Fire Safety Assurance Officer(Ref: 5957)

As part of your role, you will be expected to work at HMCTS sites across your region, with occasional travel to other locations in the country in line with business needs. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to confirm their preferred location prior to interviews. If successful, they will have the opportunity to discuss and finalise their HMCTS base location within their allocated region with their line manager during the onboarding process.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

As a Fire Safety Assurance Officer within HMCTS HQ, National Security and Safety Team, you will be a key player in providing competent professional fire safety services including audit and inspection work (advice and assurance) to senior duty holder roles across either the North or South of the UK. This role will proactively seek to reduce fire safety incidents through delivery of competent fire safety advice and by utilising wider behavioural skills (communication, stakeholder management, working with others) and core skills - leadership, management abilities to influence key stakeholders and embed an enhanced HMCTS’s fire safety culture. This will require engagement with stakeholders on technical policies and standards in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to ensure consistency of the new HMCTS Fire Safety Strategy 2024 – 2027 and MoJ Corporate Fire Safety Policy.

Your role as the Fire Safety Assurance Officer encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):

• To undertake an ongoing annual programme of HMCTS Fire Safety Management Audits and if required, occasional, PAS 79 Fire Risk Assessments and develop a full report on the findings with an accompanied Action Plan.
• Demonstrate leadership and tact to control and manage audit and assurance processes by offering effective communications with stakeholders throughout the process to ensure Safety and Security remains a priority in a demanding environment.
• To continually review the HMCTS Fire Safety Management Audit process and carrying out of targeted Level 2 assurance checks of Fire Safety Management performance.
• To develop and in collaboration with the HMCTS National Fire Safety Officer assist in the implementation of Action Plans and monitor their progress.
• To monitor corporate fire, security and health and safety policies, practices and systems and advise the HMCTS National Fire Safety Officer of any areas requiring change.

Essential:

• You will hold NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety or equivalent Level 4 fire safety certificate.
• Membership of the ‘Institution of Fire Engineers’ (IFE) and/or ‘Institute of Fire Safety Managers’ (IFSM).
• Evidence based and ongoing commitment to Fire Safety related Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills to be able to explain complex safety procedures clearly to an external audience in concise and accurate terms.
• Highly organised with proven experience of managing your own workload and diary, and the flexibility to travel within your region to attend sites as required.

Desirable:

• Experience of completing PAS 79 type Fire Safety Audits/Fire Safety Inspections.
• ISO 45001 accreditation would be an advantage.
• Previous experience of working in a senior Fire Safety audit/assurance or management role, delivering, and reporting on Fire Safety issues.
• Previous experience in engaging with senior managers and other senior stakeholders to develop and review policies and procedures and audit and assess the effectiveness of management arrangements, providing expert feedback and recommendations for improvement when necessary.
• Experience in line management as the role includes the management of a small team which will include managers and administrative staff.
• Full UK driving licence.

The reserve list for this campaign will be managed in accordance with your location preference/s, as indicated by shortlisted candidates prior to interviews. We will appoint in merit list order for each location outlined in the vacancy and hold a separate locational reserve list for each of these locations. After appointments have been made using this locational appointment process, any remaining candidates who met the benchmark for the role will remain on a locational reserve list in accordance with their preferences for 12 months. Please only indicate preferences where you are prepared to work. If you are subsequently offered a role from the reserve list for a location preference indicated in your application and decline it, you will be removed from the reserve list for the vacancy, across all locational preferences.

Please submit an anonymised CV and statement of suitability (up to 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for this role. Provide evidence of your capabilities highlighting your technical skills, knowledge and experience. Please ensure you cover both ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do it.

We aim to sift all assessment criteria as advertised at application stage. However, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift may be conducted on the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the CV will either progress to a full sift where the remaining criteria are assessed or progressed straight to interview/further assessments.

If successful at sift, you will be invited to attend a remote interview, via Microsoft Teams. During your interview, you will be assessed against Civil Service Success Profiles which will include:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

A 10-minute presentation on technical skills, demonstrating competence and how you maintain that competence with follow up questions from the panel, the full presentation brief will be sent to you prior to the interview. Strengths will also be assessed however these are not shared in advance.

We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family friendly and flexible working policies that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.