Public Health Knowledge and Evidence Specialist / Local Authority Knowledge Officer

Key aspects of the role

Synthesising evidence and knowledge to inform commissioning, policy and service design decisions
Working alongside researchers and analysts, summarising reports and disseminating complex public health information and issues to the wider public health workforce
Providing subject specific current awareness information to a wide range of organisations and individuals including, public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
Devising and delivering information skills training so public health teams can access information and use library resources effectively
Managing and developing print and online resources and websites to promote health and wellbeing information

Skills and knowledge

You may require a high level of knowledge and skills in the following CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) sections to work within this role:

Ethics and Values. Underpinning healthcare ethics and values by providing the best available evidence at the right time, in the right place, to inform decision-making and enable better outcomes for patients and populations.

Professional development.  Reflecting on practice and being self-aware about performance.

Organistional and environmental context.  Developing an awareness of new initiatives, programmes and services that are emerging in the organisation.

Wider library, data, information and knowledge sector context.  Networking across the healthcare economy, both information providers, data analysts and health informaticists, to support shared learning and joint working

Collection management and development. Understanding and catering to the breadth of actual and potential user groups.

Data Management.  Identifying and harnessing data’s value in strategic planning and business decisions, using an evidence-based approach to health knowledge service development and policy.

Information exploitation and use.  Delivery of information through routes such as alerts, current awareness, enquiries and literature searches, including saving the time of users by providing time-saving services such as synthesis and summaries of evidence.

Information management. Advising the organisation on the opportunity to improve information management.

Knowledge management.  Helping teams to share and use lessons learned, and to articulate tacit knowledge including personal insights.

Literacies and learning. Tailoring training for different audiences and adapting the offer for different learning styles.

Research.  Helping users to find, appraise and apply research in practice.

Customer focus. Service design and marketing. Maintaining awareness of the unique user profiles of different groups, using metrics, data and feedback to shape service and delivery.

Leadership, advocacy, influencing and personal effectiveness. Demonstrating self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Understanding preferred styles of working to inform interactions with others in order to build strong networks and develop partnerships.

Technology and communication. Reading and synthesizing texts which use specialist healthcare language and applying knowledge of appropriate terminology when searching for evidence.

Further information about the CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base

60 seconds with…Rebecca Väänänen, Public Health Resource Centre Manager

In a sentence what does your job entail? Managing the Public Health Resource Centre (a specialist library for professionals based within Leeds City Council) and I make sure we have evidence-based stock and training available to all members of the service along with managing the staff who work here.

Tell us about your proudest achievement at work? Getting a member of staff onto a funded placement to do their library qualification and seeing them move into a qualified librarian post. I know I lost them but seeing them move on with their career was a highlight for me.

Are there things that you do in your job that would surprise others? We stock a variety of different interactive health models in the PHRC, you end up talking about certain body parts very openly and all embarrassments leave you

What is your top career tip? Be flexible and resilient to change as you never know what opportunities are round the corner.

How do you see your role changing over the next couple of years? I think the pandemic has already changed the PHRC to offer more digital services, I can only see this developing in the future.

What is the most challenging thing you have dealt with at work? Staffing has the been most challenging thing I have dealt with. Having patience and being able to have those tough conversations when required are important.

Have you got any hidden talents? I enjoy crafting, I’ve made pottery, jewellery and I enjoy cross stitching and sewing – I’ve just finished my first set of curtains.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy working with the stock the most – looking for new things to purchase and getting them on the shelves for people to borrow.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your role? I love the variety of the role and how every day is quite different.

Managing the Public Health Resource Centre (a specialist library for professionals based within Leeds City Council) and I make sure we have evidence-based stock and training available to all members of the service along with managing the staff who work here.