Fire Safety Officer in Southampton

UHS Estates Ltd (UEL) is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us as part of the Fire Safety Compliance team. Please refer to the job description below for more information about the role and position.

Main duties of the job

Are you an experienced and highly motivated fire safety professional with a passion for fire safety compliance? We are seeking an experienced Fire Safety Officer to join our UEL, Estates, Facilities and Capital Development (EFCD) team. The Fire Safety Officer position is within the Compliance and Business team, supporting the Trust's Fire Safety Advisor. This is an excellent opportunity to play a key role in ensuring the safety of patients, staff, and visitors across the Trust.

The successful candidate will act as the Trust's specialist Fire Safety Officer on all fire safety matters, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and best practice within the industry. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team. You will be part of a supportive team who are committed to creating a safe environment for everyone across the Trust. We offer opportunities for professional development, flexible working, and the satisfaction of making a real difference to the safety and well-being of patients, visitors, and staff.

This is also a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on safety, compliance, and patient experience, while shaping safe working environments across the Trust. You will also receive full training, opportunities for development, and be part of a Compliance team that keeps the hospital running safely every single day.

Working for our organisation

UHS Estates Limited (UEL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). The company is responsible for the design and construction of new buildings, and the ongoing provision of services, including estates maintenance, soft facilities management and the management of equipment, consumables and materials, in support of one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England.

Employee Benefits:

• NHS terms of service and annual leave
• Access to an employee benefits platform offering discounts on groceries, high street shopping, family outings, holidays, and more

Southampton offers an excellent quality of life, located on the south coast with an international airport and direct train links to London. The area boasts the stunning New Forest National Park, beautiful beaches along the Jurassic Coast, and living costs around 20% lower than London. With 14 Ofsted-rated “Outstanding” schools, it’s a great place to live and work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

EFCD is a complex division that provides numerous services across the trust and is comprised of four key departments:

• Estates: The key role of the department is to service and repair all aspects of our modern healthcare facility.
• Facilities: The teams provide services to our entire site, including waste, portering, security, cleaning, and catering.
• Capital Projects: The team is employed to manage the design, construction and development of a new building or the major alteration and refurbishment of the existing estate.
• Compliance and Business: The compliance department's role is to ensure EFCD’s compliance with legislation, regulations, policy, and good practice.

The role involves undertaking/updating/managing fire risk assessments and supporting departmental managers to ensure that all resulting actions are completed, staff are trained in fire safety and evacuation procedures. To be able to give expert guidance on all matters relating to fire safety within the Trust to ensure compliance with Regulatory Reform Order 2005, Health & Safety Legislation, Building Regulations, and HTM Fire-Code.

To assist the Fire Safety Advisor in developing, implementing, evaluating, and reviewing the fire safety management strategy, policy, framework, procedures, training, and effective fire safety management practices throughout the Trust to deliver fire safety compliance. Must be self-motivated and able to work with a multi-disciplinary team of diverse professions. Be able to interpret complex construction and engineering services drawings, whether paper or computer format and provide viable and cost-effective solutions to complex building services. Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and be able to present in a training environment. Have a proactive approach to managing workloads with the flexibility and ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines. Have a high standard of IT skills, numerate, and IT literate (capable of producing own reports/documents/presentations, etc., as appropriate).

In this role, your key responsibilities will include:

• To assist the Trust Fire Safety Advisor, to organise, implement, co-ordinate and maintain full and efficient fire prevention, fire precautions and the training of staff in all premises managed by the Trust.
• To provide developed knowledge of fire safety across a range of work procedures and practices to support the Trust Fire Safety Advisor, other managers, and staff within the Trust, particularly the Estates, Facilities & Capital Development Department.
• In conjunction with the Fire Safety Advisor, carry out fire safety inspections and fire risk assessments on all Trust properties and those managed by the Trust.
• To assist the Fire Safety Advisor in providing fire safety advice to consultants and/or colleagues in respect of statutory fire safety in existing and new buildings, incorporating HTM 05 (Fire Code) and Building Regulations Part B requirements.
• To ensure all Trust staff have access to annual fire training and monitor the uptake of training to assist the Fire Safety Advisor with providing Fire safety compliance reports by division & department to the Director of Estates, Facilities and Capital Development and such groups as Compliance & Governance, Fire Leads and Health and Safety group meetings.
• Share responsibility for the delegated budget for fire safety, understand cost monitoring and control, be able to analyse final account information and prepare reports for audit purposes.

We are seeking someone with:

• A degree or industry equivalent of knowledge, experience and understanding within Fire safety.
• Membership of the Institute of Fire Engineering (IFE), IFSM, IFPO, NAHFO or industry equivalent.
• Comprehensive knowledge of current fire safety legislation and guidance, particularly within a healthcare or similar acute complex environment.
• Experience in conducting fire risk assessments and developing action plans.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to provide clear and authoritative advice, support, and instruction at all levels.

Person specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience:

• Degree level of qualification or equivalent level of knowledge with demonstrable vocational training or equivalent experience in relevant Fire Services.
• Hold relevant teaching/trainer qualification, or other appropriate experience.
• NEBOSH general certificate working towards a training qualification.
• Have highly specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of fire safety services, project management related disciplines, legal compliance in accordance with the various acts of parliament and local by-laws required under health & safety.
• Understanding and compliance with British Standards, Codes of Practise, the Building Regulations and all current relevant statutory regulations.
• Be able to interpret complex construction and engineering services drawings whether paper or computer format and provide viable and cost-effective solution to complex building services problems.
• Evidence of recent and ongoing CPD/learning.
• Have experience with working with HTM 05-03 Fire code.

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications. We will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.