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Location
About the job
Job summary
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 2,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.
The post holder is responsible for safety technical assurance in their department, providing comprehensive and consistent technical assurance of laboratory and specialist environments and work practices including higher containment laboratory facilities and large animal post mortem facilities. They will provide scientific and technical support and input into the adoption and development of new technologies required for pathology and animal science delivery within the pathology laboratories estate and in other facilities where pathology laboratory procedures are undertaken. A proportion of the role will also focus on the delivery of pathology scientific goals within a high containment setting.
The post-holder must enable and work to ensure legal compliance in all areas of responsibility collaborating with the Biorisk team and other specialist advisors in SHaW and the Pathology and Animal Sciences Department to identify areas for improvements and to implement these and flag areas of concern or non-compliance to the senior management team in the department.
Job description
Provide technical assurance that we are working safely
The post-holder will spend time talking to and working with staff in laboratories and specialist areas, observing procedures and verifying that staff are working according to their job descriptions, protocols and safety. This will also involve the post holder delivering scientific objectives and undertaking procedures within laboratory facilities. That equipment works as it should and identifying areas of concern or areas where shortcuts have become embedded. They will identify where protocols can be improved and work in liaison with staff and managers to implement these changes.
Provision of advice, information, instruction, training and assessment
The DSO will assist their department line management in providing suitable and sufficient information and instruction to staff. This will include:
- Providing relevant training information for staff to carry out their role
- Providing training for staff as necessary and where applicable (e.g. safety critical roles, such as building officer, and technical scientific training)
- Cascading information from the Health & Safety department to staff within their department
- Providing input into staff training plans through the identification and recommendation of internal and/or external training courses, ensuring relevant training is identified and provided
- Delivering two least two toolbox talks, or other suitable local training presentations are delivered to staff each year
- Ensuring staff within their remit are aware of the actions to be taken in the event of an emergency, ensuring that at least one local contingency exercise of each type is practised per year within each workgroup and that it is recorded on the appropriate system
- All local, corporate, divisional and departmental induction training is recorded (including safety committees, policies and procedures) in individuals’ training records
- Ensuring that inspections, audits, tours are booked in, recorded on safeguard and completed on time
- Representing their department at any new build, refurbishment or annual maintenance works pre-start and/or co-ordination meetings to ensure that all parties are aware of the hazards and risks associated with the work and that appropriate control measures are implemented to mitigate those risks
Risk Assessments
It is not the DSO’s duty to conduct/write all the risk assessments for their department, but to ensure that risk assessments are:
- Carried out before new work commences
- Reviewed and rewritten where existing assessments are inadequate or inappropriate
- Reviewed and revised, where necessary, following any change(s) to procedures, equipment, substances, premises, people or legislation, and following any accident or incident
- Not unnecessarily duplicated and where possible merge RA to provide more generic cover
- Understood by staff within the department (i.e. importance and the specific control measures within them)
- Locally distributed and indexed allowing staff to ‘sign up’ to risk assessments relevant to the work that they are undertaking after each review
- Reviewed and revised (when necessary) following an accident of incident
- Support staff in their writing and reviewing of risk assessments
Accident and Incident Investigation
The post holder will ensure that:
- All accidents and incidents are notified to the Health and Safety department as per Accident and Incident Reporting Procedures
- All relevant risk assessments are reviewed, and where necessary revised, within one month of any accident/incident
- A local investigation is carried out in order to identify immediate, underlying and root cause. Report this to local management, implement preventative actions and ensure that all findings communicated to all staff within one month of the final report
Safety Inspections
The DSO will:
- Plan, organise and deliver a programme of safety inspections/audits/tours for their department which may be carried out by a variety of people (BioRisk Advisors in SHaW team, HoD, Senior responsible person, lab managers). Capture actions and implement improvements in a timely manner escalate to the department’s senior management team
- Follow up all action points to ensure that appropriate action is taken within the deadlines set and where necessary a re-inspection should be scheduled to examine the effectiveness of actions taken
- Regularly review outstanding actions and should feature at departmental meetings to ensure management pressure for clearance
- Ensure that copies of all inspection reports go to the lab manager, WGL, HoD and SHaW within a month of the inspection. Actions should be reviewed within 1 month by DSO for clearance
- Assist with an annual safety inspection (other than their own) and contribute to the report, according to the schedule of inspections published on the safety performance monitoring schedule. Usually this will be annually, however more frequent inspections may be required depending on the level of risk and variability of the work
Safety of Visitors and contractors
The DSO will ensure that:
- There are local procedures in place to ensure that visitors receive suitable and sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision regarding the hazards they are likely to be exposed to during their stay, and the risk that they pose. What is suitable and sufficient will depend upon the duration and nature of their stay, and any previous experience or training
- Any other visitors to their workgroup/ department receive a safety induction session and any safety training appropriate to the nature and duration of their stay/visit. Any training provided must be recorded
- Their department adheres to Agency Procedure, AP079 and that the Nominated Person for each building within their department follows the relevant guidance
- The Nominated Person issues the appropriate Certificates of Assurance as part of the Permit to Work procedure, and that rooms and equipment, including microbiological safety cabinets, are adequately decontaminated before any service engineer or maintenance contractor commences work
Person specification
Experience
- Relevant experience of working in a bio-containment environment with sufficient technical knowledge
- Experience of managing within Health and Safety
- Knowledge of safety standards and a commitment to safety including training
- The role requires evidence of excellence in communication with the ability to obtain cooperation and input from colleagues while demonstrating confidence influencing upwards to senior managers
The post holder must develop a good understanding of the regulatory obligations of APHA and full training will be provided to acquire this critical expertise.
The post holder must also be willing to work to obtain necessary health & safety training and qualifications, e.g. NEBOSH General Certificate.
You must have a valid driving licence or be able to call upon suitable alternate means of transport.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Experience of a multi-site environment employing high containment facilities is essential.
Benefits
In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave of 25 days (rising one day per year up to 30 days after 5 years), flexible working, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
Pension and Financial Benefits
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package and there are various options including Alpha and Partnership pension schemes in which Defra can invest in providing a contribution to the cost of your pension.
Life Assurance: if you become too ill or die before retirement valuable benefits will be provided to you and your family.
Learning and Development
Access to five days learning and development each year to support professional development through Civil Service Learning. Corporate induction and three days special leave for volunteering.
Staff Wellbeing
Access to Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7, providing advice and guidance on both personal and employment issues such as personal wellbeing, career development, legal matters such as landlord / tenant disputes. Access to the Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health Service and the Civil Service Sports Council.
Office attendance
Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed in this advert. Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement and two Behaviour statements.
For the personal statement, please write up to 500 words demonstrating how you meet the skills and experiences as listed in the job description.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift expected to take place in February 2024, Interview location to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours & Technical criteria as well as Experience.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed at interview.
Interviews are expected to take place end of February 2024, this is subject to change.
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in an APHA workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
As part of the pre-employment process, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Full Time Only
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Higher Security Clearance
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
CTC security clearance is required for the work of this post. The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Government’s response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all postholders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have between 3 to 10 years continuous UK residency depending on the level of Security.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Other Information
The successful candidate will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required.
Restrictions on outside/domestic contact with small animals, mainly rodents and rabbits, will apply.
This post will require significant levels of travel around the Agency’s locations.
The work of the post can be physically demanding. Due to access requirements to biosecure areas, individuals must be physically able.
Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.
Periodic travel within the UK and EU will be required and this could include farm or abattoir visits as part of ongoing research. The successful candidate may have to ensure that no contact is made with farmed animals for a period of 1-2 days or more before visiting livestock farms. This may preclude anyone who lives on a livestock farm.
Out of hours work may be required in the event of an incident.
Travel will be required to attend training courses and undertake farm visits. You must have a valid driving licence or be able to call upon suitable alternate means of transport.
The successful candidate should not keep pigs or poultry or live on premises where there are domestic livestock or poultry.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Medical
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission.
