Schools Health and Safety Advisor
Southwark Council
Do you see yourself making a real difference to the safety and wellbeing of children, staff and visitors across Southwark’s community schools?
Can you use your experience to provide confident, practical health and safety advice that supports school leaders and staff to meet the highest standards of compliance and best practice?
Does the idea of joining a values‑driven, diverse local authority committed to fairness, equality and positive change inspire you?
If yes, we have the perfect role for you!
Children’s Services are looking for a Schools Health and Safety Advisor to join our team and help ensure that Southwark’s children and staff learn and work in a safe, healthy environment.
About the Role:
You will provide operational health and safety support to Southwark’s Community Schools, working closely with the Estates and Asset Management Officer and the Council’s Health and Safety team. Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering professional health and safety advice and guidance to school leadership teams and staff
- Supporting schools to comply with health and safety legislation, policies, and best practice
- Promoting a positive health and safety culture across community schools
- Assisting with risk management, incident reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives
About You:
You are passionate about health and safety in educational settings and understand the unique challenges schools face. You will bring:
- Experience of working with schools and a strong understanding of their priorities and support needs
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build effective relationships
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to provide accurate, practical advice
- Up‑to‑date knowledge of health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice, and organisational policies
- Chartered Membership of IOSH, or working towards Chartered status
About the Team:
You’ll be joining a collaborative and supportive Children’s Services team that works closely with estates, health and safety professionals, and school leaders. We are committed to:
- Improving outcomes for children and young people across Southwark
- Supporting professional development and career progression
- Promoting inclusive values through our Southwark Stands Together commitment to tackling racism, inequality and injustice
For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification located at the bottom of the advert.
Contact Information:
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Jason Smith at jason.smith@southwark.gov.uk.
Additional Information:
- Graduate or working towards Chartered Membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (I.O.S.H.)
- Hours of work, 36 hours per week Monday – Friday
- Permanent
This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at Enhanced – Children’s (Barred) level.
Benefits and more information:
In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.
Recruitment Timeline:
Advert close date: 11:59pm on Wednesday 29th April 2026
Shortlisting date: Tuesday 5th May 2026
Interview/Assessment date: Wednesday 13th May 2026
The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises, and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
Attachments