Job title: Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer

Salary: SO2 £38,510 - £40,444
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Based at Newmarket House with travel across Leeds

As a Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer, you'll be passionate about creating safe, healthy and inclusive workplaces where people can thrive. You'll play a key role in supporting one of the council's largest frontline services, helping to ensure colleagues across Environmental Services are safe, supported and able to perform at their best.

It's not just about compliance. This is an opportunity to make a genuine difference to employees' wellbeing, working with managers, frontline teams and staff networks to create positive and lasting improvements across the service.

About you

As a Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer, you will bring to the role:

Knowledge and practical experience of interpreting and applying health and safety legislation and best practice.
Experience of carrying out audits, risk assessments and supporting the development of safe systems of work.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of audiences.
Knowledge of workplace wellbeing, mental health awareness and equality, diversity and inclusion principles.
The ability to build positive working relationships, resolve issues constructively and work collaboratively across multiple teams and service areas.

A full driving licence is required, and you must be able to work flexibly across a range of Environmental Services locations.

About the role

As our next Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer, you'll help shape the wellbeing, health, safety and inclusion agenda across Environmental Services. Working as part of a dedicated team, you'll support the delivery of service-wide initiatives that improve employee wellbeing, strengthen safety culture and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

The role combines strategic and operational responsibilities. You'll provide advice and guidance to managers and frontline colleagues, support incident investigations, review risk assessments and safe working instructions, deliver training and presentations, and use data and insight to identify opportunities for improvement.

The role is integral to our Wellbeing Team, which supports a diverse workforce operating across a range of essential frontline services. You'll work closely with managers, trade union representatives, and colleagues across the council to ensure employees receive the support they need and that services continue to meet their health, safety and wellbeing responsibilities.

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 guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Heather Austin, Wellbeing Team Manager, heather.austin@leeds.gov.uk

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 visa route 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. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Purpose:

To assist the Wellbeing Team Manager in the implementation of the of the Councils Employee Health, Safety & Wellbeing Strategy, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion in a way that is appropriate for and engages the whole workforce across Environmental Services. To provide high quality, flexible and responsive H&S, Wellbeing and EDI advice and guidance to ensure that staff are working safely, are compliant with H&S legislation, that their wellbeing is prioritised, and that the workplace is inclusive for all. To work with collegues within the Team and across the whole service providing Wellbeing and H&S advice on operational matters on a day to day basis.

Key Responsibilities:

Working as part of a team to develop and deliver Wellbeing, Health & Safety & Equality Diversity & Inclusion solutions to meet service and staff needs
Delivering service wide Wellbeing, H&S and EDI projects and initiatives
Carrying out auditing and monitoring and providing day to day advice to ensure that the service is taking proportionate steps to manage risks and to ensure that employees are working safely at all times
Providing advice and support in reviewing risk assessments and safe working instructions
Providing daily line management to staff within the team in accordance with Council Policies and procedures and our values and behaviours
Ensuring effective, positive and open relationships with all staff and trade union representatives
Attending meetings and participating in Corporate and Directorate initiatives in relation to Health, Safety & Wellbeing, Equality Diversity & Inclusion
Assisting in providing timely and accurate information and data in relation to service that supports the effective operations of the service and assists managers with their Health, safety Welling and EDI obligations and responsibilities
Providing support with incident, accident and dangerous occurrence investigations and resolutions
Providing information for and attending and presenting to the services Joint Consultative Committees with Trade Unions where deputising for the team manager
Effectively communicating and presenting information on a range on Wellbeing, Health & Safety and EDI issues to a wide range of audiences
Liaising with team leaders and managers across the service on thematic issues or staff needs and to make and / or implement any recommendations for improvement
Keeping abreast of legislation, case law and developments in health and safety and professional practice and communicate developments and relevant information within the service areas as required.
Ensuring all staff are supported to be their best at work through the work of the team, the service and the Corporate occupational health offers
Maintain an up to date awareness and knowledge of H&S and EDI practice and current legislation
Support on and participate in/deliver employee inductions, training and Toolbox talks
Work with Team Leaders and managers to provide advice and support on individual staffs needs including the provision of personal support plans / stress risk assessments, reasonable adjustment passports and wellbeing booklets etc
To encourage participation, and support and coordinate the activity of Wellbeing Champions, Mental Health First Aiders and related roles within the service
To be available to staff for Wellbeing needs whether that be providing direct support and advice or signposting to appropriate services, third sector organisations
Use information from the service, managers, staff and other sources to identify where there are emerging issues or where change is needed, and suggest how they can be resolved or improved

Qualifications: N/A

Essential requirements: Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

A full driving license is required for this role
Must be able to work flexibly across different work locations and service areas as appropriate
Thorough knowledge of interpreting and applying health and safety legislation and best practice including experience of interpretation and implementation
Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and wellbeing principles and practices
Knowledge of mental health issues and up to date developments in wellbeing and support strategies
Familiarity with best practices in workplace wellbeing
Knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, challenges and best practice relating to wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion
An understanding of the factors underlying health including those contributing to local and national priorities.
Ability to deliver training and presentations to a wide variety of audiences in a way that’s accessible to them
Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
Ability to develop productive working relationships at all levels that command trust and confidence
Ability to resolve potential conflict and to create an environment which fosters cooperation and trust
Ability to work across service boundaries to achieve outcomes and objectives
Ability to use own initiative to develop solutions to complex issues and problems to ensure effective delivery of service
A good knowledge of Health & Safety legislation
Ability to carry out and record risk assessments and developing safe systems of work which are accessible to all
Ability to use IT applications (Word & Excel) and management information systems
Ability to maintain accurate and sensitive records and produce accurate timely reports
Ability to understand the complexities of working in a political environment including with ward members and Trade Unions
Ability to identify problems or risks, and propose resolutions associated with operational issues and service delivery.
Ability to prioritise inspections in order of high risk areas, and to evaluate and respond to emerging situations quickly
Organisational skills necessary to manage and organise own workload.
Ability to identify and understand the challenges and obstacles for staff in working in the Environmental Services environment and to suggest and implement strategies to remove such barriers, for staff individually and for the service
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team and ensuring a cohesive approach to service priorities
Experience of working in a dynamic environment with competing priorities with an ability to adapt to changing circumstances
Experience of auditing against legislation or standards
Demonstrate an understanding of workplace and community issues in terms of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and have the ability to develop and implement service strategies to redress inequalities
To display genuine enthusiasm and commitment to wanting to make a positive difference to peoples overall wellbeing and occupational health
A commitment to the public service ethos with a genuine interest in serving the public
Be able to to understand and apply Leeds City Councils Policies and procedures including being an exemplary example of our values and behaviours
To display genuine enthusiasm and commitment to wanting to make a positive difference to peoples overall wellbeing and welfare

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 policies and procedures.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity 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.

#LI-DNI