertise are represented.

Skills and experience

We are looking for somebody who:

• Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
• Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
• Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
• Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
• Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.

There are many benefits to joining Sheffield City Council. The package includes one of the best pension schemes available as well as flexible working arrangements, and we offer generous annual leave entitlement.

Shortlisting will be based on the specific skills and experience requirements listed above.

Dates for interview will be: 9th or 10th September

Please contact Ruth Granger, Consultant in Public [e-mail] an informal discussion about the post.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and safety of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff to share this commitment. All successful candidates will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on ourSheff news page.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Experience

• We are looking for somebody who:
• - Has substantial experience in healthcare, social care, or health and safety, with strong knowledge of infection prevention and control.
• - Can communicate complex information clearly to a range of audiences, including through training, while building and maintaining positive working relationships.
• - Has experience developing and managing audits, including reporting, action planning, and follow-up.
• - Brings strong critical analysis skills to interpret and apply data, research, and guidance to practice.
• - Is committed to tackling health inequalities, team working, and continuous professional development.