Fire Safety Officer - #1777449

Job title: Fire Safety Officer

Salary: SO2 £36,124 - £37,938

Hours: 37 hours / week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Hub, Belle Isle Centre and various locations in Leeds.

Do you want to make a real difference and help drive fire safety improvements in a large organisation?

As one of our Corporate Fire Safety Officers you’ll thrive on helping achieve high standards of fire safety for Leeds City Council corporate buildings and activities, and helping to ensure that our staff, service users and the general public are kept as safe as possible.

You’ll be part of our Fire Prevention service within our Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire Team (HSWFT). Leeds City Council’s HSWFT is a fast paced, dynamic team who strive to ensure we meet our duties and responsibilities as the council’s “Competent People” every day and seek to continually improve.

We don’t believe it’s about a one size fits all approach or always black or white. It’s about being a critical thinker who can interpret legislation and guidance, understand the needs of our varied customers, and apply suitable solutions. It’s not just about ensuing compliance – it’s about ensuring that colleagues, managers, service users and members of the public are kept safe and understand the roles they have to play in this.

About You

As one of our Fire Safety Officers, you will bring to the role:

• Technical qualifications in the field of fire safety management, such as NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate or IFE course.
• Experience of working within a fire safety management field and carrying out / assessing Fire Risk Assessments in an asset management related service area .
• Knowledge and experience of building defects / construction, landlord’s responsibilities , and safe construction activities in relation to fire safety.
• Experience of developing and delivering fire safety related training.
• Experience of working jointly with staff and contractors from different teams/organisations in order to achieve common goals.
• A passion for fire prevention and continual service and personal improvement.
• Excellent communication skills using a variety of methods and with a variety of people.
  
  
  

About The Role

As one of our Fire Safety Officers you’ll be key to helping deliver our Fire Prevention strategy throughout Leeds City Council corporate estate and corporate activities. You’ll also be part of something bigger and join us in achieving the Best City Ambition, working together as a Team for Leeds.

The role will include:

• undertaking Fire Safety inspections and risk assessments to council assets in order to manage the corporate risk arising from fire safety,
• determining stock condition, defects and fire risk,
• identifying, diagnosing, and developing solutions to assist the overall asset management of LCC corporate and educational stock in line with legislation, internal policies and procedures,
• providing advice, training, and expertise to colleagues regarding fire safety and actions to take to improve fire safety, including producing specifications and schedules of work where required.
  
  
  

The role offers excellent opportunities to develop and widen your experience, skills and knowledge and make a real difference to the staff and people of Leeds.

We support over 24,000 staff (based in 5 Directorates and over 100 Leeds City Council schools) and have a traded service to over 150 other organisations. Our remit also covers protecting the people of Leeds who use over 500 different Leeds City Council services.

We are a caring and supportive Team, who want the best for and from our colleagues, and we are committed to developing each other to achieve the full potential of the Team and individuals within it.

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
  
  
  

How To Apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Ian Sopp [email protected]

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job Purpose:

To assist the Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire (HSWF) Leadership Team, Fire Engineer and HSW Business Partners deliver core elements of the HSWF strategy for LCC.

To undertake fire safety inspections and risk assessments to council assets in order to manage the corporate risk arising from fire safety, determine stock condition, defects and risk.

Appropriately identify, diagnose, and develop solutions to assist the overall asset management of the authorities corporate and educational stock in line with legislation, internal policies and procedures.

Provide advice, training, and expertise to colleagues upon actions to take to improve fire safety, and produce specifications and schedules of work where required.

Most importantly, this role fulfils that of one of the organisation’s ‘competent people’, pursuant to the statutory requirement to have access to professional and technical health and safety advice.

Responsibilities:

• Frontline delivery of the fire risk assessment programme and collection of asset related information in-line with council and departmental performance standards, values, policies and priorities.
• Produce clear and concise fire safety reports, risk assessments and guidance in a timely and accurate manner.
• Help improve and ensure compliance with fire safety legislation and good practice, through the provision of effective guidance, advice, training, monitoring and review.
• Help develop and deliver effective, high quality fire safety training.
• Help develop and maintain LCC Corporate Fire Safety Standards, guidance, risk assessments and documentation to ensure relevance, consistency and clarity.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of HSWF strategies for LCC and HSWF action plans within Directorates and services in order to achieve excellence.
• Take ownership for operational issues and for the outputs of all duties to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
• Communicate and influence appropriately and effectively with a range of stakeholders ensuring good working relationships are maintained.
• Deliver a high quality, value for money, customer focussed service.
• Manage all activities in compliance with legal, regulatory, contract and internal requirements.
• Be f lexible and adaptable to change and participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Continually seek to improve through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Liaise with union and non-union Safety Representatives and attend Safety Committees as required.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
  
  
  

Qualifications Technical Qualification in the field of fire safety management, such as NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate or IFE course.

Essential requirements: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

• Experience of working within a fire safety management field and carrying out / assessing Fire Risk Assessments in an asset management related service area.
• Knowledge and experience of building defects / construction, landlord’s responsibilities, and safe construction activities in relation to fire safety.
• Experience of developing and delivering fire safety related training.
• Experience of working jointly with staff and contractors from different teams/organisations in order to achieve common goals.
• A passion for fire prevention and continual service and personal improvement.
• Excellent communication skills using a variety of methods and with a variety of people and the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to plan and organise own workload in a busy environment .
• Ability to diagnose and develop timely and cost-effective solutions to operational and fire safety problems .
• Ability to assess building related hazards through a standard risk assessment procedure and prioritise follow on actions accordingly .
• Ability to produce clear and concise written communication including reports, assessments and guidance in a timely and accurate manner.
• Experience of using a range of IT packages including Microsoft applications. Able to develop to operational problems .
  
  
  

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
  
  
  

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Experience of working with online auditing systems.
• Health and Safety qualification to at least IOSH Managing Safely (or equivalent) level.
  
  
  

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