Job Summary

Job Role Title:  Head of Corporate Communications and Engagement

Salary:  Grade I (scp 39 –43), £47,420 to £51,515 per annum

Contract Type:  Permanent

Working Pattern: Full time

Number of hours per week: 37 hours per week

Closing date:  23:59 23 October 2024

Job Advert Text

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is looking for a Head of Corporate Communications and Engagement based at our service Headquarters in Birstall, Leicestershire.

This brings with it a fantastic opportunity to be innovative, drive improvement and advise senior leaders on how to increase engagement as well as liaising with external stakeholders to improve communication across the Service.

The five main areas of focus for the Head of Corporate Communications and Engagement will be:

•        Advice to the Strategic Leadership Team on the development and implementation of communication and engagement pathways specifically;

•        External engagement including media management;

•        Internal engagement;

•        Profile and brand management;

•        Community engagement.

The role will require the successful applicant to work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. You will also be required on occasions to work outside of the usual working hours and have the ability to travel to venues within the service area or across the United Kingdom to facilitate the role. This will include evenings and weekends.

Benefits you will receive:

•    Competitive salary

•    Flexible working

•    Generous leave entitlement plus public holidays

•    Full support for ongoing professional development

•    On-site gym facilities

•    Free onsite parking

•    Access to an emergency services “Blue Light” discount card

•    Use of our in-house occupational health unit, which includes fitness support

•    Access to the Service’s 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

•    Public sector pension (subject to pension scheme rules). You will automatically be enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), which is a tax-approved, defined-benefit occupational pension scheme. Your contributions are based on your earnings, and you can choose from different income options when you retire.

Hybrid working may be considered for this role

Recruitment Schedule:

Closing date:  23:59 23 October 2024

Interview and test date: w/c 4 November 2024

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Furthermore, we want to create a work environment where everyone feels safe, can be themselves and can perform their roles to the best of their abilities. We have signed up with a number of nationally recognised organisations that promote equality, diversity and inclusion and we are working with them to help us achieve our objectives. These organisations include:

• Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion
• Department of Works and Pension’s Disability Confident scheme
• British Sign Language Charter
• Asian Fire Service Association

Pension Considerations

Please note that it is your personal responsibility to check whether by applying/accepting this position it would result in any Annual Allowance or Lifetime Allowance implications. A breach in the Annual Allowance threshold could result in a Tax charge. A breach in the Lifetime Allowance threshold will result in a Tax charge.  Further information on Annual Allowance and Lifetime Allowance can be obtained from our Pensions team.

Sponsorship

Please take note that Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

To apply please go to the below website

Jobs | Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (leics-fire.gov.uk)

Job Objectives

•        Leading on the production and implementation of the Service’s Communication and Engagement Strategy, plans and procedures making sure activity is focused on strategic priorities and maximising all opportunities to engage and promote the Service.

•        Ensuring the Service has a clear and consistent approach to branding which reflects our values and mission statement, enabling it to be easily recognised by our community and others.

•        Leading on projects and activity including linking in with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Leicestershire Local Resilience Forum (LLRF) and other partners. 

•        Ensuring collaboration with LFRS community fire stations, prevention and protection teams on integrating efforts, and ensuring key community engagement is consistent and effective.

•        Implementing appropriate evaluation techniques and Key Performance Indicators across communications activity and driving forward continuous improvement in this area.

•        Reporting progress to senior internal stakeholders, working closely with teams across the Service and supporting the operational delivery of this work.

Skills Required

·         You will have proven experience of developing, implementing and continuously driving a Communications strategy.

·         Have experience in leading media events and campaigns, adapting and influencing messages to the audience and/or environment.

Have excellent written and oral communication skills, being confident in presenting ideas to all levels of the Service.

At Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. We believe that diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and ideas drives innovation and strengthens our ability to work together for safer communities.

The Fire Safety Inspector will assess and audit risks associated with fire, advise on fire safety measures and contribute to fire safety solutions by inspecting premises and plans designed to minimise risks to the community.
As part of the Community Fire Protection team within Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, this role includes carrying out Fire Safety Audits and inspections as required in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, on all types of commercial premises, student accommodation and houses in multiple occupation.

There will a requirement to:

Examine and annotate plans, applying relevant codes of practice and technical guidance having due regard to the circumstances of each case.
Assist with complex fire safety projects.
Enforce fire safety legislation in accordance with service policy, collect evidence, assist with the preparation of prosecution cases and give evidence where appropriate.
Maintain close working relationships with external agencies and local authority partners and conduct joint inspections as appropriate.

About Our Offer
Along with a competitive salary we are offering:
A Contributory pension 
Comprehensive benefits package including excellent discount schemes and cycle to work 
Civil service sports council membership 
Flexible working patterns  
Professional support and development 
An annual leave entitlement of up to 28 days plus the option to buy more 

Further details can be found in our rewards and benefits brochure.
If this sounds like your next career move, but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you! 
Best of luck with your application.

Due to the retirement profile within the current Flood Rescue Tactical Advisor cadre, there are places available for suitable individuals to attend a course over the financial year 2024/25.

Please see attached role description and information note documents. Please send onto colleagues who may be interested.

It is anticipated that the first course will be held over 5 days (Monday-Friday) during January or February 2025. The course will be residential and all accommodation and meals will be provided throughout. The course will be funded and delivered by the National Resilience Flood Capability and Defra.

The Flood Rescue Tactical Advisor Acquisition course will appeal to enthusiastic, self-motivated and capable flood rescue responders, willing to undertake a dynamic voluntary role in providing national support to flood rescue operations, affected rescue organisations and regions. Pre-requisites for the role application are detailed below.

Expressions of interest are invited from suitably qualified individuals who wish to be considered for the opportunity to attend this course.

To express an interest, please email the Flood Rescue Capability officer, whose contact details can be found below and within the attached Info Note.

Individuals will be sent the Flood Rescue Tactical Advisor Application Form. The Role Specification document outlines the qualifications and pre-requisites that individuals are required to have to be considered for the role, this form will also be sent to applicants.

Role details are also available within Defra’s 2019 FRCO.

Successful completion of this course will equip the individual with the skills and knowledge required to support affected Local Resilience Forums. This will be achieved by supplementing their existing flood rescue knowledge with a thorough understanding of the role and how it supports national level flood rescue operations.

The closing date for applications will be midday on Wednesday 16th October 2024

If anyone would like to discuss the role prior to applying, please contact the Flood Rescue Capability Officer – Lloyd Hatton whose details can be found below.

Post: Fire Cadets Co-ordinator
Salary: £34,215 per annum
Grade: FRS C
Salary range: £34,215 – £41,075 per annum
Contract type: Fixed Term until 01/09/2026
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: 4 PM on Tuesday 15 October 2024

London Fire Brigade (LFB) is London’s Fire and Rescue Service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city.

We employ over 5,500 people, across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer your 999 calls) and our non-operational team (our teams who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, including HR, IT, Finance, Procurement, Communications etc.).

Fire Cadets is a national organisation for young people aged 13-17 delivered by London Fire Brigade at local fire stations across London and is one of London’s newest unformed youth organisations that is expanding fast. It aims to provide young people with a sense of purpose and belonging, great life experiences, self-confidence, effective presentation and communication skills, teamwork opportunities, progression paths, and nationally recognised qualifications.

Following receipt of funding from the Mayor of London, LFB Fire Cadets has completed a large expansion of the provision, enabling us to open a Fire Cadets unit to serve every London Borough. In order to continue to deliver this service to all young people across London, we are now looking for experienced, committed, and dedicated people with a passion for youth engagement to organise and run 3 Fire Cadets units each. Currently, we are recruiting for the Fire Cadets units based in North West and South West London ONLY.

As a Fire Cadets Coordinator (FCC) you will be employed in a supervisory management role and will be responsible for planning and setting up each unit, recruiting of young people and adult volunteers and coordinating the delivery of three Fire Cadets units in London.

Successful candidates will need to be articulate and confident team players who are also self-motivated, enthusiastic and innovative. They must have proven experience in supervising and developing young people and adult volunteers. Most importantly they will need to demonstrate a commitment to ensuring consideration of diversity and inclusion runs through everything they do.

This is very much a hands-on delivery role and there will be regular weekly evening and weekend working. Although you will work a 35-hour week, each Fire Cadets unit runs one evening a week from approximately 6:00pm until 9:00pm during school terms, and therefore you will need to work flexibly and be present before and after each session. The ability to work flexibly and travel is essential, as there may be occasions where you would be expected to provide resilience cover to other units across the city.

role, you will also possess high levels of written and oral communication and teamwork skills. FCCs will be required to build professional relationships with internal staff and external partners, generate funding, deliver lessons and training, organise, and participate in events, work as a team, and help to develop and raise awareness of the LFB Fire Cadets brand.

This is a busy and rewarding role in an exciting time for LFB Fire Cadets – are you ready for it?

The Fixed term contact may be extended and there is potential for the postings to become permanent. In that case, the employee may be assimilated, subject to the conditions in paragraph 16 of the policy number 972 – Recruitment policy – FRS and Control.

Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description. If you are unable to see the job description, salary range or the full advert, please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs.london-fire.gov.uk/alljobs/ to access the full advert.

Assessment Overview
Stage 1

To apply, please complete the online application, upload a copy of your up-to-date CV and provide evidence to address the following selection criteria:

1. Experience of working with young people and community and voluntary sectors.
2. Experience of managing volunteers and their development, training and motivation.
3. A good level of written, oral and presentation communication skills in order to liaise and interact effectively with staff at all levels members of the public and representatives of external organisations, and to prepare correspondence and reports.
4. Ability to support and develop people to achieve personal and organisational objectives.

Please note that we will evaluate score the evidence you provide based on the competencies listed in the selection criteria above. The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend the stage 2.

Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.

Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.

Stage 2

Assessment for this role is due to take place in late October / early November 2024. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements.

Please note: Should you be shortlisted you may need to be able to conduct an interview over Microsoft Teams (a video conferencing service). You will be asked to provide relevant contact details for that to take place if shortlisted.

Additional Information
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

Benefits of working for the London Fire Brigade

• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Option Absence Scheme (which can result in an additional 12 days annual leave for staff at this grade)
• Family (including maternity) leave and emergency support leave
• Flexible working including work from home 60%
• Free access to the Brigade gym
• Use of the Brigade’s Medical Adviser/physios/fitness advisers
• Free counselling
• Season ticket loans
• Join social networks including our Equality Support Groups
• Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff discount scheme
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation

In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences which are not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced check will be undertaken on the successful person before an appointment is confirmed.

An exciting opportunity within the Business Services Department.  This role offers a lot of variety and the opportunity to be part of a forward thinking, innovative team.

Overall purpose of the job:

To accurately produce and maintain manual and computerised records in order to support efficient and effective service delivery.  To receive and process a wide range of queries from members of the public and internal service users.  To utilise a comprehensive range of information and data management systems, to ensure the provision of timely and accurate information to Principal Officers and managers within Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Salary: £22,127 – £22,979

Post: Firefighter Development Operations Support Officer
Salary: £34,215 per annum
Grade: FRS C
Salary range: £34,215 – £41,075 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Application closing date: 4 PM on Monday 14 October 2024

London Fire Brigade (LFB) is London’s Fire and Rescue Service – one of the largest firefighting and rescue organisations in the world. We are here to make London a safer city.

We employ over 5,500 people, across our operational team (our firefighters), control (our call handlers who answer your 999 calls) and our non-operational team (our teams who work behind the scenes to support our front-line services, including HR, IT, Finance, Procurement, Communications etc.).

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Firefighter Development (FFD) Operations Support Officer to join our FFD Operations Team within the Learning and Professional Development Department. In this role, you will provide comprehensive and efficient administrative support to the FFD Operations Manager and FFD Operations Leads. Your role will be crucial in ensuring that all administrative tasks are handled smoothly, professionally and to set deadlines, contributing to the overall success of our Firefighter Development programs.

Key responsibilities

• Administrative Support: Provide administrative assistance primarily to the Firefighter Development Operations Team, including actioning tasks required to support the Firefighter Development courses, i.e. ordering workwear, minuting meetings and producing a wide range of documents using Microsoft 365 applications.

• Probation Hearing Coordination: Assist in organising meetings, including preparing the evidence pack, taking minutes, and coordinating follow-up actions.

• Document Management: Photocopy, collate, and dispatch probation hearing papers. Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of all documents produced, utilising a range of IT applications to maintain records and track Firefighter Development course information.

• Performance and Self-Management: Plan and organise work to meet both routine and unexpected deadlines. Work with minimal supervision, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in a busy environment.

• Data and Confidentiality: Ensure data is managed in accordance with Brigade policy, maintaining confidentiality in line with GDPR and the Data Protection Act. Use Brigade’s IT and communication systems responsibly and in accordance with established policies.

• Professional Representation: Represent the Brigade professionally at all times, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

• Health and Safety: Organise work to minimise risks and maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Ensure compliance with Display Screen Equipment Regulations and other relevant health and safety guidelines.

The ideal candidate will be a highly organised and proactive individual with a strong background in administrative support.

Further information about the main duties and responsibilities of the role are detailed in the job description. If you are unable to see the job description, salary range or the full advert, please visit our jobs pages at https://jobs.london-fire.gov.uk/alljobs/ to access the full advert.

Assessment Overview
Stage 1

To apply, please complete the online application, upload a copy of your up-to-date CV and provide evidence to address the following selection criteria:

1. Experience of working in an office environment and providing effective and efficient administrative support to senior managers.
2. Experience of organising, planning and prioritising own work, meeting deadlines and targets with minimal supervision.
3. Effective communication and interpersonal skills in order to forge efficient working relationships, both internally and externally.
4. Good keyboard and written communication skills in order to write reports, letters, agenda and minutes which are clear and easy to understand.

Please note that we will evaluate score the evidence you provide based on the competencies listed in the selection criteria above. The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend the stage 2.

Please ensure you give yourself enough time to complete and submit your application. Late or un-submitted applications cannot be accepted.

Please note any correspondence received from us will be via e-mail and sent to the address you provide on your application form.

Stage 2

Assessment for this role is due to take place in late October / early November 2024. Please be advised that if you are unable to make the scheduled assessment date, we may not be able to make alternative arrangements.

Please note: Should you be shortlisted you may need to be able to conduct an interview over Microsoft Teams (a video conferencing service). You will be asked to provide relevant contact details for that to take place if shortlisted.

Additional Information
We value the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across London. The London Fire Commissioner is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we positively welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people’s age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.

Benefits of working for the London Fire Brigade

• 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Option Absence Scheme (which can result in an additional 12 days annual leave for staff at this grade)
• Family (including maternity) leave and emergency support leave
• Flexible working including work from home 60%
• Free access to the Brigade gym
• Use of the Brigade’s Medical Adviser/physios/fitness advisers
• Free counselling
• Season ticket loans
• Join social networks including our Equality Support Groups
• Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff discount scheme
• Opportunity to access affordable accommodation

In line with the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) employment checks will be completed by successful candidates, which will include a Standard criminal records check. Successful candidate will be required to declare any convictions for offences and any offer of employment is subject to the LFC receiving a criminal records disclosure which it considers satisfactory.