Fire Safety Advisor

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Sidcup; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 7 Fire Safety Advisor to provide specialist fire safety advice across hospitals, community sites and other Trust premises in the South of England. The role covers risk assessments, evacuation planning, fire drills and training, with travel between sites and flexible working as required.

The post holder will ensure compliance with fire safety legislation, HTMs and Building Regulations, producing reports and maintaining records for assurance and

Qualifications

• Experience in conducting fire risk assessments across complex premises.
• Strong knowledge of fire safety legislation and HTMs/BS guidance.
• Ability to plan, deliver and evaluate fire safety training programmes.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive fire risk assessments for Trust sites.
• Deliver fire safety training and run drills across facilities.
• Maintain records, statistics and reporting for safety committees.
• Investigate fire incidents and analyse trends for improvement.
• Liaise with staff and management on fire safety matters.

Skills

Fire safety

Regulatory compliance

Training delivery

Education

Fire safety degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are seeking a Fire Safety Advisor to join the Estates & Facilities Directorate & support the delivery of a safe, compliant & well-managed estate across the Trust. This role will provide specialist fire safety advice across a diverse property portfolio, including hospitals, community sites, secure services, children’s settings, offices & prison healthcare environments.

The post holder will play an important role in helping the Trust meet its statutory fire safety duties & protect patients, staff, visitors & service users from fire-related risks. Key responsibilities include carrying out & maintaining fire risk assessments, supporting local fire procedures & evacuation plans, investigating fire incidents & alarm activations, delivering fire safety training, contributing to fire drills & exercises& providing assurance through clear records, trend analysis & reporting.

The role will suit a confident & knowledgeable fire safety professional who can work independently, communicate clearly with clinical & non-clinical teams& provide practical advice on fire precautions, evacuation arrangements, building works & Trust policies. The successful candidate will need strong understanding of fire safety legislation, healthcare fire safety guidance & relevant technical standards, together with the ability to travel across Trust sites & work flexibly when required.

Important Sponsorship Information: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

The Band 7 Fire Safety Advisor will deliver the provision of a comprehensive and effective fire safety service across all properties owned or operated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities are set out below and in the attached Job Description.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We Listen
• We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ensure there is compliance with all regulatory provisions regarding fire safety in all Trust owned or operated properties.

Conduct a program of fire risk assessments in all Trust occupied premises, working to the standards in Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Health Technical Memorandums (HTM’s), Building Regulations, British Standards and other relevant documentation, to ensure the Trust and its buildings comply with current fire legislation.

Undertaking overarching fire risk assessments in complex hospital buildings, to ensure efficacy of shared arrangements, horizontal evacuation and compartmentation, taking into consideration the profile of occupants.

Ensure all wards, departments and units have local plans in place detailing the actions to be taken in case of fire. Ensure these are reviewed regularly and their contents understood by staff.

Conduct a comprehensive program of fire drills across all Trust occupied premises, including where necessary outside of core hours to ensure all staff are prepared.

Maintain suitable clear structured records of all risk assessments, evacuation plans, fire drills and training are kept and accessible; this includes analysis of same when required.

Produce and maintain structured electronic records of reports, assessments, drills and fire safety and emergency planning training programmes to meet the needs of the Trust.

Compile end of month and annual fire safety statistics, analyse and produce reports to inform Head of Estate Development and the Health & Safety Committee.

Investigate all incidents of fires and fire alarm actuations. Monitor and Analyse trends and patterns to assist the Trust in learning from fire related incidents.

To maintain an up to date resource base of legislation, codes of practice and other relevant literature. To make the resource readily available to other Estates and Facilities staff.

Conduct fire safety audits when required, including on contractors operating on our premises.

Formulate and deliver a suitable program of fire safety training to a workforce of approximately 4500 staff. Methods to include e-learning, remote training using Microsoft Teams, and face to face training methods as appropriate; include specialist methods where appropriate such as the use of a fire training simulator used in conjunction with fire extinguisher training, and the use of Evac-Chair and other associated evacuation equipment.

Review with the Head of Safety and Compliance the Trust fire related policies and procedures, updating where appropriate, and communicating to Trust employees.

Support and advise the Head of Safety and Compliance in the production of an annual report to be provided to the Trust Board, by providing detail of the achieved standard of fire safety across all Trust premises.

Advising and liaising with staff and management at all levels regarding fire safety matters.

Plan, organise, conduct and report on emergency planning exercises of all types, with an emphasis on fire scenarios, but potentially also covering other emergency planning risk and threat areas. This includes regular communications test exercises, through to live-play exercises with inter-agency involvement i.e. emergency services, other Trusts, Local Health Resilience Forums, Borough Resilience Forums, and other Category 1 & 2 Responders.

As required provide a fire advisory service to the Estates and Facilities department on new and refurbished Trust building schemes.

Liaise and work with other members of the Health and Safety Team to achieve the Trust's health, safety, fire, emergency planning and security objectives.

Maintain an awareness of changes in fire safety legislation and guidance to ensure the Trust meets its fire safety obligations.

Participate in Local Health Resilience Forums; Borough Resilience Forums and Regional EPRR Meetings, representing the Trust on fire safety matters.

Management responsibilities

This is a non-clinical role.

The post holder is expected to contribute to the review and development of policy and procedural documentation within fire safety and emergency planning exercising activity. (Trust Fire Policy, Fire Safety Protocols and other fire procedural documents).

The post holder has no budget responsibility

The post holder will be responsible for purchasing relevant required equipment to meet needs of compliancy regarding Fire Risk Assessments.

The post holder will be responsible for determining the most suitable suppliers for procuring fire safety equipment in line with requirements from RRFSO & Firecode Series 5.

The post holder has no line management responsibilities

The post holder will conduct a compliant program of fire risk assessments and reviews in all Trust occupied premises.

The post holder is expected to manage his/her own workload under the line management of the Head of Estate Development.

The post holder will be responsible for the initial organising and prioritising their schedule of work, and annual work plan, in order to complete the annual fire risk assessment , fire drill and inspection programme.

Be expected to produce and deliver a fire safety training programme to all staff groups, in order that the Trust comply with Firecode; the types and frequencies will be determined by a training needs analysis.

Leadership

Accountable to the Head of Estate Development

Accountability for the completion of fire risk assessments, fire drills, and fire training, including statistical analysis and reports thereof.

Advising and influencing on all fire safety matters and supporting and advising departmental managers to discharge their duties.

Advising managers on the implementation of all fire safety legislation and codes of practice.

Designing and delivering training courses for staff on fire safety.

Research

Required to interpret obligations as directed under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Health Technical Memorandums (HTMs) – Firecode 05-Series, Health Building Notes (HBNs), and British/EU/ISO Standards relating to fire safety.

Undertake surveys, and report on the impact of changes in legislation and official guidance regarding fire related matters. Advise on remedial action required to achieve an acceptable standard and make recommendations on the priority of improvement schemes for funding.

Communication

Effective verbal communication skills, including patience and a willingness to listen. Ability to converse productively with staff, managers and specialists.

Proficient negotiating and influencing skills.

Adept written communication skills, including structured report writing and training packages.

Ability to build and maintain constructive relationships with professional and managerial disciplines.

Provide effective teaching and coaching in all issues involving fire safety, including strategy and evacuation procedures, to individuals and groups.

Maintain a close working relationship with the local Fire and Rescue Service.

To facilitate mutual knowledge and understanding of their respective requirements and obligations.

Manage internal and external fire safety enquiries requiring advice; referring to specialists, such as the appointed Authorised Engineer (AE) where necessary.

On Call/Unsocial Hours

Post requires occasional out of hours working to undertake selected fire drills and training to in-patient wards. Approximately twelve evenings a year.

Post also requires occasional weekend working to conduct exercises and emergency planning activity. Approximately two days a year.

Person specification

• Fire engineering/ Engineering science, or fire /fire safety degree; or extensive experience and knowledge in fire safety. Certificate in training practice or extensive experience of preparing and delivering training.
• Membership of a professional organisation (e.g. the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or the institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO).
• Experience and knowledge of undertaking fire risk assessments.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to improve standards.
• In-depth knowledge of Firecode, Health Building Notes, and Building Regulations Approved Document B (fire safety)
• In-depth Knowledge of: Fire safety
• In-depth Knowledge of: Fire risk management
• In-depth Knowledge of: Fire legislation and codes of practice
• Fire safety training
• Ability to undertake fire safety audits, including in complex health care premises.
• General computer literacy skills, including ability to proficiently use Microsoft Office Applications. Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Setting up portable fire simulator trainer weighing approx 20kg. Occasional working for long periods in conditions that require good mobility to access certain work environments such as roof plant rooms and basement ducts.
• Occasional moderate physical effort required as duties dictate. e.g. demonstrating the use of evacuation equipment, moving of moderately heavy equipment such as extinguishers etc. Ability to remain focused in periods where there are frequent interruptions via email & telephone, and the constant requirement to reprioritise workload at short notice.
• The post holder will be required to exercise concerted mental effort when interpreting fire legislation and Firecode, report, training, policy and procedure writing.
• Ability to balance competing priorities in order to meet deadlines.
• Frequent requirement to sit at a computer and write up assessments, reports and action plans.
• Occasional requirement to work outdoors. Example; using the fire simulator to deliver fire extinguisher training.
• Occasional exposure to unpleasant working conditions when performing site surveys and risk assessments in wards, boiler houses, ducts, and service access areas.
• Able to work flexibly to meet the demands of various staff groups. This occasionally includes working during evening and weekends to deliver training etc.
• Hold a current driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business purposes.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

If you have declared you are part of the armed forces community, you may be asked to provide evidence during the recruitment process. If you misrepresent this information, your offer may be withdrawn. For Armed Forces specific support, see our webpage: https://oxleas.nhs.uk/armed-forces-community/

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high volume of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.