Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Senior Fire Safety Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Corporate Safety
Business unit	Corporate Safety
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Head of Corporate Safety
Accountable to (line manager)	Head of Corporate Safety
Salary grade	K
JE ref	CORP032

1. Key purpose of job

To act as the “competent person” in accordance with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, in all matters of Fire Safety, providing prompt and competent advice at all levels to Torbay Council.
To ensure an effective Fire Safety Strategy is in place for Torbay Councils assets and undertakings.
To provide competent Fire Safety advice and overview at all levels of the organisation, effectively mitigating Fire Safety risks.
To ensure legal compliance with regards to Fire Safety for all Torbay Council’s activities.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

That Torbay Council’s Fire Safety risks are identified, recorded and mitigated, thereby protecting the safety of employees, contractors and service users.
That Torbay Council’s activities are undertaken in accordance with current Fire Safety legislation.
That Torbay Council’s Assets are effectively protected from fire safety risks.
That Fire Safety Management is effectively documented, risk assessed and managed across all Torbay Council assets, including maintained schools.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
To produce and maintain a Fire Safety Strategy for Torbay Council, clearly determining roles, responsibilities and duties for relevant employees and business units.
To undertake and manage a programme of effective fire risk assessments across the Torbay Council asset portfolio, clearly RAG rating all relevant risks and producing associated reports and proposing appropriate mitigation and remedial works necessary to address said risks.
To challenge and escalate fire safety concerns and poor practices with employees at all levels of the organisation as appropriate.
To produce fire safety documentation including evacuation plans, fire safety checklists and personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs), to ensure legal compliance with relevant regulation.
To manage and develop the Fire Safety element of the Assure H&S management system, to effectively manage Corporate Fire Safety Risks.
To ensure the delivery of an effective and documented programme of emergency evacuation drills, including the identification and resourcing of appropriate number of Fire Marshals.
To produce relevant Fire Safety policies on behalf of Torbay Council.
To provide competent advice on all matters of Fire Safety applicable to Torbay Council’s undertakings, including projects, developments and routine undertakings.
To report on a monthly basis, Fire Safety performance and outstanding risks to the Corporate H&S Manager as part of wider risk mitigation strategies.
To produce and deliver comprehensive and relevant training on matters fire safety to Torbay Council Staff including face to face and electronic solutions.
To provide and appraise options for the mitigation of Fire Risks including the application of creative solutions and the applications of new technologies at complex sites, including historic buildings.
To maintain a high level of fire safety knowledge through regular update training and research.
To inspect, audit and monitor Torbay Council’s compliance with Fire Safety matters, through spot checks, producing relevant reports, data and narrative to relevant managers and service users.
To assess the scope, quality and compliance of Fire Safety works undertaken by contractors across the Torbay Council estate.
To be a competent contact for Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue Service (DSFRS) for all matters relating to Fire Safety for Torbay Council.
To investigate all fire related incidents, including fires and false alarms to identify causation, and provide learning to relevant staff and service users from these events.
To provide regular reports with the Head of Corporate Safety, to SLT on organisational Fire Safety compliance and risk.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

None.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

Day to day supervision of the Fire Safety Officer post. This will include support, allocation of work and professional challenge.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

The undertaking of this post will necessitate working in unpleasant and difficult to access environments, as the post holder will need to access all areas of assets being fire assessed. Up to 10% of work time may be spent in these environments. This will include, roofs, loft spaces and where assessing accommodation for vulnerable individuals, may include drug paraphernalia and body fluids. A degree of the work will also be undertaken outside where the post holder may be exposed to inclement weather.

7. Physical demands of the post

Ability to climb ladders and enter restricted and confined spaces. This will involve bending, twisting, climbing and stooping over several hours when undertaking a fire safety inspection. Approximately 10% of working time.
Ability to carry access and personal protective equipment necessary to undertake the role including ladders, harnesses and hard hats.

8. Specific resources used by the post

Touch screen laptop and camera used during the inspection/risk assessment process to record findings.
Council shared vehicle for transportation to and from sites.
Ladders and personal protective equipment such as harnesses commensurate with the duties undertaken.

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS).
External contractors engaged with fire safety works or training.
SWISCo.
School and education providers.

Internal

All levels of employees within the Council, including Directors and Service Managers, Health and Safety Working Group, FM team, Risk Management and Emergency planning.
Housing Providers.

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
This post is office based at Torquay Town Hall but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Senior Fire Safety Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Corporate Services
Service	Corporate Safety
Business unit	Corporate Safety

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Demonstrable high-level policy and procedure writing skills.
Highly developed risk assessment and risk mitigation skills.
Excellent investigative, inspection and auditing skills.
Well developed assessment skills to enable the prompt and effective evaluation of proposed mitigations and works.
Effective use of a varying range of modes of communication including, email, telephone, formal and informal reports taking into account issues of confidentiality.
Comprehensive report writing and data generation skills.
Ability to embrace an increasingly wide knowledge base such as new technology, identifying implications and determining the impact on the workforce.
Attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records to provide accountability and deliverability.
Ability to plan programmes of work in advance and prioritise according to risk.
Ability to elicit information in a variety of formats to allow a robust assessment of risk.
Ability to use a range of different computer packages effectively.
To work as part of a team as well as on own initiative.
Delivering effective and successful training to varied internal and external audiences.
As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

Effective conflict management and conflict resolution skills.
Project management skills.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

Comprehensive knowledge of Electronic Fire/H&S Management systems and their application in the management of Fire Safey.
Sufficient knowledge to fulfil the role as subject matter expert for Fire Safety.
Extensive knowledge of Fire Risk Assessment, including the production of competent reports, accurate records and effective mitigation strategies.
Knowledge of current, draft and proposed legislation relating to Fire Safety as it applies to the corporate estate including residential properties.
Full understanding of the “competent person” role under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
In depth knowledge of the management of Fire Safety within a large and diverse organisation.
Detailed and in-depth knowledge of risk-based management of Fire, including the prioritisation, mitigation strategies and escalation processes.
Extensive knowledge in the application of British Standards applicable to Fire Safety.
Extensive knowledge of fire mechanics and building materials and the interactions between them.

Desirable knowledge

Contract Management.
Asset management and landlord/tenant responsibilities.
Workplace health and wellbeing.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Extensive experience of delivering High Level Fire Safety Management within a large or complex organisation.
Demonstrated delivery of effective fire risk assessment programmes.
Use of electronic systems in the management and prioritisation of risk.
Demonstrated production and delivery of effective training programmes.
Demonstrated success in leading and promoting a positive Fire Safety culture.
Provent ability to be creative, using innovative approaches to secure engagement and promote good practice and legal compliance.
Experience in persuading and influencing stakeholders to deliver Fire Safety.

Desirable experience and achievements

Experience of working within a similar public service environment.
Experience in motivating and engaging with staff.
Experience of engaging with contractors and other departments to deliver fire safety objectives.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Level 4 qualification in Fire Safety.
Extensive experience in the delivery Fire Safety Management delivery equivalent to a degree.
Relevant Fire Safety professional membership such as Institute of Fire Risk Managers.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

Diploma in Fire Engineering.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.