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HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 5
Directorate: Health & Safety, Estates, Litigation and
Safety
Job Description - Health, Safety and Fire Practitioner
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-3226 Health, Safety and Fire Practitioner
Document Type
Management
Version
1.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
11 December 2025
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
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HQ-JES-3226 Health, Safety and Fire Practitioner v 1.0
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Job Description
Job Title
Health, Safety and Fire Practitioner
Directorate
Health & Safety, Estates, Litigation and Safety
Band
5
Overview of the
This is a non-operational specialist role based within
job
establishments and line managed via the Senior Health Safety
and Fire HS&F Advisor within the National Service - Estates,
Health, Safety, Litigation and Safety Group HSF&L Team.
The role supports national plans and systems for the effective
management of HSF and Litigation via the risk through the
provision of first line advice and support for establishment(s) and
by the co-ordination and operation of relevant establishment(s)
administration and management systems in line with national
policy.
There are no line management responsibilities.
Summary
The post manages the day to delivery by liaising and co-
ordinating health, safety and fire management in
establishment(s), providing first line guidance and advice,
training and support to key stakeholders including the SMT, staff,
prisoners, contractors and visitors. Ensuring matters are
investigated in a timely manner as per guidance. The job holder
will undertake the role, having access to all work areas, plant
and equipment within the establishment.
The post holder will report to the Senior HS&F Advisor in the
HSF&L Delivery Team. Support for other establishments in the
geographical area or wider structure may be required in line with
risk.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Responsible for the administration, management and
assurance of all accident, assault, near miss and fire
incidents. This involves investigating complex incidents,
while collating sensitive information, obtaining CCTV/BWVC
evidence and recording evidence finds on the Sphera
system to support cases and advisory actions.
• The administration and management of the DSE training and
assessment software system; undertaking individual DSE
assessments for acute cases and advising Managers when
ergonomic assessments are necessary in complex cases.
• Responsible for the Health safety and fire safety critical
training and assessment to validation. Covering a range of
software systems, strategies and policy principles to allow
staff to deal safely with emergency incidents. Provide advice
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to managers, opening individual learning plans for those
deemed to have a specific learning need and provide peer
quality assurance.
• Support in the management, monitoring, review and delivery
of the risk management model within the HSF&L
Governance Strategy. To advise and support the senior
management and governing governor of any dangerous
conditions requiring immediate action and intervention.
Offering significant impactful knowledge towards resolution
of complex life critical services within health, safety and fire
process assurance.
• Responsible for the production, review and monitoring of
establishment FRA’s, identifying all significant risks and
actions, reporting and managing to mitigate or eliminate the
risk. Liaise regularly with the PSP (North/South/LT&HS)
HSF&L team, to ensure that national priorities and actions
for HS&F are fed into relevant establishment management
forums and report through monthly stakeholder reports to
highlight and progress concerns.
• Manage and co-ordinate fire safety arrangements within the
establishment in line with legislation and policy, including co-
operating and co-ordinating with internal/external
management stakeholders, to plan and execute fire safety
drills, familiarisation tours, tactical exercises and where
required be the point of contact during any interruptions to
key services, all in line with the establishments contingency
plans. Frequent liaison with the Fire and Rescue Service
(FRS) to facilitate the implementation of the local
establishment fire contingency plans in association with the
FRS operational firefighting procedures.
• Work with colleagues and support all local functions in
relation to Health, safety and fire compliance, supporting the
monitoring of immunisations, referring RIDDOR incidents,
attendance absence cases for RIDDOR, first aid
assessment, RPE training to national requirements, arson
and PEEP advisor measures in accordance with the
governance strategy.
• Responsible for reviewing projects with senior stakeholders
and management functions, including site visits and pre-start
meetings. Providing technical Health, safety and fire advice
and knowledge based on legal requirement, HMPPS Policy
and technical instruction.
• Work collaboratively with MoJ Estates colleagues in the
completion of high risk audits, contribute to Estates tri-partite
meetings, submit Planet FMs or New Work Requests and
EIPs for all unsafe conditions that are identified and
highlighted through the completion of BFRAs and any
defects identified as part of establishment tours. Encourage
all staff to actively report unsafe acts and conditions.
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• To routinely monitor the adequacy of HSF&L Contingency
Planning and to assist those responsible with the
development and testing of HSF&L contingency plans,
through memorandum of understanding MOU.
• Conduct frequent HSF tours to all areas of the establishment
using a triangulated approach to inspect and verify
compliance. Ensure that any areas of concern are reported
effectively. Working with managers including Heads of
Functions to ensure all staff are aware of the risk
assessment process and associated SSOW, to ensure all
risks are reviewed and managed as required and performing
fire evacuation exercises.
• Assist the regional litigation teams in the
identification/collation of relevant information and
documentation, to assist in defending the service from legal
challenge within complex sensitive cases to protect the
public service and reduce litigation cost.
• Contribute to the completion of PHASE checklists in line with
the HSF&L Governance strategy, through the evaluation of
establishment risks. Support the SHSFA in the production of
the HSF&L risk register, forward delivery plan and collation
of RFI data. Support in the monitoring of actions and
changes in risk levels.
• Responsible for ensuring all staff and stakeholders receive a
health, safety and fire induction and are aware of the actions
required in the event of an emergency.
• In conjunction with the SHSFA ensure attendance at
establishment morning meetings, reporting any areas of
concern and acting upon any reported incidents.
• Support in the production of incident, risk and compliance
data for discussion at establishment HSF&L committee.
Support in the coordination of the meeting in line with the
requirements of the governance strategy.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is
expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of
a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Behaviours
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
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Strengths
We recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally - select from
the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the intranet.
Essential
• Good IT skills ensuring that related electronic systems are
Experience
accurately populated.
• Able user of MS Word and MS Excel.
• Basic training and presentation skills.
• Information collation and analysis.
Technical
The post holder is required to hold or complete within 2 years of
Requirements
appointment:
• a minimum of NEBOSH General Certificate or equivalent;
• and the HMPPS Fire Risk Assessment qualification.
Appointees are also required to complete the RPE Training
Qualification and will be expected to gain this qualification
immediately on appointment.
It is expected that post-holders will achieve Associate
membership of IOSH within 2 years of appointment via successful
completion of the NEBOSH Certificate or equivalent and
subsequently achieve Technical Membership within 2 to 5 years
subject to F/T status.
It is expected that post holders will achieve Technician Grade of
the Institute of Fire Engineers within 2 years of appointment via
successful completion of the HMPPS Standard Fire Risk
Assessors course and maintain 25 hours of continued
professional development (CPD) per year, including a mix of
formal and informal activities.
The post holder will also be required to attain Engineering
Technician (EngTech) grade through the Engineering Council and
achieve a place on the Institution of Fire Engineers Fire Risk
Assessors register.
Ability
• Able to deal effectively and assertively with staff at all levels.
• Able to work to tight deadlines and prioritise workload in line
with demand.
Minimum
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior
Eligibility
to taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they
have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of
a group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours) To be used by the JES Team only
Allowances
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