Health and Safety Officer

• The Health & Safety Officer will hold operational responsibility for a number of defined H&S compliance workstreams, including the Trust-wide DSE programme, action tracking systems, electronic compliance monitoring and elements of COSHH quality assurance.
• The postholder will independently manage a varied workload across multiple departments, engage directly with managers and staff to resolve compliance issues and progress corrective actions, and undertake lower and medium-complexity investigations within their competence.
• They will analyse information from incident and compliance systems, identify trends and areas requiring intervention, contribute to organisational assurance reporting and identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness and consistency of H&S systems and processes.

• The postholder will be responsible for managing allocated H&S workstreams and ensuring that associated assessments, records and actions are appropriately monitored and progressed.
• They will exercise judgement in determining priorities and appropriate follow-up action, challenge unsafe practices where identified, and escalate significant or complex concerns appropriately.
• The role requires regular engagement with staff and managers across CHS and CHFT and increasing day-to-day autonomy as competence develops.
• The postholder will be expected to actively participate in training, mentoring and professional development, with the longer-term objective of developing the professional competence and qualifications necessary to undertake a broader Health & Safety Adviser role

• Fully managed estate and building maintenance
• Clinical Engineering and Decontamination
• Procurement advice, guidance and governance
• Capital project management
• Transport
• Grounds maintenance.
• Portering
• Catering
• Cleaning (including robot and deep cleaning)

Essential

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Confident communicator able to speak with staff at all levels of the organisation from senior leadership to front-line staff
• Comfortable taking the initiative to contact staff, visit work areas and open honest discussions, even where there may be resistance or discomfort
• Displays the confidence and integrity to engage in difficult conversations, challenge unsafe practice and stand by professional advice in order to support effective, well led and safe services
• Ability to explain health and safety matters clearly and practically
• Ability to interpret and apply procedures and compliance processes within defined areas of responsibility
• Basic IT skills including Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel
• Ability to organise workload, prioritise competing demands and manage tasks effectively
• Ability to analyse information and identify trends or areas requiring follow-up
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships across departments
• Able to work independently within defined areas of responsibility while seeking support and guidance appropriately
• Able to use initiative to identify and progress tasks and support the wider workload of the Health and Safety team
• Able to organise workload effectively and manage routine tasks with limited supervision as confidence and experience develop

Essential

• Experience maintaining electronic records, databases or monitoring systems
• Experience communicating with managers or coordinating actions across teams

Desirable

• Experience in an administrative, customer service, compliance or office environment
• Experience supporting compliance, governance, safety or quality systems
• Experience working in healthcare, estates or facilities environments

Essential

• GCSEs or equivalent including English and Maths at Grade 4 (C) or above
• A Levels, Level 3 qualification or equivalent education

Desirable

• HND, Foundation Degree or equivalent higher education qualification
• Health and safety qualification such as IOSH Working Safely or NEBOSH National General Certificate