Each year, we offer a range of virtual and face-to-face events to strengthen links between DsPH and improve practice, including:
- Annual Conference
- DPH Workshop and AGM
- Associate Workshop
- New DsPH Workshop
- ADPH/LGA Conference
If you know any potential sponsors who might be interested in supporting any of our events, please contact us.
What
Our mentoring scheme is an excellent development opportunity for both mentors and mentees, and matching members with more experienced colleagues. We support the following mentor arrangements:
- Associate members mentored by new DsPH
- new DsPH mentored by experienced DsPH
- experienced DsPH mentored by Alumni
Mentees
“It has been a crucial part of my professional development over the past 12 months.”
Currently Full and Associate members are eligible to become mentees. They will be matched with experienced DsPH who will provide structured but informal support over the course of a year. Mentors offer a range of support to mentees, including:
- impartial advice and encouragement.
- help with solving short to medium term challenges.
- support with self-reflection on practice.
- honing problem solving, leadership and communication skills.
Mentors
“It’s nice to see someone leaving the room taller.”
Full members with over 18 months’ experience provide support to Associate Members, whilst those with over three years’ experience guide DsPH who are new to the role. Mentors are given full training and receive support from our Mentor Facilitator through peer-to-peer sessions, providing ongoing learning and reflection with fellow mentors. Mentoring is mutually beneficial, allowing Mentors to:
- reflect on their own practice.
- build on their leadership skills.
- gain new perspectives and compare challenges.
- develop the next generation of DsPH.
Each mentee will be matched with a fully trained mentor who can offer:
- A confidential space to explore ideas or dilemmas.
- A fresh, external perspective from outside your region or network
- An opportunity to bounce ideas, gain clarity in your thinking, or simply reflect.
- Dedicated time for structured conversations that support your personal and professional development.
We encourage all DsPH to sign up – particularly Experienced DsPH as mentees and New DsPH as mentors.
Please contact us for more information.
We now offer DsPH who are either new or returning to the role in the past two years, the opportunity to be involved in a peer group. Each group is supported by a dedicated group chat on our members’ platform, WeDPH, which can be used to ask questions, share information, papers, or engage in general discussions and debate about the role, and the challenges and rewards that come with being a DPH.
Each group is also invited to quarterly meetings for the first year after the New DsPH Workshop, which provides the opportunity to gather and discuss key concerns while being supported by experienced DsPH. The aim of these regular meetings is also to provide a platform for this support network to form and strengthen – an invaluable resource throughout a DPH’s career.
Please contact us for more information.
Action Learning Sets (ALS) foster continuing learning and reflection among peers, addressing real-work challenges, and encouraging action in everyday practice. Based on the very successful model used at the Aspiring Directors Programme, this ALS group will discuss each participant’s concern in turn, with others reflecting and providing recommendations. The scheme aims to:
- Create a platform for DsPH to develop their roles through action learning.
- Help members improve their work practices while dealing with operational pressures through reflection and peer discussion.
Following a successful pilot, we have just finished recruitment for our second cohort and look forward to hosting more sets in the future.
Please contact us for more information.
In addition to our Policy Advisory Groups, we facilitate thematic network groups through our private members’ platform, WeDPH. These currently include:
- core cities
- housing
- rural areas
- S114/Intervention
- Islands approaches to public health
- two-tier councils
- a refugee and asylum seeker task and finish group
Members can initiate new groups by contacting us.
DsPH in England have a statutory duty to write a Public Health Annual Report (PHAR), aimed at lay audiences, to demonstrate the state of health within their communities. Many DsPH in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the dependant territories also write PHARs.
The PHARs are an opportunity to communicate key messages about the health of their communities and showcase their work to a wider audience. They also help support fellow professionals by sharing lessons learned and good practice.
Each year, we recognise exceptional PHARs at our Annual Report Celebration. After reviewing the reports, our Chief Executive, Nicola Close, then selects the best few publications based on:
- innovation
- relevant and challenging content
- readability and accessibility
- examples of good practice that stand out
Please note that we are no longer operating a submission window for annual reports, instead, we welcome them to be sent to us at any time during the year so that we can read them as they are published.
All reports received will be automatically accepted as a submission to the ext ARC. If you do not wish for your report to be reviewed for the ARC, please let us know
Read previous shortlists.
Our weekly newsletter, BriePH, keeps members updated with ADPH activity, highlights from our private members’ platform WeDPH, and news, including the impact of our work, resources we’ve produced, and opportunities to get involved with ADPH and other organisations’ work. BriePH also features publications, resources, and updates from key external public health organisations.
Additionally, BriePH contains a vacancies section for roles that might be relevant to our membership. Please contact us for more information about placing an advert.
