Fire Safety Advisor

Full job description
An exciting opportunity has arisen to support the Trust with the effective management of Fire Safety. This post will be based within the Estates & Facilities Department.

This post will work across Trusts sites to support the Trust, Departments and Teams in meeting their statutory responsibilities and fire safety needs.

The Fire Safety Adviser will provide a range of specialist expert advice and assistance to a wide range of staff, senior managers and Trust Directors and experience of fire risk assessments in complex settings is essential together with relevant fire safety qualifications.

Responsible for professional fire safety management throughout the estate including advice on planned maintenance, defect maintenance and the implementation of inspections and training. Support the Senior Fire Safety Advisor in the implementation of policy and service development. Deputise for the Senior Fire Safety Advisor in fire safety issues as required.

Advise and make recommendations to the Trust (and where Service Level Agreements are in place, other NHS Trusts), on all aspects of fire safety in accordance with statutory requirements, Codes of Practice, Firecode and other guidance. To ensure that adequate fire safety training is undertaken for all staff within the Trust, appropriate of their environment.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

The post holder will provide specialist fire safety guidance to senior management and the 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 the work of the Senior Fire Safety Advisor to ensure that risk assessments are undertaken at appropriate intervals, inspections are undertaken, staff training is delivered, relevant planned maintenance, defect maintenance is carried out and there is effective liaison with external agencies including the local Fire and Rescue Authority.

The post holder will advise and make recommendations to the Trust (and where Service Level Agreements are in place) on all aspects of fire safety in accordance with statutory requirements, Codes of Practice, Fire code and other guidance.

The post holder will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users’ and their carers.

The post holder will embrace the core values of the organisation and adopt the principles of Recovery. These principles will recognise the need to:

Promote safe practice

Value the aims of service users

Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice

Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change

Value social inclusion

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Service Delivery

Provide professional fire safety leadership and management, ensuring effective training, inspections and maintenance programmes are developed to meet statutory requirements, minimise risk and provide a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

Provide advice to the Heads of Property and Capital Planning for initial design input in the preparation of capital schemes to deliver effective facilities, which maximise safety and minimise revenue

Provide advice and support to the estate’s operations team and ward & departmental managers by means of plans and reports for minor works and day to day fire safety

Support the Senior Fire Safety Advisor in developing and implementing the estate fire safety policy and procedures in line with the corporate objectives of the trust

The efficient and effective management of fire safety contracts including service level agreements

Responsible for the performance of estate fire safety policy and procedures, ensuring the development and maintenance of the highest standards for the benefit of patients, visitors, and staff.

To undertake Fire Risk Assessments as required by the Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005, Hospital Technical Memorandum’s, Fire code and to monitor and review the assessments as required, providing reports on the findings of the assessment to appropriate managers.

To co-ordinate and, where appropriate, undertake regular inspections of Trust premises, or at any time deemed necessary by changed circumstances, and to provide reports as necessary.

To identify, control and reduce unwanted fire signals in accordance with the requirements of the Local Fire Authorities and NHS Estates Department.

To ensure the Trust meets the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005

To accompany Fire Authority Inspecting Officers on inspections. To maintain records of any requirements and their subsequent reports.

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 facilitate fire evacuation drills in all departments across the Trust where appropriate

Communication

Develop and maintain effective partnerships with other divisions and services regarding fire safety

Communicate and disseminate information at departmental level. Chair meetings and lead initiatives as delegated by the Senior Fire Safety Advisor

To provide fire statistics and identify trends when required for the various Trust Committees

To liaise with Estates Department, Building Control, the Fire Authority and, were appropriate, designated architects on plans for new builds or refurbishment of existing buildings in relation to legislative fire safety requirements.

To liaise with and provide appropriate information, as requested, to other members of the health and safety team.

To liaise with the maintenance contractors regarding the maintenance of relevant fire safety systems

Provide advice and support to the Senior Fire Safety Advisor

Support the Senior Fire Safety Advisor in developing excellent relationships with all external stakeholders

Liaise with ward and departmental managers in the organisation of regular fire drills.

Performance and Resource Management

Undertake a variety of complex work in the health environment. Ensure all work is appropriately planned, prioritised, sequenced and executed to the agreed programme and delivered within budget. Formulate flexible plans, which require constant monitoring and judgement to meet the changing needs of the trust.

Maintain effective control within the allocated resources and ensure delivery of cost-effective services in accordance with current best practise

Ensure that all fire safety assets operated by the department are utilised efficiently and maintained

Provide data for NHS returns and the development of performance measures, including benchmarking, to identify opportunities for improvement

Report performance issues to the Senior Fire Safety Advisor

Maintain Professional standards of fire safety excellence as defined by internal and external

Achieve and monitor acceptable standards of compliance

The post holder will be required to have a comprehensive knowledge of fire safety and manage all fire risks associated with the specialist nature of health care premises

Analyse risks, understand complex situations, carry out option appraisals and identify resource consequences in areas of conflicting priorities

Governance and Quality

Support the Senior Fire Safety Advisor in ensuring services are provided to meet the changing needs of the trust

Support the Senior Fire Safety Advisor by monitoring design performance of schemes, accuracy of documentation issued and ensure standards are maintained.

Ensure compliance with Standing Financial Instructions and all Trust policies.

Undertake surveys for statutory compliance.

Interpret regulations such as RRO, Building Regs, HTM’s, HBN’s, EU Directives, British Standard relating to Fire Safety and Trust

Health and Safety

Understand and comply with MDA directives, HTM’s, health & safety legislation and all other statutory

Support the Department in ensuring all statutory/mandatory fire & safety legislation is complied with throughout the trust

Actively contribute to the Trust risk management process and ensure all policies are adhered

Responsible for the implementation and adherence to the Trust fire safety policy for areas across the trust. Identifying financial requirements to sustain the safety of staff, patients, and visitors to those areas, and effect those control measures identified within the risk assessment

Training

Plan, organise and deliver fire training to all Trust staff and audits of such.

To develop additional training for staff in inpatient areas in methods of evacuation so that patients can be evacuated quickly in an emergency and provide out of hours training to evening and night staff.

Provide training, technical advice and support to Trust

Identify and provide comprehensive training and information on fire precautions, fire fighting and evacuation procedures. Carry out a programme of fire evacuation drills through out the trust.

Attend all mandatory training as required by Trust