Job Description

For your application to be considered please attach a current CV and cover letter.? 

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment. 

Why Riverside? 

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us. 

Working with us, you’ll enjoy: 

• Competitive pay & generous pension. 
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays. 
• Flexible working options available 
• Investment in your learning, personal development, and technology. 
• A wide range of benefits. 

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Application Process:

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact as a Lead Fire Risk Assessor (North), we encourage you to apply with your CV and cover letter.

We encourage you to apply even if you don't?meet all the criteria on the job description, at Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience.

This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed?interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and demonstrate?you meet the minimum criteria?for the role you will be guaranteed an interview.

The difference you will make as a Lead Fire Risk Assessor (North). 

To deliver an excellent fire risk assessment service within domestic housing and properties where housing has responsibility. To undertake surveys and manage a small team of fire risk assessors within a regional patch and ensure adherence to health and safety legislation and procedures. To take a co-operative lead in the strategic direction and delivery of the fire risk assessment programme. To ensure best practice methods are used in the execution of the fire risk assessments. To be fully responsible for the quality of service in respect of fire risk assessments and to keep up to date with all current fire legislation and apply to assessments.

About You 

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of Working as a fire risk assessment for residential housing and care and support schemes and evidence of applying PAS 79.
• Minimum of 2 - 3 years experience of undertaking fire risk assessments (low/medium risk), with experience in residential fire risk assessments.
• Minimum practical experience of 20+ Fire risk assessments High risk buildings

?Role Requirements 

• Manage a small team of fire risk assessors and fire door inspectors within a regional patch, providing supervision, guidance and training.
• Develop team of fire risk assessors/fire door inspectors to develop / gain skills as required through training under supervision, until they are able to demonstrate individual competency to the highest level to undertake low/medium risk buildings.
• Work closely with Planner/scheduler and manage workload and performance of team. 
• Provide fire safety reports where required to support site specific management arrangements to include application of fire hazard control measures
• To investigate and report on all fire incidents and provide recommendations to improve fire safety
• To carry out a type 1, 3 and 4 fire risk assessment programme in domestic housing, care and support schemes and in properties where housing has responsibility such as community halls, and
  • Identify hazards and risks associated with fire in general and specialist buildings and processes 
  • Report fire risk issues including any directly related to awareness of reporting arrangements for residents and occupants 
  • Evaluate existing fire risk assessments including appropriateness for the risk 
  • Audit management of fire safety systems 
  • Recommend controls to manage residual risks, including where necessary in higher risk situations temporary controls that might be required until a permanent control is implemented
• Liaise with the Fire Risk Assessment Manager and Senior Fire Risk Assessor to deliver risk assessments in line with the Fire Safety Management System.
• Management and coordination of contractors required to support destructive inspections as part of the type 4 fire risk assessment process.
• Ensuring that all making good of intrusive survey complies to fire safety standards and is of a high quality
• Provide concise and sufficiently detailed fire risk assessments for all type 1, 3 and 4 assessments
• To carry out surveys as per the fire risk assessment programme and following any major works carried out on properties.
• To carry out pre-occupation and post-occupation surveys as part of the handover process for new build properties
• Carry out inspections of all new build properties to ensure it complies with the RRO (Fire Safety) Regulations, Building Regulations and other associated legislation.
• During or following assessments - provide advice to managers and staff to assist them in the fulfilment of their responsibilities and therefore organisational compliance with legislative requirements and where appropriate internal standards and best practice. Such advice should be pragmatic, presenting achievable options to eliminate or sufficiently mitigate risk.
• To conduct site visits to liaise with residents where appropriate to the benefit of the council
• To support and provide advice to frontline workers in carrying out personal centered fire risk assessments (PCFRA) personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPS) on residents identified as needing support in an evacuation
•  To keep abreast of relevant fire safety related legislation and good practice, in order to provide advice to enhance compliance and maintain fire risk assessor competency requirements through training and updates of legislation
• To carry out post inspections and quality assurance necessary remedial action following fire risk assessments.
• Support the Fire Safety Manager, Fire Risk Assessment Manager to manage the completion of fire safety actions in terms of management of the delivery of required works via the contractor.
• To investigate and report on all fire incidents and provide recommendations to improve fire safety
• To develop and maintain effective internal relationships creating a supporting and assisting attitude to foster and promote a positive risk management and safety culture, maintaining the highest possible internal and external customer satisfaction.

Person specification 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Essential 

• Experience of Working as a fire risk assessment for residential housing and care and support schemes and evidence of applying PAS 79.
• Minimum of 2 - 3 years experience of undertaking fire risk assessments (low/medium risk), with experience in residential fire risk assessments.
• Minimum practical experience of 20+ Fire risk assessments High risk buildings
• Ability to carry out site visits and physical inspections of work, including accessing loft spaces by means of ladders
• High understanding of risk mitigation and how it should be applied.
• NEBOSH Fire Certificate/Diploma or Certified in Applied Fire Risk Assessment (previously FRA and Fire Safety Management) or equivalent with ability to meet the proposed Accountable person role competence requirements under the Building Safety Act.
• EQF level 3-4 i.e. Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety or equivalent, ASFP Level 3 in Passive Fire Protection or equivalent
• Membership of Third Party Accreditation Scheme i.e., institute of fire engineers MIFE or equivalent. 
• In depth knowledge of Fire & Building / Structural Safety within Social Housing, including government and industry guidance, British standards, building regulations and the requirements of Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRO), Fire Safety Act 2022 and British standards , Approved Document B.
• High levels of literacy and excellent communication skills with a diverse range of people and Ability to co-ordinate and manage internal and external stakeholders, including statutory organisations, with good presentation skills
• An awareness of personal emergency evacuation plans and who they are for and when they should be used and an understanding of the different types of evacuation strategies including simultaneous evacuation, planned evacuation, progressive horizontal evacuation and zoned evacuation
• Customer Focused and an ability to present reports and data and to clearly explain to and influence a wide range of people in regard to fire safety and its management.
• Ability to use various IT systems, to interrogate database information to produce risk-based programmes of works. To be able to update the database as work items are completed.
• Excellent team player with the ability to work under pressure, deliver to strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities. 

Desirable

• Working for company BAFE Accreditation SP205 3rd party accreditation.
• Experience in the maintenance and testing of fire safety systems and record keeping.

Skills Required

• Communication Skills