Health, Safety and Wellbeing Adviser

Job title: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Adviser – Behaviour Intervention Support

Salary: £38,510 - £40,444 per annum

Hours 37 Hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Belle Isle Centre, hybrid working.

Do you want to make a real difference and help drive culture change in a large organisation?

As one our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisers – Behaviour Intervention Support you’ll excel at providing a range of high quality, responsive and flexible health and safety advice and guidance to a variety of stakeholders, including Directors, Chief Officers, Headteachers, SENDCOs and school staff, service area staff, managers, and unions to help them comply with health and safety legislation and good practice.

You’ll thrive on being part of a fast paced, dynamic team who strive to ensure we meet our duties and responsibilities as the council’s “Competent People” every day and seek to continually improve.

It’s not about a one size fits all approach or always black or white. It’s about being a critical thinker who can interpret legislation and guidance, understand the needs of our varied customers, and apply suitable solutions.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 24,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Adviser – Behaviour Intervention Support, you will bring to the role:

• Extensive knowledge and experience of working in or closely with settings providing services for users with SEND and / or SEMH challenges. Knowledge and experience of violence and aggression risks and the ability to identify strategies and systems to reduce those risks.
• The ability to communicate appropriately with a wide range of people, through a variety of different methods including the ability to influence and negotiate with others when communicating on health and safety issues.
• The ability to physically deliver a range of behaviour intervention and violence and aggression training which requires observation of participants and demonstrating physical techniques using both arms and standing, sitting and kneeling positions.
• The ability to formulate and implement practical guidance to implement safe working practices.
• Experience of delivering training / briefings to a range of stakeholders with excellent communication skills through a range of media.
• A can-do approach and confidence to check and challenge and experience of effectively using your own judgement skills to ensure positive outcomes whilst maintaining good working relationships with colleagues, managers, and other stakeholders.

About the role

As one of our next Health, Safety and Wellbeing Advisers – Behaviour Intervention Support, you’ll be part of something bigger and join us in achieving the Best City Ambition, working together as a Team for Leeds. We have an ambitious Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy that you will play a key role in delivering and realising across Leeds.

The role offers excellent opportunities to develop and widen your experience, skills and knowledge and make a real difference to the staff and people of Leeds.

The role is integral to our Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Team, that is part of the Human Resources Team. We support over 24,000 staff (based in 5 Directorates and over 100 Leeds City Council schools) and have a traded service to over 150 other organisations. Our remit also covers protecting the people of Leeds who use over 500 different Leeds City Council services. Within the Team we also have a range of specialist sub teams supporting strategies to support legal compliance, improve wellbeing, schools’ health, safety and wellbeing and Occupational Health.

We are a caring and supportive Team, who want the best for and from our colleagues, and we are committed to developing each other to achieve the full potential of the Team and individuals within it.

You’ll provide specialist behaviour intervention / violence and aggression / health, safety and wellbeing advice and support on a wide range of issues for allocated service areas and contribute to cross-council projects and initiatives.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidancefor further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Louise Arrowsmith, Senior Health, Safety and Wellbeing Adviser, louise.arrowsmith@leeds.gov.uk.

Recruitment will involve group work assessment centres (including a presentation activity) with separate interviews for applicants that successfully pass the assessment centre stage.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Special conditions - this post is subject to a higher-level check with the Disclosure & Barring Service. Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment; this will depend on the circumstances and background to any offence.

Job purpose To assist the Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire (HSWF) Leadership Team, HSWF Service Managers and Senior HSWF Advisers in delivering core elements of the HSWF strategy for LCC. Supporting the provision of health and safety advice, monitoring and training relating to BIST activities throughout Leeds City Council (LCC), including schools. Contribute to the development and delivery of the wider Violence and Aggression strategies for LCC

The role fulfils that of one of the organisation’s ‘competent people’, pursuant to the statutory requirement to have access to professional and technical health and safety advice. This will be done through:

• Building a rapport and establishing credibility with service managers and school leaders on all health, safety and wellbeing areas related to BIST/Violence and Aggression activities.
• Liaison with other services in and outside Leeds to ensure that holistic and comprehensive support is provided to schools/service areas and contributes to the school improvement and social inclusion agenda.
• Supporting the delivery of this area of the health and safety service, as part of the wider HR and Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire Teams to support service managers and schools’ leaders and anticipating, influencing and ultimately delivering against defined business needs.

Responsibilities

• Support service managers and school leaders to identify issues and provide appropriate health and safety solutions.
• Help improve and ensure compliance with health and safety legislation and good practice, through the provision of effective guidance, advice, training, monitoring and review.
• Deliver LCC’s BIST and Violence and Aggression training, including Team Teach, BIPRA, de-escalation and break away/self-defence training programmes for LCC services, schools and outside organisations including identifying and seeking out new areas of financial savings / income generation.
• Deliver high-quality appropriate BIST/Violence and Aggression support to LCC services, schools, and wider stakeholders. Includes ensuring the services provided are professional, tradeable and competitive.
• Support the development and maintenance of LCC Corporate Standards, guidance and documentation relating to BIST/Violence and Aggression to ensure consistency and clarity.
• Coordinate, delivering, and evaluating the impact of a range of learning and training programmes and events.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the wider Violence and Aggression strategies for LCC.
• Audit LCC settings and schools for compliance with health and safety legislation relating to all areas of BIST and supporting on the development and continual improvement of the audit process to ensure it is relevant , comprehensive and clear.
• Attend, contribute, and advise at multi-agency meetings as a subject expert around supporting educational, social and residential provision for children, young persons and adults.
• Liaise with union and non-union Safety Representatives and attend Safety Committees as required.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications Degree level or equivalent relevant knowledge and experience within the service area, Current Team Teach certificate to level 1 or 2 and current First Aid at Work Certificate to Emergency First Aid level as a minimum are essential to commence in post. To carry out this role current Team Teach Tutor status to Intermediate level as a minimum is essential. If you do not hold this qualification you must commence and have completed the qualification within 6 months of starting work.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• Extensive knowledge and experience of working in or closely with settings providing services for users with SEND and / or SEMH challenges.
• Knowledge and experience of violence and aggression risks and the ability to identify strategies and systems to reduce those risks.
• The post involves actively delivering a range of BIST/Violence and Aggression training which requires observation of participants and demonstrating physical techniques using both arms and standing, sitting and kneeling positions so it is essential the post holder must be physically able to undertake these activities.
• Able to work within and interpret financial policies and procedures ensuring value for money.
• Able to communicate appropriately with a wide range of people, through a variety of different methods.
• Able to work with managers at all levels in an advisory capacity.
• Able to formulate and implement practical guidance to implement safe working practices.
• Able to influence and negotiate with others when communicating on health and safety issues.
• Able to respect sensitive and confidential information.
• Good IT knowledge and able to use a range of Microsoft and in-house applications.
• Organisational skills necessary to manage and organise own workload.
• Able to respond to changing priorities to meet deadlines.
• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
• Ensure legislative knowledge and practice is kept up to date in line with regulatory changes and appropriate training is undertaken where required.
• Experience of delivering training / briefings to a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of reporting to and working effectively with a range of colleagues and partners.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Ability to deliver, evaluate and review care and control training independently without the support of other Team Teach Tutors.
• Health and Safety qualification to at least NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent) level.
• Experience of attending multi-agency meetings.