Job Opportunity

Health & Safety Officer

Job Description

Halifax Opportunities Trust is a local social enterprise with a broad portfolio of activities that create vibrant, multicultural and self-sustaining communities across Calderdale.

Hours: 37.5
Contract Type: Full-time (Fixed Term for 12 months)
Location: Halifax (multi-site across HOT locations)
Deadline: 6th March 2026, 5 pm
Salary: £34,000 per annum (pro rata)

We are looking for someone with:

Strong professional judgement and ability to provide clear, practical advice
Ability to interpret legislation and translate it into workable procedures
Confidence engaging with colleagues at all levels
A calm and structured approach under pressure
Commitment to continuous improvement
A genuine interest in supporting safe environments for vulnerable service users
Demonstrable experience in a similar standalone or lead H&S role
Proven ability to implement improvements and embed sustainable systems
Confidence to challenge constructively and influence at all levels
Ability to assess gaps quickly and prioritise actions effectively
Experience supporting organisations through change, audit or compliance improvement programmes

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Health & Safety Officer to take ownership of Health & Safety across our organisation. This is a rare opportunity to shape systems that protect people, strengthen governance, and build long-term organisational resilience across our business centres, mixed-use buildings and community spaces.

This is not a maintenance role. We are looking for someone who can hit the ground running — quickly assess current systems, implement improvements, and embed a proactive, sustainable safety culture that makes a lasting difference.

The postholder will work closely with the People & Operational Excellence Lead, operational managers and senior leadership to strengthen compliance, resilience and best practice across all sites.

Application Information and How to Apply

Job Description

Reports to:

Mags Ciewiertnia

Job Overview:

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of Health & Safety across a diverse and values-driven organisation, shaping systems that protect people, strengthen governance, and safeguard long-term organisational resilience. This role plays a key part in ensuring robust compliance and delivering a proactive, high-quality Health & Safety service across our diverse operational environments, including business centres, mixed-use buildings, and community spaces.

We are seeking an experienced practitioner who can hit the ground running, quickly assess current systems, and make an immediate and lasting impact. This role requires someone confident operating independently, capable of strengthening existing frameworks while embedding improvements that create long-term resilience and sustainability in our health and safety culture.

Responsibility and Duties:

The Health & Safety Officer is responsible for:

Implementing, strengthening and coordinating organisational health & safety systems
Ensuring statutory, regulatory and insurance compliance across all sites
Supporting managers to maintain safe environments for staff, tenants, contractors, service users and visitors
Embedding a proactive, positive and accountable safety culture
Developing organisational resilience through contingency planning and emergency preparedness
Monitoring performance, identifying gaps, and driving continuous improvement that delivers sustainable, long-term impact
The postholder is responsible for the implementation and coordination of H&S systems and must be able to operate with minimal supervision.

Compliance & Risk Management

Ensure the organisation meets its statutory, regulatory and organisational responsibilities relating to health and safety, fire safety, risk management and compliance
Deliver and complete actions arising from external H&S and fire risk assessments
Conduct and review risk assessments (including fire), inspections and audits across all sites
Maintain risk registers and compliance trackers
Investigate accidents, incidents and near misses, ensuring learning and preventative action
Monitor compliance with COSHH and other relevant legislation
Review and maintain organisational contingency and business continuity plans
Coordinate and test emergency and contingency arrangements (e.g. evacuation exercises, incident simulations, business continuity testing) and ensure learning is embedded
Ensure health & safety arrangements align with insurance requirements and conditions
Liaise with insurers and brokers where required in relation to risk management, incident reporting and risk improvement actions
Support the organisation in understanding insurable risks and ensuring adequate controls are in place to mitigate exposure

Policy, Systems & Governance

Develop, review and implement health, safety, fire and security policies and procedures
Maintain accurate documentation relating to inspections, training, incidents and compliance
Develop and report on H&S KPIs (e.g. near-miss trends, training compliance, inspection outcomes)
Provide regular performance reports to the Senior Management Team and Board
Support the development of clear escalation and reporting mechanisms
Coordinate annual external audits and periodic independent reviews

Training & Culture

Coordinate and oversee statutory and mandatory training (e.g. Fire Safety, First Aid, DSE)
Maintain training matrices and ensure compliance across teams
Act as a visible presence across sites, reinforcing good safety practices
Promote a proactive, positive safety culture where staff feel confident raising concerns
Provide practical, clear advice to managers and operational teams

Operational Support

Work closely with operational leads to support facilities management and contractor compliance
Ensure safe environments across business centres, community garden spaces and mixed-use buildings
Support emergency preparedness arrangements including fire drills and first aid provision
Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in systems, processes and site arrangements
Identify systemic risk themes and implement corrective actions that create long-term risk reduction rather than short-term fixes
Ensure contractor management processes meet both regulatory and insurance compliance requirements

Personal Development:

Take responsibility for own professional development
Attend supervision, training, and team meetings as required
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of health & safety legislation, regulatory developments and risk management best practice.
Contribute to governance reporting processes where required.

The responsibilities reflect the core activities of the role and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other duties may be required from time to time to meet organisational needs, and flexibility is expected.

General Responsibilities

Person Specification

Experience and Knowledge:

Essential:

Demonstrable experience operating in a standalone or lead Health & Safety role
Experience managing health & safety across multi-site or mixed-use operational environments
Strong working knowledge of UK health & safety legislation, fire safety and regulatory compliance requirements
Experience conducting and reviewing risk assessments, inspections and audits
Experience developing, reviewing and testing contingency and business continuity arrangements
Understanding of insurance-related risk management and insurable risk controls
Experience liaising with insurers, brokers or external H&S advisers
Experience preparing structured reports for senior leadership and/or Board-level governance forums
Proven track record of implementing measurable improvements in compliance or safety culture
Experience embedding systems that create sustainable, long-term organisational impact

Desirable:

Experience within a charity, social enterprise or community-based organisation
Experience working in business centres, commercial property or mixed-use buildings
Experience developing dashboards, KPIs or compliance reporting frameworks

Experience supporting organisations through regulatory inspection or audit

Education and Qualifications:

Essential:

NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent)

Minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including English and Maths, or equivalent

Desirable:

Fire Risk Assessment qualification (Level 3/4)

Relevant business continuity or risk management training

Abilities and Skills

Essential:

Excellent written and verbal communication
Analytical ability
Legislative interpretation
Prioritisation
Influencing
Independent working
Strategic thinking
Calm under pressure

Desirable:

Experience using compliance systems
Experience developing dashboards

Traits and Characteristics:

Essential:

Proactive, resilient and self-motivated
Pragmatic and commercially aware approach to risk management
High integrity and commitment to professional standards
Comfortable being visible and engaging across operational sites
Confident building trusted relationships with managers and frontline teams
Solution-focused mindset with the ability to see beyond immediate issues

Passion for creating safe environments that protect vulnerable service users

Desirable:

Interest in organisational development and continuous improvement
Commitment to ongoing professional development within Health & Safety

Circumstances:

Essential:

This role is critical to strengthening organisational resilience and ensuring that health and safety systems are not only compliant, but effective, embedded and sustainable. The successful candidate will leave a clear legacy of improved practice, stronger governance and a confident safety culture across the Trust.

Desirable:

How to Apply

For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact: 07732499824

Mags Ciewiertnia mags.ciewiertnia@regen.org.uk

To apply, please complete the job application form.

Privacy Notice

Halifax Opportunities Trust is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018. Halifax Opportunities Trust takes its responsibilities under the Act very seriously.

The information provided by you is collected for the purposes of processing your application for employment against the Job Description and Person Specification. Application forms are used to determine who to interview for the advertised position by way of shortlisting.

If you are successful in your application and are subsequently offered a position with Halifax Opportunities Trust, the data collected will be used to carry out pre-employment checks and ensure your suitability for the position. The data will then be transferred onto your personnel file.

You may withdraw consent at any time to recruitment@regen.org.uk. In addition you have the right to see what information is held about you, to have inaccurate information corrected, to have information removed from our system unless we are required by law or a statutory purpose to keep it and the right to complain to the Data Protection Officer if you feel that the data has not been handled in accordance with the law. Halifax Opportunities Trust Data Protection officer is Malgorzata Ciewiertnia and can be contacted at Privacy@regen.org.uk .

Application forms will be kept for a period of six months for unsuccessful candidates. For successful applicants, the information will be transferred to your personnel file and will be kept for a maximum of the individual’s employment with us plus seven years or as per recommended guidelines for jobs working with children and vulnerable groups, term of employment plus 25 years or until such a time as the data is reviewed.

What makes HOT a

great place to work?

We’re a Real Living Wage employer because we recognise the benefits of paying a decent wage to all our staff.

We are a Mindful Employer which means we take our employees’ wellbeing very seriously and find ways to promote good mental health within the organisation. We offer a dedicated, confidential phone-line support service (Mindful Employer Plus) through which staff can access practical advice and support 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

We are a Disability Confident committed employer.

The Trust offers a NEST auto-enrolment pension to all qualifying staff.

How we create opportunities

Pay

Perks

progression

People Powered

Purpose Driven

It's people who makes us great

As a charity, our day-to-day is underpinned by doing good. This doesn’t only apply to the 1,700 people we reach each day, it also applies to the 180 people who work at Halifax Opportunities Trust. We like to recognise the good things our employees do, which is why we celebrate when people go above and beyond to bring our values to life, with acknowledgement awards. Furthermore, we’re driven by the following three principles:

Our Values

In our daily endeavours to achieve our goals, we are guided by our values. They reflect our culture, the way we want things to be and our expectations of the people we work with.