National Health and Safety Adviser

We are recruiting for the role of National Health & Safety Adviser from within our National Estates and Health & Safety team.  

A key corporate role that supports all staff within Cafcass for all Health and Safety related matters. The successful candidate will provide regular reports directly into our Corporate Management team chaired by the CEO and will be a key liaison point with other departments and external organisations.

The role is flexible and can be based from any of our Cafcass Offices.

We trust and empower colleagues to work in a hybrid way, providing the resources, equipment, and support, so that individually and collectively, we can be the voice of children and young people when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures.

Whilst this role is part of a team based from various offices nationally, there may be some requirement to travel occasionally. Our teams work flexibly and remotely, so your proximity to the office doesn’t always have to be a critical consideration.

We are a diverse, inclusive organisation that is a safe space for colleagues with shared aspects of identity and lived experience, which helps ensure we provide a service which promotes the diversity and uniqueness of children and families from all backgrounds. We especially welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds as we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the children and families we work with.

We provide extensive wellbeing support for colleagues, as well as excellent benefits, all of which we hope encourages you to join us.

Let us tell you a bit more about the role…

If you join us a National Health & Safety Adviser, you will work closely with our internal and external stakeholders, and service users.

Should you join us your tasks will include:

• Ensuring all staff understand their responsibilities and obligations in relation to managing H&S.
• Making sure Health and Safety is managed in line with the Cafcass policy.
• Managing compliance with current statutory Health and Safety requirements, across all our offices.
• Advising our staff on all aspects of estates Health and Safety matters, including specific H&S incidents, security, and accessibility. Managing our Health and Safety management system AssessNET.
• Developing and maintaining Health and Safety guidance and training for all staff.

… and what we’re looking for.

• To be NEBOSH qualified. Have detailed knowledge and track record of managing Health and Safety requirements for both office based and peripatetic workers. Excellent social skills, with the ability to be tactful, listen and support staff when dealing with what can be complex and sensitive issues.
• Excellent IT skills, familiar with a range of systems.
• The ability to analyse and interpret a range of data and information to support management decisions and improve performance.
• A confident presenter.
• Highly effective planning and prioritisation of tasks
• Experience of applying proportionate Health and Safety risk assessments across a range of H&S matters.
• Able to act on initiative within negotiated limits, knowing when and who contact if necessary.
• High level of attention to detail
• Highly organised Self-motivated, calm, and confident and demonstrates high standards of professional behaviour.

You can also find a more detailed person specification as part of the job description (see available documents). We strongly encourage you to read this so you can ensure your application fully identifies your suitability for the role.

Next steps / timelines

If and when you are ready to apply, our application process is straightforward and quick to complete. You don’t need to complete your application in a single visit, you can start it and come back and amend your responses / update your CV, just make sure you come back before the closing date to submit.

Below we have given you an indication of a timetable we are hoping to work towards, although dates are subject to change.

Closing date: Sunday 3rd March 2024

Initial interviews: Thursday 7th March 2024

Final interviews: Wednesday 13th March 2024

To apply please click here National Health and Safety Adviser (current-vacancies.com)

We understand that starting a new role is a big decision, and you may require further information before applying. You can find out more about the role in the Job Description and there is a wealth of information about Cafcass on our Cafcass Careers page.

If you wish to speak with a member of the team for more specific information you can contact emma.ryley@cafcass.gov.ukfrom our National Estates and Health & Safety team, providing your contact information and best times / methods to get hold of you.

Whilst we will always try and respond asap, we wouldn’t want you to miss the closing date before we are able to. If this is the case, we recommend you apply and as part of your application you can ask questions, and this may allow us to contact you and provide you with the required information that will help you decide if you still wish to be considered.

Finally, in anticipation of your application being successful, you might want to read about the offer and pre-employment checks process. As part of your application, you can highlight any concerns or questions about the pre-employment checks and we encourage all applicants to do so, safe in the knowledge such information will not be shared with individuals involved in the selection process.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please be advised successful applicants will be subject to a range of pre-engagement checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In accordance with the DBS code of practice and our own policy, should an individual have a declared criminal offence an individual assessment will be completed. Further information on what the assessment covers can be found by viewing the Cafcass DBS policy.