Head of Fire, Health & Safety and Security in Herefordshire

About the job

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust | Band 8b

Shape how safety, risk and security are managed across the Trust

Take strategic responsibility for Fire Safety, Health & Safety and Security across Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, as Head of Fire, Health & Safety & Security.

This is a senior leadership role with the scope to influence how safety is understood, managed and improved across a complex healthcare organisation.

As the Trust’s senior specialist adviser, you’ll provide expert guidance to the Board, Executive Directors and senior leaders, while leading the specialist teams responsible for these three critical areas. You’ll strengthen assurance, identify emerging risks and help create a culture where safety and security are part of how people work every day.

The impact you’ll have

Your expertise will help create safer environments for patients, staff and everyone using the Trust’s services.

You’ll have the opportunity to move beyond managing compliance and influence the bigger picture. Developing strategy, improving systems, strengthening assurance and helping leaders understand where risk sits and what needs to happen next.

Working across clinical, community and operational environments, you’ll ensure the Trust can demonstrate strong statutory compliance while continually improving how it manages health and safety, fire safety and security.

Give the Board confidence in how risk is being managed

A significant part of your role will be turning complex legislation, performance information, audits and investigations into clear assurance and practical action.

You’ll advise the Trust Board and senior leadership on risk and compliance, develop meaningful performance measures and ensure significant risks and areas of non-compliance are escalated through the right governance channels.

You’ll also build strong relationships with external regulators and agencies including the Health and Safety Executive, Care Quality Commission, Fire and Rescue Services and Police, representing the Trust at local, regional and national level.

Lead safety, fire and security Trust-wide

Take strategic responsibility for:

• Developing and implementing the Trust’s Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Security strategies, policies and improvement plans.
• Maintaining effective systems for statutory compliance, assurance, audit and performance monitoring.
• Leading annual audit, inspection and assurance programmes across the Trust.
• Identifying emerging risks through performance data, audits, incidents and compliance reporting.
• Overseeing serious incident, accident and near-miss investigations, including root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Coordinating the Trust’s response to recommendations from regulators, auditors and external agencies.
• Developing training programmes that support statutory and mandatory compliance.
• Ensuring statutory reporting, including RIDDOR, is completed accurately and within required timescales.
• Working with Estates and Facilities colleagues on contractor management and compliance.
• Supporting emergency response, incident management and organisational resilience.
• Promoting a proactive approach to safety and security throughout the organisation.

Lead the people behind it

Provide strategic leadership to the specialist Fire Safety, Health & Safety and Security teams, creating clear accountability while developing the capability and expertise within them.

You’ll lead recruitment, performance and professional development, alongside specialist training programmes across the wider Trust.

This is also a role that requires influence well beyond your own team. You’ll work with senior leaders, managers, clinical colleagues, external agencies and regulators, often navigating complex or sensitive issues where there may be competing views or priorities.

What you’ll bring

If you’re an established Health & Safety leader with significant NHS experience and you’re ready to take responsibility for a broader Trust-wide remit, this is an opportunity to have real influence.

You’ll need:

• Substantial senior management experience within the NHS.
• Significant experience managing Health & Safety within a large, complex, multidisciplinary organisation.
• Experience managing health and safety across complex estates portfolios.
• Experience developing and implementing health and safety strategies, systems and policies.
• Experience interpreting and implementing national legislation and policy.
• Experience reporting to the Health and Safety Executive and other regulatory bodies.
• Experience presenting complex information to Boards, Executives and senior leaders.
• Experience managing complex stakeholder and contractual relationships.
• Experience undertaking investigations, root cause analysis and service improvement programmes.
• Strong knowledge of UK Health & Safety legislation, risk assessment and risk management.
• Knowledge of NHS governance and healthcare regulatory standards.
• An understanding of security management requirements.
• Strong leadership, influencing, negotiation and strategic planning skills.

Qualifications

You’ll also need:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent level experience.
• A postgraduate Health & Safety qualification such as the NEBOSH Diploma, NCRQ Level 6, NVQ Level 6 or equivalent.
• Chartered Membership of IOSH (CMIOSH).
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Root Cause Analysis training.

It would also be an advantage, but isn’t essential, if you have a postgraduate Fire Safety qualification, Risk Management qualification, teaching or training qualification, Quality Improvement qualification, NHS Security Management qualification or membership of other relevant professional bodies.