Job summary
Working Full Time : 37.5 Hours per Week
The post holder will provide specialist fire safety guidance to the fire safety manager, senior management and Trust Board to ensure the Trust is able to meet its statutory obligations under the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005.
Using their initiative, the Fire Safety Advisor will co-ordinate their work to ensure that risk assessments are undertaken at appropriate intervals, inspections are undertaken, staff training is delivered and there is effective liaison with external agencies including Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Main duties of the job
- To ensure the Trust meets the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005.
- To ensure the Trust's Fire Safety Policy and other fire safety strategy documentation are up to date, meets the requirements of the RRO and is effectively implemented across the organisation.
- To chair the quarterly fire safety strategy group with papers reported at the Health and Safety Group and up to board.
- To liaise with an independently appointed Authorising Engineer Fire who will give a specialist review of Trust fire safety.
- To co-ordinate the undertaking of all fire risk assessments in premises owned or occupied by The Countess of Chester Hospital and to provide reports on the findings of the assessment to appropriate managers.
- To undertake investigations into the cause of fires occurring in Trust owned or occupied premises and to liaise with the Fire Service in this regard, and to report accordingly.
- To undertake investigations into unwanted fire signals (false alarms) Datix incidents, and report accordingly and to liaise with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in the reduction of unwanted fire signals.
- To provide fire statistics and identify trends when required for the various Trust Committees.
- To prepare, plan and deliver a comprehensive program for mandatory training in fire safety for staff at all levels including induction and fire warden training.
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant qualification in Fire Safety
- Fire Safety Engineering or Safety Management Degree
- Attendance on a specialist fire safety course at the Fire Service College or other
Desirable
- Graduate or Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO)
- NEBOSH certificate in Health & Safety
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Extensive management experience working in a local or other Fire and Rescue Service including in a fire safety post OR extensive management experience in any other employment which included a position involving fire safety
- Conversant with relevant and current fire safety legislation, Health Technical Memoranda (HTM's), Building Regulations
- Ability to devise, deliver and manage training programmes
Desirable
- Attendance on a fire investigation course
- Presentation skills
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to read plan drawings, identify problems and find acceptable solutions
- Ability to make decisions relating to fire safety based on professional judgement
- Ability to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Well organised, methodical and able to work to deadlines
- Able to work as part of a team
- Able to work and act on own initiative
- Able to prioritise
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Relevant qualification in Fire Safety
- Fire Safety Engineering or Safety Management Degree
- Attendance on a specialist fire safety course at the Fire Service College or other
Desirable
- Graduate or Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO)
- NEBOSH certificate in Health & Safety
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Extensive management experience working in a local or other Fire and Rescue Service including in a fire safety post OR extensive management experience in any other employment which included a position involving fire safety
- Conversant with relevant and current fire safety legislation, Health Technical Memoranda (HTM's), Building Regulations
- Ability to devise, deliver and manage training programmes
Desirable
- Attendance on a fire investigation course
- Presentation skills
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to read plan drawings, identify problems and find acceptable solutions
- Ability to make decisions relating to fire safety based on professional judgement
- Ability to respond effectively to changing needs and priorities
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Well organised, methodical and able to work to deadlines
- Able to work as part of a team
- Able to work and act on own initiative
- Able to prioritise
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
