Public Health Improvement Officer - Gambling

All about the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead Peterborough City Council’s developing public health response to gambling-related harm.

Gambling-related harm can affect individuals, families and communities, contributing to mental ill-health, debt, housing insecurity, safeguarding concerns and wider health inequalities. We are establishing this dedicated role to bring partners together and develop a coordinated, evidence-based approach to prevention and early intervention across Peterborough.

You will lead the development and delivery of Peterborough’s Gambling Harm Prevention Strategy and action plan. Working across the Council and with NHS, voluntary and community sector partners, you will:

• coordinate local delivery of the national gambling harms prevention programme;
• lead the implementation of a local Gambling Harms Needs Assessment
• establish and support effective governance and partnership arrangements;
• strengthen and/or establish early identification, brief intervention, signposting and referral pathways;
• develop training a training programme for frontline staff and Councillors;
• commission or deliver prevention activity, including targeted initiatives for groups and communities at greater risk;
• embed gambling harm within wider work on mental health, suicide prevention, debt, housing, safeguarding, substance use, licensing and community safety; and
• evaluate progress and prepare clear reports and briefings for senior leaders, elected members and partners.

This is a strategic, system-facing role rather than a frontline treatment post. You will have the opportunity to shape an emerging area of public health practice and establish a sustainable approach that is informed by evidence, independent of gambling industry influence and grounded in the experiences of local people.

All about our Team

You will join the Public Health Wider Determinants team within Peterborough City Council.

We are a supportive and collaborative team working to improve the conditions that shape people’s health. Our work recognises that good health is influenced not only by health services, but also by housing, employment, income, poverty, transport, planning, the local environment, community safety and access to support.

The team leads Peterborough’s Health in All Policies approach, working across Council directorates and with local and regional partners to ensure that health, wellbeing and health inequalities are considered in policies, programmes, commissioning and service design. Our current work connects public health with healthy places, housing, poverty, employment, planning, transport and other wider determinants of health.

This role will be an important part of that wider agenda. You will work with colleagues across public health and build strong relationships with licensing, housing, community safety, debt support, safeguarding, children's services, adult social care, NHS organisations and the voluntary and community sector.

You will join a team that values evidence, partnership working, practical action and the meaningful involvement of residents. We encourage people to bring new ideas, make connections across organisational boundaries and help translate public health evidence into changes that improve lives.

All about You

We are looking for someone who can combine public health knowledge and approaches with excellent programme, partnership and communication skills.

You do not necessarily need to have worked in gambling harm. You may have developed relevant experience through public health, health improvement, mental health, community development, substance use, safeguarding, health inequalities, commissioning or another prevention-focused area.

You will bring:

• a good understanding of public health, prevention, early intervention, health inequalities and harm-reduction approaches;
• experience of leading or coordinating a programme involving a range of organisations and stakeholders;
• strong partnership-building, influencing and negotiation skills;
• the ability to turn evidence, data and lived-experience insight into practical recommendations and deliverable action plans;
• effective project-management skills;
• excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear briefings, reports and presentations for different audiences;
• confidence in facilitating meetings, workshops, training and collaborative discussions;
• a commitment to co-production, inclusive practice and ensuring that lived experience influences decisions;
• sensitivity when working with subjects involving stigma, financial difficulty, mental health and safeguarding; and
• a commitment to equality, confidentiality, safeguarding and the responsible handling of sensitive information.

Experience of local government, the NHS or the voluntary and community sector would be helpful. Most importantly, you will be curious, organised and collaborative, with the confidence to build a new programme and bring people together around a shared ambition to prevent harm.

Our Benefits
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme…

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

Our Commitments
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you've already applied and completed the recruitment process for this position within the last three months, there's no need to reapply. We really appreciate your interest and thank you for considering us.

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