Heath and Safety Lead - East

Hft; Bedford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health and safety organization in the UK seeks a Health & Safety Lead to ensure compliance and safety across care homes. The role involves conducting fire risk assessments, managing safety policies, and building relationships with care managers to embed safe practices. The candidate should possess a NEBOSH General Certificate and have a strong understanding of health and social care regulations. Benefits include a contributory pension scheme and access to extensive training and support resources.

Benefits

24/7 colleague counselling service

Discounts on brands through LifeWorks

Award-winning training and development

Contributory pension scheme

Free DBS check

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years' experience in fire risk assessments.
• Experience in specialised housing or residential care settings.
• Proficiency in health and safety systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead fire risk assessments in care homes.
• Conduct audits and inspections for compliance.
• Support ISO 45001 and CHAS accreditation.

Skills

Health & Safety leadership

Risk assessments

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent

Level 3 Fire Safety qualification

Tools

Microsoft applications

Job description

As our Health & Safety Lead for the East region, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring Hft remains a safe, compliant and thriving place to work. Reporting to the Head of Health, Safety and Risk, you will provide expert advice, undertake audits and assessments, and support continuous improvement across our services. You will lead on Type 1 and Type 2 fire risk assessments in Specialist Housing and Residential Care Homes, ensuring robust safety management and regulatory compliance. This is a fantastic role for someone who enjoys autonomy, problem‑solving, relationship‑building and making a tangible difference.

Key Responsibilities

Health & Safety Leadership

• Manage day‑to‑day notifications, risk assessments and advice within your region.
• Provide first‑line guidance on accidents and incidents, escalating significant events appropriately.
• Conduct accident / incident investigations to identify root causes and drive learning.
• Ensure statutory reporting of RIDDOR events.

Compliance & Assurance

• Complete scheduled Type 1 and Type 2 fire risk assessments and support organisational fire safety management.
• Undertake audits, inspections and assessments to ensure compliance with legislation and Hft policies.
• Monitor KPIs, trends and compliance data, providing insights to support organisational improvement.
• Support ISO 45001 and CHAS accreditation activity.

Collaboration & Relationship Management

• Work closely with Care and Support Managers to embed safe systems of work.
• Build strong, supportive relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Provide input at meetings to evidence health and safety compliance and improvement.

Operational Effectiveness

• Support legal evidence gathering for cases / claims when required.
• Participate in rapid support teams for high‑risk services.Identify opportunities to enhance safety processes, customer service and efficiency.

Professional Practice

• Provide guidance on food safety management.
• Maintain CPD, training and professional standards aligned with IOSH / IFSM / IFE requirements.
• Support Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Wellbeing initiatives.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have :

Essential

• NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent).
• Level 3 Fire Safety / Fire Risk Assessment qualification.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience completing Type 1 & Type 2 fire risk assessments.
• Experience conducting fire risk assessments in specialised housing or residential care settings.
• Experience carrying out audits and improvement work, balancing innovation with compliance.
• Strong understanding of health & social care safety regulations.
• Proficiency in H&S, fire risk assessment and risk management systems, plus Microsoft applications.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify trends and produce reports.
• Confident, adaptable communicator with the ability to build trust and embed safe practice.
• Ability to prioritise, plan and manage a dynamic workload independently.
• Willingness to travel across the West region (including overnight stays).

Desirable

• TechIOSH, or working toward Level 6 Diploma.
• Membership of IFE / IFSM or Fire Risk Assessor Register.
• Level 3 Supervising Food Safety qualification.
• DSE Assessor training.
• Experience within Care or Housing sectors.

Our Values

• Diverse – We champion equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Kind – Compassion is at the heart of our work.
• Positive – We find solutions and work together for progress.
• Visionary – We imagine and create the best life possible.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be part of a passionate, supportive team committed to improving lives. You’ll have room to grow professionally, influence improvements across your region, and make a real impact on the wellbeing of both staff and the people we support.

Benefits

• All Hft employees get access to the LifeWorks – the world’s biggest 24 / 7 colleague counselling and support service. It is completely free for all colleagues to use in complete confidence, whenever and however they want to access it.
• Access to a range of discounts on your favourite brands through LifeWorks.
• Access to award‑winning training and development – Hft is one of only four charities to have achieved the Skills for Care ‘Centre of Excellence’ provider status.
• A contributory pension scheme & life assurance.
• Free DBS check.

Apply today!