29028 - Health and Safety Coordinator

Overview

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is responsible for registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection.

We are looking for someone to join OPG Health and Safety Team, preferably with some experience co-ordinating health and safety activities to ensure the organisation is compliant with Health and Safety legislation and act as a point of contact for all Health and Safety matters.

The OPG Health and Safety Team works collaboratively across all business areas. This will consist of working to ensure all employees are aware of their responsibilities, to provide advice and assistance where required and sign-post employees to relevant information. The successful candidate will also be expected to develop their knowledge of disability issues and how these affect staff in the workplace.

The successful candidate will deliver provision for and embed Display Screen Equipment (DSE), First Aid and Fire Safety compliance within OPG, acting as lead and engaging with appointed personnel which includes facilitating regular meetings.

The successful candidate will be based in Birmingham, but must be prepared to travel to our OPG Nottingham site and occasionally to London.

Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities –

• Coordinate OPG’s Health and Safety activities, working proactively with the Facilities Management team and other business areas to ensure the organisation is compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 as well as other legislative and departmental health and safety responsibilities.
• Act as a point of contact for all Health and Safety matters, and escalating any issues to the Estates and Health and Safety Manager that require further resolution.
• Support the Estates and Health and Safety Manager regarding policy, planning and performance with health and safety compliance consistent with HSE Managing for Health and Safety (HSG65) and MoJ policy.
• Support the Estates and Health and Safety Manager in providing policy advice on all matters relating to H&S within OPG and liaising with the Estates and Health and Safety Manager as appropriate.  
• Manage a best practice needs-based approach in the procurement of H&S equipment assessing value for money procurement.
• Raise and maintain the profile of health and safety across OPG, demonstrating best practice in all undertakings.
• Manage the Health and Safety Administration Officers ensuring they are equiped with the skills and capabilities required to support the OPG Health and Safety team to deliver against its key objectives. Provide on-going coaching and development to fully support delivery of all health and safety functions.      
• Ensure safe systems of work are in place in line with health and safety legislation and OPG health and safety procedures, monitoring compliance with health and safety requirements and taking remedial action to improve performance when necessary.
• Act as a point of contact for all Health and Safety volunteers, providing advice and guidance, arranging quarterly meetings and liaising with the Estates and Health and Safety Manager when additional training is required to fill gaps in cover.
• Build knowledge and understanding of disability issues and how such affect staff in the workplace. Provide support on application/scope of reasonable adjustments and signposting staff or line manager to guidance and external agencies.
• Conduct investigations into accident or incident as required, promoting incident reporting and preventative measures/behaviours.

Skills & Qualifications

Essential

• Proficiency in both written and oral communication.
• The role holder will need to be able to develop themselves and identify solutions to problems including what training they will need to improve.

Highly Desirable

• The role holder will preferably have some experience in co-ordinating Health and Safety activities to ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.
• Experience conducting risk assessments and developing safe systems of work.
• IOSH Managing Safely qualification.
• Experience of using Microsoft computer packages, i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook.

Application process

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Strengths.

Candidates will be expected to provide, at the application stage, a CV (2 pages of A4 maximum) plus two examples of no more than 250 words each for the following behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Strengths based analysis

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview. This will be a Success Profiles interview where you will be tested with strength-based questions on the following behaviours:

Making Effective Decisions

Take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner. Analyse and research further information to support decisions. Talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed. Explain how decisions have been reached in a clear and concise way, both verbally and in writing. Demonstrate the consideration of all options, costs, risks and wider implications, including the diverse needs of end users and any accessibility requirements.

Delivering at Pace

Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging.

Salary, Working Arrangements & Benefits -

Annual Leave

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Support

OPG offers a range of development opportunities, health and wellbeing initiatives and diversity and inclusion promotion. We signed up to the ‘Time to Change’ pledge which supports mental health in the workplace, achieving a gold award from the charity MIND for being the best organization in government at supporting staff with their mental health. OPG has also been awarded a health and wellbeing charter accreditation as we are committed to developing a supportive and inclusive environment that reflects the diverse community we serve.

We also offer:

• Access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice arrangements for childcare vouchers, travel permits, bicycles and voluntary benefits such as retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
• Free access to an Employee Assistance Programme which provides legal advice, counselling, mediation services.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. We are currently going through a period of organisational change, with an ambitious plan over the next few years to embed smarter working in our offices which may include home working in the future.

Our Birmingham office is located centrally within walking distance to Birmingham New Street and Snow Hill train stations as well as the Mailbox and Broad Street.