Health, Safety and Fire Practitioner - HMP Wormwood Scrubs

This is a non-operational specialist role based within establishments and line managed via the Senior Health Safety and Fire HS&F Advisor within the National Service - Estates, Health, Safety, Litigation and Safety Group HSF&L Team. The role supports national plans and systems for the effective management of HSF and Litigation via the risk through the provision of first line advice and support for establishment(s) and by the co-ordination and operation of relevant establishment(s) administration and management systems in line with national policy. There are no line management responsibilities.

Summary

The post manages the day to delivery by liaising and coordinating health, safety and fire management in establishment(s), providing first line guidance and advice, training and support to key stakeholders including the SMT, staff, prisoners, contractors and visitors. Ensuring matters are investigated in a timely manner as per guidance. The job holder will undertake the role, having access to all work areas, plant and equipment within the establishment. The post holder will report to the Senior HS&F Advisor in the HSF&L Delivery Team. Support for other establishments in the geographical area or wider structure may be required in line with risk.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

• Responsible for the administration, management and assurance of all accident, assault, near miss and fire incidents. This involves investigating complex incidents, while collating sensitive information, obtaining CCTV/BWVC evidence and recording evidence finds on the Sphera system to support cases and advisory actions.
• The administration and management of the DSE training and assessment software system; undertaking individual DSE assessments for acute cases and advising Managers when ergonomic assessments are necessary in complex cases.
• Responsible for the Health safety and fire safety critical training and assessment to validation. Covering a range of software systems, strategies and policy principles to allow staff to deal safely with emergency incidents.
• Provide advice to managers, opening individual learning plans for those deemed to have a specific learning need and provide peer quality assurance.
• Support in the management, monitoring, review and delivery of the risk management model within the HSF&L Governance Strategy.
• To advise and support the senior management and governing governor of any dangerous conditions requiring immediate action and intervention.
• Offering significant impactful knowledge towards resolution of complex life critical services within health, safety and fire process assurance.
• Responsible for the production, review and monitoring of establishment FRA’s, identifying all significant risks and actions, reporting and managing to mitigate or eliminate the risk.
• Liaise regularly with the PSP (North/South/LT&HS) HSF&L team, to ensure that national priorities and actions for HS&F are fed into relevant establishment management forums and report through monthly stakeholder reports to highlight and progress concerns.
• Manage and co-ordinate fire safety arrangements within the establishment in line with legislation and policy, including cooperating and co-ordinating with internal/external management stakeholders, to plan and execute fire safety drills, familiarisation tours, tactical exercises and where required be the point of contact during any interruptions to key services, all in line with the establishments contingency plans.
• Frequent liaison with the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) to facilitate the implementation of the local establishment fire contingency plans in association with the FRS operational firefighting procedures.
• Work with colleagues and support all local functions in relation to Health, safety and fire compliance, supporting the monitoring of immunisations, referring RIDDOR incidents, attendance absence cases for RIDDOR, first aid assessment, RPE training to national requirements, arson and PEEP advisor measures in accordance with the governance strategy.
• Responsible for reviewing projects with senior stakeholders and management functions, including site visits and pre-start meetings. Providing technical Health, safety and fire advice and knowledge based on legal requirement, HMPPS Policy and technical instruction.
• Work collaboratively with MoJ Estates colleagues in the completion of high-risk audits, contribute to Estates tri-partite meetings, submit Planet FMs or New Work Requests and EIPs for all unsafe conditions that are identified and highlighted through the completion of BFRAs and any defects identified as part of establishment tours.
• Encourage all staff to actively report unsafe acts and conditions.
• To routinely monitor the adequacy of HSF&L Contingency Planning and to assist those responsible with the development and testing of HSF&L contingency plans, through memorandum of understanding MOU.
• Conduct frequent HSF tours to all areas of the establishment using a triangulated approach to inspect and verify compliance. Ensure that any areas of concern are reported effectively.
• Working with managers including Heads of Functions to ensure all staff are aware of the risk assessment process and associated SSOW, to ensure all risks are reviewed and managed as required and performing fire evacuation exercises.
• Assist the regional litigation teams in the identification/collation of relevant information and documentation, to assist in defending the service from legal challenge within complex sensitive cases to protect the public service and reduce litigation cost.
• Contribute to the completion of PHASE checklists in line with the HSF&L Governance strategy, through the evaluation of establishment risks.
• Support the SHSFA in the production of the HSF&L risk register, forward delivery plan and collation of RFI data. Support in the monitoring of actions and changes in risk levels.
• Responsible for ensuring all staff and stakeholders receive a health, safety and fire induction and are aware of the actions required in the event of an emergency.
• In conjunction with the SHSFA ensure attendance at establishment morning meetings, reporting any areas of concern and acting upon any reported incidents.
• Support in the production of incident, risk and compliance data for discussion at establishment HSF&L committee. Support in the coordination of the meeting in line with the requirements of the governance strategy.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Good IT skills ensuring that related electronic systems are accurately populated.
• Able user of MS Word and MS Excel.
• Basic training and presentation skills.
• Information collation and analysis.

Technical Requirements

The post holder is required to hold or complete within 2 years of appointment:

• a minimum of NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent;
• and the HMPPS Fire Risk Assessment qualification.

Appointees are also required to complete the RPE Training Qualification and will be expected to gain this qualification immediately on appointment. It is expected that post-holders will achieve Associate membership of IOSH within 2 years of appointment via successful completion of the NEBOSH Certificate or equivalent and subsequently achieve Technical Membership within 2 to 5 years subject to F/T status. It is expected that post holders will achieve Technician Grade of the Institute of Fire Engineers within 2 years of appointment via successful completion of the HMPPS Standard Fire Risk Assessors course and maintain 25 hours of continued professional development (CPD) per year, including a mix of formal and informal activities. The post holder will also be required to attain Engineering Technician (EngTech) grade through the Engineering Council and achieve a place on the Institution of Fire Engineers Fire Risk Assessors register.

Ability

• Able to deal effectively and assertively with staff at all levels.
• Able to work to tight deadlines and prioritise workload in line with demand.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff. The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service(HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period.

Season Ticket Advance

After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes. There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts. All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles. All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS. All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint.

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form.

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs.

For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: Redeployment Interview Scheme. Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'. MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

A sift based on the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving, may be held if a large number of applications are received. If a large number of applications remain after the initial sift, your application will be progressed to a full sift, where all behaviours will then be considered.

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates: To be confirmed

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Level of security checks required

DBS Standard

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified, applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.