Healthy School Neighbourhoods Project Officer

Overview

Interested in community‑centred public health and place‑based improvement?

Do you enjoy working with residents, schools and partners to deliver real change?

Buckinghamshire Council is recruiting a Healthy School Neighbourhoods (HSN) Project Officer to support the delivery of an innovative programme designed to improve children’s health and wellbeing through improvements to the neighbourhoods around schools.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a high‑profile public health programme that works directly with communities, schools, and partners to shape safer, healthier and more connected environments for children and families.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is an ambitious and high‑performing organisation where public health is embedded in our core business. While the county performs well overall, some communities experience significant inequalities and environmental challenges that affect children’s health and future outcomes.

The Healthy School Neighbourhoods approach brings together schools, residents, council services and local partners to address these wider determinants of health through targeted neighbourhood improvements.

About the role

Working as part of the Public Health team and reporting to the HSN Programme Lead, you will:

• Support the development, delivery and monitoring of the Healthy School Neighbourhoods programme.
• Use population health data, local intelligence and stakeholder insight to shape project activity.
• Build strong working relationships with schools, council teams (including Transport, Planning, Education), health partners, and the VCSE sector.
• Coordinate neighbourhood engagement, workshops, meetings and events.
• Prepare reports, recommendations and briefings for colleagues, stakeholders and senior managers.
• Support project planning, risk management, procurement processes and supplier coordination.
• Track progress using project management tools and ensure delivery milestones are met.
• Contribute to the annual programme evaluation and ongoing development of the HSN model.
• Represent the programme at meetings, present to various audiences, and help promote good practice in place‑based health improvement.

This role is ideal for someone passionate about improving the wider determinants of health, confident working with multiple partners, and motivated by practical community‑based public health work.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will bring:

• Experience in public health or a related field, ideally in local government, NHS or the voluntary and community sector.
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health or healthy placemaking.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to engage and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Confidence analysing information and contributing to the development of local recommendations and reports.
• Competence using Microsoft Office applications and digital tools.
• A degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• A full driving licence.

What we offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Opportunities for professional development in place‑based public health, community engagement and behavioural change.
• The chance to contribute to a growing and innovative programme with significant impact for Buckinghamshire’s communities.

Please see the job summary attached for further information about the role.

Other information

To discuss the role, please contact: Frances Mason, Public Health Principal at [email protected] or Stephen Pinel, Public Health Principal at [email protected]

All applications will be assessed against the essential criteria for knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications as outlined in the Job Summary. Applicants are therefore strongly advised to review these criteria carefully before submitting any application. If submitted, please ensure the supporting information demonstrates how you meet each requirement.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 12^th April
Interviews: Wednesday 29^th April, in person

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining us, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

We know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/