Health and Safety Advisor

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a corporate H&S Advisor, you will assist UKHSA staff and managers with making reasonably practicable decisions as regards H&S risk by providing competent H&S advice to specified areas of the business and in the topic areas of your existing knowledge and skills. This involves making decisions autonomously within those work areas, however management colleagues will provide support as required.

The role will contribute to the delivery of H&S team objectives and organisational H&S programmes, referring to other colleagues in the team and across the organisation when additional knowledge, skills or experience are needed.You will be supported to deliver projects and personal objectives to the timescales and standards required, which will be reviewed throughout the year via the H&S improvement plan progress, and quarterly performance conversations.

We encourage cross-team collaboration, and you will need to demonstrate inclusive behaviours, delivering effective H&S input to develop and maintain working relationships with internal stakeholders across UKHSA.

Whilst in the role, you will be encouraged to pursue learning and development opportunities, identifying key competence gaps and proposing a range of learning and development methods to address these, and achieving the competency requirements set by your line manager and the needs of the corporate team. As part of this you will be maintaining professional membership(s) and associated CPD records.

Along with peers in the team, there is a requirement to input into the management of software systems used for H&S records (such as risk assessments and incident reports), contributing to the maintenance of the information assets as directed by the Lead H&S Advisor.

You will have a responsibility to manage shared information appropriately by utilising shared digital storage and collaboration areas, to maximise corporate memory and build team knowledge and resource. This will include maintaining records in an appropriate format and location, including those containing confidential or sensitive information.

The role includes delivery of UKHSA H&S training to staff, leading workshops and other forms of learning and training and contributing to course content and review, including the use of training development software for our e-learning packages

Working with other advisors in the corporate team you will support and/or lead H&S audits, according to the audit schedule, and will contribute to the H&S Risk Alert and Lessons Identified process, as required

UKHSA has a Health and Safety Strategy and H&S Improvement Plan, which you will help to deliver by supporting improvement and assurance activities and local plans within specified areas of the business

As a member of the corporate team, you will contribute to H&S governance through attendance at UKHSA meetings, and through active involvement in the H&S team meetings. This may include analysing assurance information and writing reports to submit to groups and committees.

There will be opportunity to contribute to H&S engagement activities through involvement with staff network groups, communication strategies and programs, providing UKHSA intranet content and working alongside other teams and colleagues in the organisation to maximise engagement and awareness amongst all our people.

UKHSA has an established set of written policies and arrangements which you will be helping to promote through the training, engagement and assurance activities, as well as reviewing and developing policies, procedures and other H&S documents as required.

You will need to maintain and develop a high level of health and safety knowledge and communication skills, and there will also be opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge through varied learning and development activities.

Essential Criteria

• NEBOSH National General Certificate
• Associate or Technical level IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) membership
• Experience in a health and safety role
• Experience in training delivery and adult learning and development
• Effective communication skills - presentation/active listening/negotiation and influencing
• Able to work in a small team, in multi-disciplinary groups, and on own initiative
• Problem solver
• Flexible and adaptable

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours, ability and technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• an application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• a 1250 word supporting statement

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Please note, only those applications meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• NEBOSH National General Certificate

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Please do not exceed a total of 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Behaviours, ability and technical skills will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Communicating & influencing
• Delivering at pace
• Working together
• Change and Improving

You will be required to prepare and present a 10 minute presentation as part of the interview.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus in Chilton, Oxfordshire.

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

If based at one of our scientific campuses, you will be required to have a minimum of a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Essential

• Application Form and Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at pace
• Working Together
• Changing and improving

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

UKHSA Chilton

Chilton, Didcot

OX11 0RQ

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)