Group Fire Safety Manager

Job overview

Based at Salford Care Organisation or The Royal Oldham Hospital, yet with travel across all Northern Care Alliance sites, the successful post holder will report to the General Manager Estates and Facilities (Governance and Compliance) and play a key role in the Northern Care Alliance's Estates and Facilities Division.

Main duties of the job

Ensuring the Trust Board has appropriate assurances that the requirements of current Fire Safety legislation are met across the Trust and, where appropriate, that the objectives of Firecode are met.

Working for our organisation

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we’re always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire – to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

We are currently in process of updating our values. For the latest information around our values and behaviours, please visit our careers website careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main Tasks & Overview of Responsibilities

• Provide expert Fire Safety advice to the Care Organisation (CO) Chief Operating Officers, Capital Managers and General Managers for Estates and Facilities.
• Co-ordinating Fire Safety issues throughout the organisation’s activities across all sites including Community Properties.
• Liaise with the Senior management team to ensure an adequate budget is available for fire stopping and other essential Fire Safety works across the NCA and that the works are prioritised, and finances allocated accordingly.
• To manage the performance of these contracts across the group in relation to an extensive program of fire stopping, fire door replacement and fire damper maintenance.
• Ensuring that the Trust fire policy and strategy are reviewed on a regular basis.
• Producing an annual report giving an overview of Fire Safety in all NCA properties.
• Support the Senior Estates Managers in the implementation of policy and service development and Deputise for the GM Governance and Compliance in Fire Safety issues as required.
• Ensuring co-operation between all relevant parties so Fire Safety standards across the Trust meet national requirements and recommendations.
• Liaise with the Group Health and Safety Manager and provide any assistance, advice or training necessary to support in the delivery of Fire Safety initiatives across the respective care organisations.
• Support with the management of all day-to-day Fire Safety matters across the Salford Care Organisation and drive implementation of the NCA Fire Safety Management Plan across the EF&C department, clinical areas, and back of house departments.
• The post holder is expected to work using their own initiative and on projects whilst working to agreed standards and within approved policies and procedures. They will be required to assess the best way to fulfil their responsibilities and achieve their objectives with guidance from the Group Deputy Director of Estates/Group General Manager Governance and Compliance.
• Provide a link to relevant Care Organisation committees and other stakeholder meetings as required.
• To provide specialist, technical advice, and support in line with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 as required.
• To support the execution of ongoing fire compliance related projects at the NCA to include attending meetings, provide advice and technical evaluation, monitor, and check on contractor’s performance and undertaken relevant risk assessments following completion of works.
• Liaise with Estates staff, design teams, local building control officers and fire authorities in the preparation of specifications for fire precautions in new and existing premises and to ensure to that they are compliant with relevant Building Regulations and HTM guidance in respect of Fire Safety.
• Provide technical and professional advice on all aspects of Fire Safety for NCA, with the requirement of oversight of Fire Safety precautions within all capital and other projects.
• Approve and co-ordinate plans prepared for, or on behalf of, Group Capital Planning team or other Project Managers to meet current legislation.
• Provide assurances to the Fire Strategy Group that the NCA Organisation properties under the management of third parties are Fire Safety compliant.
• Be responsible for the overall monitoring, reporting and initiating measures to reduce false alarms and unwanted fire signals.
• Responsible for the Fire Safety training of all staff and external associated satellite sites by constantly devising and improving training and evacuation methods with the Senior Fire Safety Advisors and provide the Fire Strategy Group with a report on attendance, including attendance statistics.
• Apply the Regulatory Reform Safety Order by ensuring the completion, recording and reporting of a fire risk assessment of all premises. Ensure, where necessary, Fire Safety improvements identified by the assessment are actioned accordingly.
• Programme, complete, record and devise suitable action plans for fire risk assessments and ensure that risks identified are included in the Northern Care Organisation’s risk register as appropriate.
• Ensuring that requirements related to fire procedures for less-able staff, patients and visitors are in place.
• Ensure that all fire related incidents and fire alarm activations are investigated by respective CO Fire Safety Advisors.
• Support the Health & Safety Advisors to promote Health and Safety as an integral part of good management practice.
• Ensure effective liaison with the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) in respect of inspections, site visits and fire calls.

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk