Job title: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager
Hours: 37 / week
Contract: Full Time
Do you want to make a real difference and drive culture change in a large organisation?
As one of our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Managers you’ll thrive on delivering tangible, effective results which help Leeds City Council (LCC), and our customers achieve excellence in health, safety, and wellbeing.
LCC‘s Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire Team provides a wide and diverse range of corporate strategies, guidance and support both internally, and beyond, to our externally traded customers. The role will include providing the lead on Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) for one or more of our key workstreams. This includes, but is not limited to, Wellbeing, Risk Management and Compliance across LCC, Training (internally and externally), LCC Schools, and Traded Services.
We are 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.
We don’t believe it’s 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. It’s not just about ensuing compliance – it’s about ensuring that colleagues, managers, service users and members of the public are kept safe and understand the roles they have to play in this.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As our next Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager you will bring to the role:
* A NEBOSH Diploma Level 6, or equivalent level qualifications for at least one of the key workstreams listed above, and significant relevant knowledge and experience within one or more of the HSW key workstreams.
* Experience of working with senior managers and other key stakeholders across a range of service areas and / or organisations.
* Excellent communication skills using a range of media, with experience of communicating effectively and appropriately to a wide range of people to positively influence and support change.
* Experience of developing and implementing strategies, policies, procedures and decision making in a large organisation, including the use of health, safety and wellbeing organisational data.
* Experience of effectively managing staff / a team (s) of staff at different levels with the ability to ensure work is carried out efficiently and effectively and that deadlines are met.
* Extensive knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and the ability to interpret and apply them consistently in a large, complex organisation.
* Experience of analysing and interpreting varied and complex information or situations and producing appropriate health, safety and wellbeing solutions or strategies to difficult problems.
* Experience of developing and delivering training to a range of stakeholders.
About the role
As our next Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager you’ll be a key part in helping us deliver and realise our ambitious Health, Safety, Wellbeing and Fire vision across Leeds. You’ll be part of something bigger and join us in achieving the Best City Ambition, working together as a Team for Leeds.
The role is integral to our HSWF 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.
In this role you will work closely with directorate management/leadership teams, chief officers, service managers, leadership teams of schools and external organisations to identify issues and provide appropriate health, safety, and wellbeing solutions through strategic planning.
You will enable them to improve and ensure compliance with health, safety and wellbeing legislation and good practice, through the provision of effective guidance, advice, monitoring, review and challenge.
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.
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
Apply for this job online. Please complete the online application form and upload your CV if you have one.
Recruitment will be via group assessment centre with practical desktop activity and presentation, and interview for those who successfully pass the assessment stage.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.
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, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job Purpose:
The role of a Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager is a varied one and includes providing the lead on Health, Safety and Wellbeing advice, support and strategies for one or more of our key workstreams. This includes, but is not limited to, the Directorates in LCC, Risk Management and Compliance across LCC, Training (internally and externally), LCC Schools, Traded Services, and Wellbeing.
In this role you will work closely with directorate management/leadership teams, chief officers, service managers, leadership teams of schools and external organisations to identify issues and provide appropriate health, safety and wellbeing solutions through strategic planning.
You will enable them to improve and ensure compliance with health, safety and wellbeing legislation and good practice, through the provision of effective guidance, advice, monitoring, review and challenge. Most importantly, this role fulfils that of one of the organisation’s ‘competent people’, pursuant to the statutory requirement to have access to professional and technical health, safety and wellbeing advice.
This will be done through:
* Building a rapport and establishing credibility with leadership teams and managers within allocated service areas on relevant health, safety, and wellbeing matters.
* Managing the delivery of allocated health, safety, and wellbeing services, as part of the wider HR team, to support leaders and managers - anticipating, influencing, and ultimately delivering against defined business needs;
* Providing advice, guidance and support to leaders and managers on health, safety and wellbeing and related matters including, well-being, occupational health and reducing sickness absence, identifying risks and opportunities, and working to produce creative and pragmatic solutions to issues raised.
* Supporting the Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing to deliver excellent health, safety and wellbeing services across the council and to external organisations;
* Contributing to organisation-wide health, safety, and wellbeing (and related) projects and initiatives.
Responsibilities
* To act as the lead, competent health, safety and wellbeing professional for one or more of our key workstreams working closely with senior managers to identify issues and provide appropriate solutions through effective planning. This includes, but is not limited to, Wellbeing, the Directorates in LCC, Risk Management and Compliance across LCC, Training (internally and externally), LCC Schools, and Traded Services.
* In your key work streams, to actively contribute to the development and achievement of LCCs Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategies and ensure the provision of proactive and positive intervention. This includes developing policies, procedures and systems that promote a best practice approach to Health, Safety and Wellbeing as part of embedding a robust, effective safety culture and safety management system across LCC and external organisations.
* Manage and ensure the provision of high-quality appropriate health, safety and wellbeing advice and support in your key workstreams, including ensuring the services provided are professional, effective and, where relevant, tradeable and competitive.
* To provide effective check, challenge and support to managers, stakeholders and external organisations to enable them meet legal, best practice and LCC standards and ensure continuous improvement.
* To provide high quality performance information to senior managers across LCC and external organisations, and the Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing to enable assessment of compliance with health, safety and wellbeing in line with legal requirements, council standards and good practice.
* To manage and develop a team of health, safety and wellbeing advisors and support staff, and provide professional and technical support to council employees who are employed in a health, safety and wellbeing role outside of HR.
* To develop excellent relationships with key stakeholders, in particular managers at all levels, Trade Unions and external organisations. This would also include liaising with HM Inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive and other enforcement bodies as necessary.
* To ensure effective health, safety and wellbeing information and training is available to all stakeholders in LCC and relevant external organisations.
* To co-ordinate and/or contribute to council wide initiatives and projects, especially those that involve a health, safety and wellbeing agenda.
* To manage or support the management of the budget for the provision of services within your key work streams.
* To have excellent communication skills, with experience in building collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders including senior managers, Trade Unions, colleagues, and partner organisations to understand future challenges and to deliver effective workforce solutions.
* To keep abreast of legislation, case law and developments in health and safety and professional practice and communicate developments and relevant information within the Directorate 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 NEBOSH Diploma Level 6, or equivalent level qualifications for at least one of the key workstreams, and significant relevant knowledge and experience within one or more of the HSW key workstreams.
Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria. Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.
* Experience of working with senior managers and other key stakeholders across a range of service areas and / or organisations.
* Excellent communication skills using a range of media, with experience of communicating effectively and appropriately to a wide range of people to positively influence and support change.
* Experience of developing and implementing strategies, policies, procedures and decision making in a large organisation, including the use of health, safety and wellbeing organisational data.
* Experience of effectively managing staff / a team (s) of staff at different levels with the ability to ensure work is carried out efficiently and effectively and that deadlines are met.
* Experience of effectively developing the skills and knowledge of others.
* Extensive knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and the ability to interpret and apply them consistently.
* Experience of analysing and interpreting varied and complex information or situations and producing appropriate health, safety and wellbeing solutions or strategies to difficult problems.
* Experience of interpreting and applying health, safety and wellbeing legislation and / or best practice in a large, complex organisation.
* Knowledge and experience of working with a range of IT systems.
* A good understanding of the legal, financial, political, and social factors affecting LCC and the organisations we support.
* Experience of reactive and pro-active monitoring in a large, complex organisation – including serious accident/incident investigations.
* Experience of developing and delivering training to a range of stakeholders.
* Experience of working within and interpreting financial policies and procedures ensuring value for money.
* Able to communicate appropriately with a wide range of people, through a variety of different methods.
Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics
* 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, Safety and Wellbeing 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.
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