24952 - Senior National Fire Safety Advisor
Overview of the job
This is a functional and project based management role within a National HSF team. This role requires specialist knowledge to an expert level and an exceptional level of competence in all aspects of fire safety including fire engineering.
The post holder is line managed by the HMPPS National Lead - Fire Safety who reports to the HMPPS Head of Occupational Health, Safety & Fire. They are responsible for the delivery of National Fire Safety priorities with close liaison with the National Lead – Fire Safety, providing: leadership to members of the national Health, Safety & Fire team, specialist technical advice to HMPPS and MoJ Estates, statutory assurance, training and monitoring, and risk management across the Prison and Probation estate. They are accountable for the expert fire safety advice they provide to MoJ Estates. The advice provided will determine the fire safety controls that are designed into all new prison builds and major refurbishments.
The post holder will be expected to travel extensively throughout England and Wales. They will be expected to respond to emergencies in establishments and will be expected to be available on call including during ‘red hours’.
Summary
This is a National strategic role with Line Management responsibilities. The role is based at HMPPS Headquarters, London.
The job holder will be responsible for the provision of expert fire safety information, advice and guidance on a strategic level to internal and external stakeholders at a national level and within relevant regions of responsibility on all the fire safety risks to which they are exposed, the measures they need to take to discharge their responsibilities with regard to fire for all staff and others who are affected by their undertakings, and ensure compliance with relevant health and safety legislation and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Approved Codes of Practice, British Standards, Guidance and best practice.
The post holder will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders including Chief
Executive Officer, Director Generals, Head of Estates (MoJ), Executive Directors and Directors, Prison Group Directors, Governors and other Senior Managers, along with external bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Health and Safety Laboratories (HSL), British Research Establishment (BRE), Crown Premises Fire Safety
Inspectorate (CPFSI), Project Contractors, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Service, HMPPS Learning and Development and external training and equipment providers.
They will also specialise and be the Fire Safety Technical and Project Delivery Lead for all fire safety project delivery and will manage on behalf of HMPPS successful handover of projects to the business. The post holder will innovate and develop fire safety technical specifications that are appropriate for the high fire risk prison environment.
They will be a National lead resource for relevant serious incident investigation and serious casework management and provide a service in line with nationally determined priorities and plans for Fire Safety.
This is a non-operational role with strategic management responsibilities for Policy and Project delivery.
This role will attract Required Hours Allowance (RHA) as the post holder will be expected to respond immediately in the event of serious injury or death from incidents of fire. They will be expected to provide expert Fire Safety Advice to Incident Managers including Gold and Silver Command in the event of a serious incident involving fire to aid those in command to make defensible decisions regarding staff and prisoner safety as per PSI 09/2014 – Incident Management.
The post holder is expected to have a sound understanding of the operational environment in order to provide an effective service.
Responsibilities, Activities & Duties
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- The responsibilities of the post cover all Public Sector Prisons throughout England and Wales including Immigration Removal Centres and National Probation Service Approved Premises.
- They will be responsible for the line management of all staff within the national fire safety team. This includes staff performance, development and annual appraisal through to sickness absence management.
- They will be the National HMPPS Fire Safety technical and expert lead for MOJ sponsored Fire Safety Improvement projects, including refurbishments and new build, across the prison and probation estate.
- They will provide specialist expert-led fire engineering input to PETP project management teams to ensure that project designs and outcomes are in the best interests of the business (HMPPS).
- They will develop technical and fire engineering solutions to meet the specific needs of HMPPS.
- They will lead on the national strategic project development of the Corporate Fire Risk Register and implementation of the associated action plan.
- They will liaise with Regional HSF Service Delivery Leads and be responsible for monitoring and reporting on fire safety performance and risk management from establishments.
- They will be responsible for implementation and delivery of expert fire safety advice and programmed targeted interventions to reduce any significant fire safety risks at establishments. Cooperating with, and engaging Executive Directors and Directors, Prison Group Directors, Deputy Directors (including Deputy Directors of Custody and the National Probation Service), Governors and their SMT, other HMPPS Senior Managers and Establishment Health, Safety and Fire Safety Practitioners to deliver pragmatic solutions.
- They will be responsible for carrying out strategic training needs analysis and lead on technical advice for developing and delivering fire training programmes at a national, regional and local level, (e.g. HMPPS - Newbold Revel, SMT Fire Sponsor, Prison Fire Safety Practitioners, RPE Instructor and ‘end user’ courses).
- They will be responsible for monitoring the management procedure for supply, delivery and servicing/replacement of RPE equipment to establishments and the associated multi million pound annual budget.
- They will lead on the delivery of the National Fire Safety Team’s targeted and periodic Business Support Visit Programme for prisons and probation premises.
- They will be the expert fire safety lead for FM Providers, SDMs and REMs.
- They will be the National HMPPS lead on Project building sites and using their Building Engineering knowledge and Fire Safety competencies to give assurance of a building inspector that Technical Standards and Building Regulations, approved codes of practice and guidance are being complied with.
- Deputise for the Head of Fire Safety as required.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Competencies
For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Achieving Commercial Outcomes
- Leading and Communicating
- Achieving a Safe, Decent and Secure Environment
- Managing a quality service
Essential Skills, Qualifications, Accreditation & Registration
- Possess formal advanced Fire Safety qualifications such a recognised BS 9999 certificate and/or fire engineering qualification at Diploma Level 5 or above.
- Membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) working towards Member or Fellow of the IFE.
- Proven experience working as a Fire Safety Advisor.
- Proven experience/and understanding of working with PAS 79 and its fire risk assessment principles.
- Proven experience/and understanding of working with Technical Specifications and their design principles.
- Proven experience/and understanding of auditing Fire Engineered Buildings.
- Proven experience/and understanding of working with BS 9999 and Building Regulations and their design principles.
Desirable
- Proven experience and understanding of providing pragmatic fire safety solutions in the custodial environment.
- Level 4 Certificate (Fire Auditor).
- A formal Project Management Practitioners qualification.
- For internal candidates: HMPPS FRA Course and HMPPS Train the Trainer RPE Course. External candidates will be expected to successfully complete these courses.
Hours of Work
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
This role requires working regular unsocial hours and a 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evening, nights, weekends and Bank/Public holidays.
Required Hours Allowance (RHA)
This role requires regularly working unpredictable and unsocial hours and be on call to attend their place of work at anytime. A 17% payment will be paid in addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are those hours outside 0700 - 1900hrs Monday to Friday and include working evening, nights, weekends and Bank / Public holidays.
Working Arrangements & Further Information
Some of MoJ’s, including HMPPS, terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.
Standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.
If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.
The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.
Benefits
Annual Leave
-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.
Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays
-You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment
Pension
-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Work Life Balance
-HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ
Season Ticket Advance
-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work
Childcare Vouchers
-HMPPS offers a childcare vouchers scheme. The scheme enables staff to take part of their salary in the form of Childcare Vouchers. This is known as a Salary Sacrifice. The vouchers can then be used to help meet the costs of any form of registered or approved childcare for children aged 0-16. The vouchers are exempt from tax and National Insurance contributions
Training
-HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes
-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provide a variety of training appropriate to individual posts
-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles
Eligibility
-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS
-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which HMPPS considers to be racist
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
25/03/2019, 23:55 hours.
Candidate Information
You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.
Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ
In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:
- An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
- A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.
During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.
Being effective in this area is a key responsibility for all of us to both protect the public and prevent victims. We must all promote and contribute to an orderly, safe and secure environment both within our own unit / establishment and across the whole of the Agency. Those who work in establishments must support the principles of dynamic security by treating the needs of prisoners individually; developing controlled, professional relationships with prisoners; and contributing to a constructive regime. At senior levels, it is about creating strategies, policies and processes that contribute to the achievement of a safe and secure living and working environment.
We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.
Application form stage assessments
Interview stage assessments
A Great Place to Work for Veterans
The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Redeployment Interview Scheme
Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.
MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
· UK nationals
· nationals of the Republic of Ireland
· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
This Vacancy is closed to applications.