HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 7
Directorate: Public Sector Prisons
Job Description: National Fire Safety Advisor
Document Ref.
HQ-JES -2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0
Document Type
Management
Version
3.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
4 September 2019
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Head of Group
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
HQ-JES-2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0
Job Description
Job Title
National Fire Safety Advisor
Directorate
Public Sector Prisons
Band
7
Overview of the job
This is a functional and project management role within a National HSF team
requiring specialist knowledge and a high level of competence.
The post holder is line managed by the National Lead - Fire Safety (Band 9) who
reports to the Head of Occupational Health, Safety & Fire. They are responsible for
overseeing the delivery of national Fire Safety priorities, providing leadership,
specialist technical advice, statutory assurance, training and monitoring, and risk
management across multiple regions of the Prison and Probation estate.
The post-holder will be expected to divide their time between their assigned Regions
and Headquarters.
Summary
This is a National strategic management role based at 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 Deputy
Directors of Custody 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
Newbold Revel Learning and Development and external training and equipment
providers.
They will also specialise and lead in a particular Fire Safety area within the National
Team. They will be a National lead resource for their Regional establishment group
on relevant serious incident investigation and 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 they will be expected to
respond immediately in the event of serious injury or death from incidents of fire
and 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.
HQ-JES-2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities
Activities and Duties
and duties:
? The responsibilities of the post cover all Public Sector Prisons including Long
Term & High Security Estate, Adult Estate (male and female), Young Peoples
Estate, Immigration Removal Centres and National Probation Service Approved
Premises.
? They will carry out a programme of periodic and targeted Business Support
Visits for both Public and Private Sector Prisons and Approved Premises,
reporting to the Duty Holder and National Lead - Fire Safety, on the adequacy of
the fire safety arrangements.
? They will when required be the HMPPS Fire Safety expert lead for MOJ
sponsored Fire Safety Improvement projects, including refurbishments and new
build, within their assigned regions of responsibility.
? They will lead on the National strategic development of the Corporate Fire Risk
Register and implementation of the associated action plan.
? They will liaise with Band 9 Regional Service Leads and be responsible for
monitoring and reporting on fire safety performance and risk management from
Establishments within Regions to report at National Level.
? 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 prison and probation premises. 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 annual budget.
? They will be the expert fire safety lead for FM Providers, SDMs and REMs.
? They will be the 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 Senior Fire Safety Advisor 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.
Behaviours
? Seeing the Big Picture
? Communicating and Influencing
? Managing a Quality Service
? Making Effective Decisions
? Working Together
Strengths
It is advised strengths are chosen locally, recommended 4-8
Essential Experience
? 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 auditing
HQ-JES-2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0
Technical
? Membership of the Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) or equivalent
Requirements
Desirable
? A Level 4 qualification or above in Fire Safety
? For internal candidates: HMPPS FRA Course & HMPPS Train the Trainer RPE
Course (external candidates will be expected to successfully complete these
courses)
Ability
Minimum 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 consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Required Hours Allowance - TBC by Recruiting Manager
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
This role requires regularly working unpredictable and unsocial hours and be on call
to attend their place of work at any time. 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 evenings, nights, weekends and Bank/
Public holidays.
HQ-JES-2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0
Success Profile
Strengths
Behaviours
It is advised strengths
Ability
Experience
Technical
are chosen locally,
recommended 4-8
Seeing the Big Picture
? Proven experience working as
? Membership of the Institute of Fire
a Fire Safety Advisor
Engineers (IFE) or equivalent
? Proven experience/and
? Desirable - A Level 4 qualification or
understanding of working with
above in Fire Safety
PAS 79 and its fire risk
? Desirable - For internal candidates:
assessment principles
HMPPS FRA Course & HMPPS Train
? Proven experience/and
the Trainer RPE Course (external
understanding of auditing
candidates will be expected to
successfully complete these
courses)
Communicating and Influencing
Managing a Quality Service
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
HQ-JES-2212 National Fire Safety Advisor v3.0