Portsmouth City Council

At Portsmouth City Council we’re all about developing our staff, because we want to build a bigger and better city but we need the best employees to do so.

With a little over 207,000 residents and 7,000 businesses throughout this city, this unitary authority’s main goal is to ensure the best care and development of all those within the city. From customer service to Multi-million pound projects, our residents are at the heart of everything we do.

Your New Role

You will support the Chief Executive and the senior management leadership team by providing a professional lead on the Corporate Health and Safety agenda for Portsmouth City Council.

To ensure the Council meets the legislative requirements and protects employees and customers using Council premises and services.

To work proactively with the elected members, Corporate Management Team, managers, employees and other stakeholders to establish and maintain a system that promotes a culture of safe working practices across the Council.

The post holder is the nominated competent Health and Safety Advisor for Portsmouth City Council as required by law, and provides leadership for the in house Health and Safety team.

The main duties of the role are:

1. Develop and successfully deliver the Health & Safety Management System (and associated strategies, policies, guidance and training etc.) for the organisation, with the aim of ensuring the organisation meets its health and safety requirements.
2. Effectively lead and manage the Health and Safety team. Develop the health and safety service across the council and ensure the service meets the changing needs of the organisation and current legislation.
3. Work in partnership with stakeholders to inform, educate, enable and challenge the organisation to deliver appropriate solutions and interventions to promote effective risk management.
4. Develop creative, innovative and bespoke safety solutions and interventions to tackle organisational and Directorate issues and support the drive for proactive safety management effectiveness across the whole organisation.
5. Ensure Health and Safety plans, priorities and decisions are informed by accurate risk prioritisation, safety culture assessments and management system performance data.
6. Ensure effective Health and Safety governance processes are established and embedded across all levels of the organisation.
7. Identify and prioritise risks and coordinate Health & Safety workload to ensure compliance with legislation and the health and safety of staff, visitors, service users and contractors.
8. Advise managers, Council Committees and the Corporate Management Teams on health and safety issues.
9. Work with the Council HR function to ensure suitable management systems are in place for health and wellbeing management.
10. Oversee the delivery of corporate health and safety training.
11. Delivery of specific health and safety projects across the organisation.
12. Work in partnership with senior stakeholders and offer support, expert advice and deliver appropriate solutions and interventions to the organisation to promote culture change and effective working practices.
13. Undertake all management responsibilities for the Health and Safety Team and demonstrate best practice in management techniques.
14. Be responsible for developing, measuring and delivering on performance management initiatives within the Health & Safety function.
15. Effectively manage the Health & Safety budget allocated by the Council.
16. Liaise with health, safety and fire enforcement agencies as necessary on behalf of the Council.
17. Identify and develop future business growth opportunities and service development within the Health & Safety service

Who is the Person?

You will need to have:

Essential Requirements:

Skills and abilities

• Detailed Knowledge and understanding of current Health & Safety best practice, employment law and Health & Safety policies and procedures.
• The ability to apply a risk based approach to Health and Safety and make appropriate recommendations within financial constraints.
• The ability to present and communicate ideas and issues effectively to a wide range of individuals and groups.
• The ability to provide practical, innovative solutions to corporate and strategic issues
• Ability to manage and motivate people to achieve high levels of performance.
• Good understanding and demonstrate application of performance management techniques
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Highly developed inter-personal skills including experience of successful mediation and problem solving skills
• To be customer focussed in the delivery of the Council’s services
• Builds understanding and commitment to transformational change.
• Actively seeks opportunities for improvement in organisational processes and activity.
• Works collaboratively with others to deliver the best outcomes.
• Builds relationships of trust and alliances with customers groups.
• Listens to and respects the opinions of others.
• Asks for, reflects upon and acts on feedback.
• Takes responsibility for own development.
• Able to work occasional flexible hours to meet the requirements

Qualifications

• Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) or working towards Chartered Status
• Degree level education in related subject area or equivalent professional experience, e.g. NEBOSH Diploma.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Experience and Skills

• Significant experience in a Health and Safety role at managerial level.
• Experience of working at a strategic level and development of the organisation
• Experience of developing and implementing Health & Safety policies, databases and systems
• To have a strong track record in the delivering improvements in Health and

Safety performance.

• To have managed all aspect of service performance including goal setting and performance review.
• To have ability to provide balanced professional advice and guidance to senior decision makers.
• Experience of conducting Health and Safety investigations and developing preventive measures.
• Excellent level of IT literacy

Desirable Requirements:

Qualifications

• National Certificate Fire Safety or equivalent

Experience and Skills

• Management or oversight of Fire Safety management
• A commitment to continuous improvement and customer service working with stakeholders, internal and external partners, trade unions and service providers.
• Project Management Experience
• Experience of facilitating/commissioning training programmes to meet business/individual training requirements
• Experience of the management and delivery of change management programmes
• Understanding of the legislation and issues affecting Local Government and Health & Safety Policy.
• Knowledge of John Seddon, The Vanguard Method and systems thinking.

What you’ll get in return

As well as highly competitive pay you’ll receive all the benefits of working within a local authority organisation, which ranges from flexible working hours to a fantastic pension which allows you the opportunity to pay in more for that greater return. We wish to support all our staffs development throughout, if that’s progression planning or involvement within the on the job apprenticeship scheme we will work together to drive your career. For those with families we have child care benefits as well as discounts with local businesses which can be enjoyed by all.

What next

To make sure your application is above the rest, please review the “Job Profile” attached to ensure your application matches the requirements of the role, and please evidence the ‘who is the person’ points in your application.

If you wish to send a CV, please consider a cover letter outlining why you are the perfect candidate for this position.

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

Previous applicants do not need to re-apply

Interview process: w/c 1^st February 2021