Health and public protection
Public Protection includes our Trading Standard, Consumer Protection, and Environmental Health teams, as well as Health Protection and Sexual Health Services.
Our functions Trading Standard, Consumer Protection, and Environmental Health teams provide a range of statutory functions aimed at:
- Protecting and promoting public health
- Protecting the food chain ensuring the hygiene, safety, and standards of food, animal feed and animal welfare are maintained
- Promoting occupational health and safety and consumer safety
- Protecting the rights and economic interests of consumers and in particular vulnerable residents
- Providing advice and guidance to local businesses, ensuring consistency of regulation, and supporting growth
- Protecting the environment and the communities in which we live and work.
The Public Protection service utilises an intelligence led approach, responding to complaints and requests for advice from residents and local businesses. It also undertakes proactive inspection programmes, market surveillance, monitoring and sampling to discharge statutory functions and ensure compliance with legal requirements and standards. Types of roles within this area are varied and many require a professional qualification such as Environmental Health Officers and our Consumer Protection Team who have roles such as Public Protection Officer – Trading Standards and Trading Standards Officer, all of these roles require a professional qualification and the team also offer apprenticeships and trainee positions which allow prospective employees to work towards the qualification.
The Health Protection team works across multiple partnerships to develop joint policies, plans and protocols to prevent and respond to public health threats, contributing to public safety. The team also works across the healthcare system to help maximise the uptake of screening and vaccination programmes in the city, promoting a healthier city.
Key aspects of the team’s work are to:
- Provide assurance that threats to health are being managed across responsible agencies.
- Lead on assurance for improving local screening and vaccination coverage.
- Contribute to proactive plans and governance arrangements to protect population health.
We actively seek to understand and challenge health inequalities in our population in our areas of work, supporting our vision for fairness. For example, we strive to reduce inequalities in uptake of vaccination and screening programmes, focusing on inclusion health groups who may experience more barriers or hesitancy.
Case Study “Community First: A vaccine success story from the Potteries” shortlisted in the “Community Involvement” category at the Local Government Chronicle (LCG) Awards.
The Sexual Health team works to improve the overall sexual and reproductive health outcomes of local residents. Through ensuring services are accessible to all those seeking information, advice and treatment for STIs, HIV and contraception. We do this by carry out analyses of the local need, engaging with residents and working with partners across the system to address and overcome gaps in service.
Health improvement and prevention
This division includes three teams:
Our Live Well team support and collaborate with partners to promote health and wellbeing focusing on helping people to live and age well. The team's priority work areas include:
- Improving mental health at a population level
- Commissioning NHS Health Checks
- Promoting healthy lifestyles and environments
The Insights, Knowledge, Performance and Research (IKPR) team is dedicated to ensuring activity and services across the PHPW directorate are evidence based and intelligence led. The team’s priority work areas include:
- · Producing Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and focussed deep-dive analysis across priorities
- · Working across the directorate to embed evaluation and research activities to support decision making
- · Linking with partners across the local health and social care system to effectively target inequalities and provide actionable insights
The Living Without Addictions team is dedicated to reducing inequalities and reducing harms from smoking, vaping, gambling, alcohol and drugs. The team’s priority work areas include:
- Working in a holistic way with partners to reduce inequalities and prevent harm
- Implementing the Smoke Free Stoke-on-Trent tobacco control strategy, the local Alcohol strategy and the National Drugs strategy, including supporting the ongoing development of services and pathways to achieve a whole-system approach
- Reducing gambling related harms, including conducting a needs assessment and developing a strategy
Children and families
This area of our directorate covers Children and Families, Health Inequalities, Domestic Abuse and Research Practitioner.
The Children and Families team works to protect and promote the health of children and families. We aim to improve outcomes, reduce health inequalities, support commissioned services, and encourage prevention. Our work includes partnering with agencies to reduce infant deaths and give every child the best start, focusing on smoking in pregnancy, breastfeeding, antenatal and postnatal care, perinatal mental health, and preconception health. We also support Family Hubs, family support programmes, and early help for children’s mental well-being. The team helps commission services like the 0–19 integrated service, vision screening, breastfeeding support, oral health, and mental well-being programmes, and delivers the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP).
Case Study
The team helped create young commissioners who work to influence services across the city. Their influence has helped to develop the city’s smoking strategy, contributed to staff recruitment, and provided vital feedback to improve emotional well-being services and tackle youth homelessness. This approach ensures that young voices are at the heart of decision-making, driving real change for children and young people in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Health Inequalities team sits within the Children’s, Families and Communities Division and works to reduce unfair differences in health and access to services across Stoke on Trent. Our aim is to help every resident live a healthier, longer life. We do this by supporting positive health behaviour change through the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach, implementing hate crime awareness training, and helping to build a health literate organisation where information is clear and easy to understand. We also promote a culturally aware workforce. Together, these efforts help the Council better understand and respect the city’s diverse communities.
Case Study
The team have implemented the use of the Health Equity Assessment Tool (HEAT) to make sure Council services are fair and accessible and have introduced a ‘Health in All Policies’ approach so that health is considered in every decision.
Our Research Practitioner works across all divisions of the Directorate, supporting research activity and helping ensure that decisions about service design and function are based on robust, high-quality evidence and valid data.
Wellbeing leisure, and bereavement care services
Join our Wellbeing and Leisure Services team and be part of something truly rewarding! We’re passionate about creating opportunities that improve lives, strengthen communities, and promote health and happiness across the city.
We operate four leisure centres offering a wide range of activities, including swimming lessons (for both individuals and schools), gymnastics classes, gym memberships, and community-based sports and wellbeing programmes. Beyond our core leisure services, the team also leads on:
- Delivering wellbeing interventions in areas such as smoking cessation and weight management
- Operating Staffordshire’s largest events space at Fenton Manor
- Embedding opportunities for everyone in Stoke-on-Trent to participate in physical activity, sport and play
Our team works closely with key partners across the city, and national partners including Sport England and National Governing Bodies, to ensure our vision and goals are delivered collaboratively and effectively.
Join our Bereavement Care Services team and make a real difference by supporting families during one of life’s most sensitive times. Our work is deeply meaningful, and we take pride in delivering a compassionate, high-quality service that meets the needs of all communities across the city. We ensure our services are respectful and professional to ensure loved ones are given the best possible goodbye.
Our work includes:
- Cremation services at Carmountside Crematorium
- Burial services, including same-day and short-notice arrangements
- Grounds maintenance across nine cemeteries across the city
- Memorial safety inspections and re-fix programmes at these sites, plus inspections in 23 closed churchyards
- Memorialisation sales to help families create lasting tributes
Join a team that makes a real difference to your community!
Featured roles
Active Wellbeing Programme Support Officer
- Salary: £26,403 - £28,598 (Subject To Review)
- Job Type: Full Time, Fixed Term
- Closing Date: 12/03/2026
We’re looking for passionate, skilled Health & Wellbeing Coaches to deliver high quality physical activity and behaviour change programmes that support residents to improve their health, confidence and long term wellbeing.
Click here to apply.
