Health and Safety Manager

Job Title:                    Health and Safety Manager

Band:                          Band 8B

Responsible to:        Director of Communications and Transformation

Accountable to:       Chief Executive

Responsible for:      Health and Safety Advisors

JOB PURPOSE:

A senior management position within the Trust providing strategic advice, direction and leadership in Health and Safety; and the delivery and management of the Trust's statutory duties to ensure a healthy environment for all employees, service users, contractors and general public.

The post holder will be required to act as the appointed competent person as described within the current Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations to provide expert advice, help and guidance so that the organisation can fulfil its responsibilities under Health and Safety and other relevant legislation. Also, to work collaboratively with the Trust’s designated Fire Safety Manager.

They will be responsible for ensuring that the Trust has effective policies, systems and processes in place to be able to meet all the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and associated regulations; and that these systems and processes ensure that patients can be treated in safe environments and are protected from risks. This also includes leading the Health & Safety audit process across the Trust ensuring safety inspections are carried out.

They will lead a portfolio of compliance requirements and support Trust managers, committees and staff at all levels. This will include the monitoring and assurance of compliance with legislation / statutory requirements, performance indicators and best practice; and also leading on the monitoring of Trust performance against the Trust Health & Safety policy requirements.

The post holder will lead, develop and promote an annual Health and Safety plan for the Trust in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure that all requirements are met.

The post holder will promote a culture where learning is actively sought, shared and acted upon across the Trust in an open, effective and timely manner; and hence will be responsible for the development, management and implementation of the Trust training programmes for fire safety and health and safety for all Trust staff.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operational

• To act as the appointed Competent Person (defined in law as the person competent to advise the Trust Board on legal requirements for Health and Safety matters).
• Take responsibility for the development, implementation and monitoring of the Trust's Health and Safety Policies and processes ensuring alignment with relevant UK and European health and safety law. They will ensure the policies meet the requirements of the Trust and external regulators (eg. Care Quality Commission and Health Safety Executive).
• Lead implementation of the health, safety and risk management systems, in particular incident reporting, hazard identification and risk assessment.
• Responsible for ensuring health and safety risk assessments are undertaken by managers and staff in the Trust, providing training and assistance where necessary, and that actions plans are developed and monitored.
• Lead the health and safety audit process across the Trust ensuring safety inspections are carried out, across all areas at which Central London Community Health staff deliver services, to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation and to follow up on incidents.
• Work closely with the organisations Lead Director for Health and Safety, Lead Director for Operational Resilience and Support Services, the Health and Safety Committee/Group, and Divisional and service leads in delivering assurances to the Trust board with regards to the implementation of Health and Safety policies and procedures in the organisation. There will also be a need to work in partnership with Capita colleagues who deliver our Estates and Facilities function.
• Take a key leadership role in attending and providing expert reporting/advice on the management of Health and Safety and risk to the Health and Safety group
• Monitor compliance against statutory or internal legislation or guidance by taking responsibility for relevant indicators and undertaking or organising pre-planned audits of departments, services or sites.
• Responsible for ensuring legal compliance for incidents reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) and ensuring these are reported to the Health and Safety Executive within statutory time requirements.
• Ensure health and safety incidents and near misses are reviewed on the organisations software system (Datix) enabling lessons to be learnt.
• Identify trends and review incident investigations carried out by Divisions/Services and where necessary undertake a more detailed investigation in accordance with Trust investigation policies and protocols.
• To work collaboratively with the Trust’s designated Fire Safety Manager to maintain appropriate fire safety standards and to ensure Trust actions are managed.
• Prepare and produce reports for the Trust Board (and other groups) on the performance of Health and Safety and risk against priorities, emerging issues, trends and actions plans.
• Responsible for identifying and supporting Health and Safety and Fire training needs for staff at all levels within the Trust, whether this be through packages on the Trusts electronic learning system (iLearn) or face to face delivery.
• Liaise with other Trust and Capita Health and Safety Managers and Advisers in related areas such as infection control, fire safety, occupational health etc to ensure there is a cohesive and integrated approach to providing a safe working environment.
• Liaise with all enforcement agencies, NHS agencies and auditors on behalf of the Trust in relation to health, safety and risk.
• Establish a library of health and safety literature and guidance and maintain, ensuring the information is up to date and available to all staff through dissemination and Hub self-selection.
• Undertake regular reviews of the health and safety/risk management training needs of the Trust.
• To support the Trust’s approach to ergonomic and manual handling and appropriate policies and procedures, providing specialist advice as needed.
• To support the Trust’s system for the management of medical devices; including the procurement, storage, maintenance and replacement and the provision of training on the safe use of medical devices.
• Work in partnership with and, where necessary, provide specialist advice to those departments and services that have particular health and safety requirements such as the Estates and Facilities department.
• Work in partnership with the Estates and Facilities department to lead and maintain comprehensive and effective systems for the Trust for the management of fire safety.
• Where necessary, work with the Estates and Facilities department to liaise with contractors on fire, health and safety issues to ensure that appropriate standards are deployed and maintained. This may include site meetings, inspections and agreeing risk assessments (method statements), policies and procedures.
• To attend such meetings as is necessary so as to provide advice on health and safety issues. Represent the Trust at local, regional and national level on health and safety by the delivery of presentations or membership of groups or committees.

   

  1. Communication and Working Relationships

• Required to provide highly complex, sensitive and contentious information where there will be barriers to understanding/acceptance and people may have strong opposing views in both group settings and in one to one meetings with both service users and staff and to large groups of twenty plus. e.g., Health and Safety Group and sub-groups.
• Ensure high visibility and accessibility for staff, stakeholders and other service users through being proactive in advising, identifying and helping to resolve specific or recurrent concerns.
• To ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that Trust Managers are aware of their statutory health and safety responsibilities and help put in place steps to ensure they can meet these requirements. Able to communicate sensitive information.
• Provide expert advice and support to the Trust ensuring compliance with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act (1974) etc.
• Able to communicate / negotiate with all levels of stakeholders including Board members, Directors, Capita colleagues, staff, contractors and service suppliers.
• Prepare and present routine formal papers on the performance of health and safety and risk against priorities, emerging issues, trends and action plans, and business cases when required. To include an Annual Report to the Trust Board and updates.
• Chair meetings that will have senior staff attending from across the Trust.
• Liaise and work closely with the estates and facilities colleagues, as well as clinical and non-clinical staff, and ensure related areas such as Infection Prevention Control, fire safety, manual handling, occupational health have a cohesive and integrated approach to providing a safe working environment.
• To lead by example in abiding by Health and Safety policies and regulations, infection prevention and control policies and act in accordance with the Risk Management Policy.
• To produce an annual Health and Safety report for the Trust board and any other Board or Executive Team reports as needed. To also produce and annual Health and Safety workplan.
• To regularly update the Trust on Health and Safety issues through a range of media, including web-pages, newsletter, leaflets, posters and presentations to a range of different audiences including staff and professional groups.
• To liaise effectively with clinical teams to make complex decisions that will impact on the safety and security of all users to the site.
• To actively promote a pro-security culture Trust wide.
• To establish strong links within the organisation and with police and other relevant stakeholders to support the planning, implementation and review of actions required to tackle violence and security issues, based on service need.
• Working co-operatively with other members of the Quality and Risk team to ensure that issues identified from Health and Safety and Fire compliance are reviewed and triangulated with other assurance information to support improvement and assurance.

1. Analytical and Judgement

• Required to consider a wide range of options in relation to health and safety issues throughout the organisation and provide expert advice to staff at all levels. This will often be highly complex and made up of different components, which will require analysis and may not have obvious solutions and where expert opinion may differ.
• Required to analyse complex facts or situations of activity/service in relation to performance targets, strategic objectives and where opinions may conflict to ensure contract services manage risk and deliver high quality, cost effective services.
• To attend and provide expert advice on the management of health, safety and risk to the Health and Safety Group, Strategic Estates Group and Trust Risk committees; and provide support to other departments and sub-committees as required eg Infection Prevention, Estates.
• The post holder will need to make judgements whilst taking into account legislative Health and Safety aspects, national guidance and best practice.
• Work with the Estates and Facilities department to deliver an appropriate data set in advance of the national deadline for Estates Return Information Centre (ERIC) to review and ‘test’ the validity of the data prior to submission.
• Provide accurate data in relation to relevant performance data.
• Ensure health and safety incidents and near misses are reviewed on the Trust’s software system (datix) enabling lessons to be learnt. To investigate any accidents, untoward incidents and to take action as appropriate. To analyse results and produce information indicating trends.
• Undertaking risk and contingency assessments of potential hazards, internally within the Trust and within the surrounding geographical area, for which the Trust may for which the Trust may be required to provide support.
• To ensure a robust audit trail is in place for all issues that arise and actions taken.
• To ensure appropriate linkage with the Trusts risk assessment process throughout the organisation so that health and safety, environmental audit and security issues are an integral part of that process.
• Ensure that Health and Safety compliance is kept under review within a programme of audit and improvement, informing the Trust’s audit programme.

1. Planning and Organisational Skills
   • Required to provide long term strategic planning for the organisation in relation to all aspects of Health & Safety and to implement this through the annual work plan.
   • To be responsible for ensuring that standards of services are continually set and reviewed to support delivery in line with contractual requirements, activity and financial targets; taking into account the breadth and complexity of the organisation and the needs to occasionally adjust plans in line with operational priorities.
   • Deliver appropriate governance standards in-line with CQC standards, NHSLA and other quality standards both national and local.
   • Promoting and supporting the development of Business Continuity Plans throughout the Trust.
   • To lead the review and assessment of training needs across the Trust to formulate appropriate training programmes for Health & Safety working with the Training department to ensure this is in place.

    

2. Responsibility for Patient/Client Care
   • As the Trust expert for all issues relating to Health & Safety, the post holder will be expected to provide highly specialist advice that contributes to the care, education and management of services users across the organisation. eg medical devices, ligatures and lifting equipment.
   • Ensure the timely investigation and drafting of responses to informal and formal complaints received.
   • Occasional contact with patients requiring the post holder to conduct themselves in a supportive and caring manner.
   • Provide advice on security systems in new building or redevelopment works as needed.

      

3. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Responsible for the design, development, implementation of all relevant Trust Health and Safety policies and procedures ensuring that they are up to date and meet the requirements of the organisation and external regulators, ensuring that corporately agreed policies, strategies and priorities are reflected consistently.
• To be responsible for the design, development and implementation of any new policies required as legislation is introduced or changed. Ensuring that such policies dovetail with the Trust Risk Management strategy and are compliant with NHS litigation Authority Risk Management Standards and the requirements of CQC and NHS England.
• To review, identify and interpret legislative developments, national best practice and guidance ensuring that this is communicated to key staff and that appropriately adopted within Trust practice.
• Monitor and report on relevant quality and performance management indicators and support Trust strategies for improvement.
• To systematically identify issues for learning or areas of variation across the Trust, highlighting best practice or areas of weakness and ensure that these are communicated and translated across the organisation to support improvement.
• Produce recommendations papers as appropriate for service changes after analysis of service requirements and budgetary demands.
• To identify and assess risks relating to Health and Safety compliance across the Trust to ensure that these are appropriate recorded in the Trust risk register and robust mitigation actions are identified and owned