Senior Fire Safety Advisor

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as a Senior Fire Safety Advisor within our Fire Safety Team.

Reporting to the Fire Safety Manager, you will take a senior role in providing professional fire safety advice across a diverse and complex healthcare estate. You will work with colleagues across clinical services, Estates & Facilities, Capital Projects and other corporate teams to support effective fire safety management and continual improvement.

The role will include undertaking and reviewing complex fire risk assessments, providing specialist technical advice, supporting the management of significant findings and actions, contributing to fire safety policies and procedures, investigating fire-related incidents and supporting the development and delivery of fire safety training.

You will also provide professional support and guidance to the Trust's Fire Safety Advisors and on occasion may deputise for the Fire Safety Manager when required. The substantive role is the lead Fire Safety Advisor within the team and has an important part to play in supporting the Trust's wider fire safety arrangements.

We are looking for someone with a strong professional background in fire safety, health and safety, risk management or a related discipline, who can demonstrate the knowledge, judgement and interpersonal skills necessary to operate effectively within a complex organisation.

Main duties of the job

You will have relevant professional qualifications and experience, together with a good understanding of fire safety principles and legislation. Experience of fire risk assessment, Building Regulations, fire safety training and healthcare fire safety will be particularly valuable. The role requires the ability to communicate complex technical matters effectively, influence others and develop positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels.

We recognise that competent fire safety professionals can develop through different professional routes. Candidates who do not currently meet every aspect of the specialist healthcare fire safety competency requirements may therefore be considered where they can demonstrate suitable underpinning qualifications, knowledge and relevant professional experience, together with the ability and commitment to undertake an agreed programme of development to achieve the required level of competence.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced fire or safety professional looking to further develop their career within healthcare fire safety and to contribute to the continued development of fire safety arrangements across the Trust.

If you are looking for a varied senior role where you can use your professional judgement, develop your specialist expertise and make a meaningful contribution to fire safety across healthcare services, we would welcome your application.

About us

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of specialist services across south east England for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. We care for people of all ages, from children and young people through to older people with conditions such as dementia.

We provide hospital and community mental health services from more than 110 locations across Sussex. Our estate covers a floor area of some 85,000 square meters which is about the size of 16 football pitches.

It is made up of:

48 Freehold properties

57 Leasehold properties, and

5 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) properties.

These include 36 inpatient wards and homes, with a total of 579 beds, 68 community team bases and 10 corporate buildings.

Details

Date posted

15 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£49,387 to £56,515 a year

pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time,

Flexible working

Reference number

354-EF-20361-1

Job locations

Portland House

Richmond Road

Worthing

BN11 1HS

United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

For more details, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

For an informal discussion, please contact Adam, Fire Safety Manager, Tel: 07471 031 756 or email: spft.firesafety@nhs.net

Job responsibilities

For more details, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

For an informal discussion, please contact Adam, Fire Safety Manager, Tel: 07471 031 756 or email: spft.firesafety@nhs.net

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• At this level will require degree level qualification or equivalent + additional training through courses or experience to masters level or equivalent Fire safety qualification at level 4/diploma or an equivalent relevant experience. i.e. SFPO course or fire safety modules from the Fire Service College, Fire Protection Association (FPA) or equivalent
• Recognised accredited Fire risk assessor's qualification
• Adult teaching certificate/ qualification
• Evidence of CPD

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience working in fire safety post e.g. Fire Service, Armed Forces, NHS etc
• Experience of delivering a varying range of fire safety training courses
• Proven knowledge of the NHS Fire code (HTM's) documents
• Proven knowledge of the Building Regulation including Approved Document "B"
• Proven Knowledge of Fire Legislation (RRO) and enforcement protocols
• Ability to undertake High risk and complex technical fire risk assessment.
• Knowledge of risk management techniques
• Experience of the Equality Act 2010

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• At this level will require degree level qualification or equivalent + additional training through courses or experience to masters level or equivalent Fire safety qualification at level 4/diploma or an equivalent relevant experience. i.e. SFPO course or fire safety modules from the Fire Service College, Fire Protection Association (FPA) or equivalent
• Recognised accredited Fire risk assessor's qualification
• Adult teaching certificate/ qualification
• Evidence of CPD

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience working in fire safety post e.g. Fire Service, Armed Forces, NHS etc
• Experience of delivering a varying range of fire safety training courses
• Proven knowledge of the NHS Fire code (HTM's) documents
• Proven knowledge of the Building Regulation including Approved Document "B"
• Proven Knowledge of Fire Legislation (RRO) and enforcement protocols
• Ability to undertake High risk and complex technical fire risk assessment.
• Knowledge of risk management techniques
• Experience of the Equality Act 2010

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Portland House

Richmond Road

Worthing

BN11 1HS

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Portland House

Richmond Road

Worthing

BN11 1HS

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job responsibilities

For more details, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

For an informal discussion, please contact Adam, Fire Safety Manager, Tel: 07471 031 756 or email: spft.firesafety@nhs.net

Qualifications

Essential

• At this level will require degree level qualification or equivalent + additional training through courses or experience to masters level or equivalent Fire safety qualification at level 4/diploma or an equivalent relevant experience. i.e. SFPO course or fire safety modules from the Fire Service College, Fire Protection Association (FPA) or equivalent
• Recognised accredited Fire risk assessor's qualification
• Adult teaching certificate/ qualification
• Evidence of CPD

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Substantial experience working in fire safety post e.g. Fire Service, Armed Forces, NHS etc
• Experience of delivering a varying range of fire safety training courses
• Proven knowledge of the NHS Fire code (HTM's) documents
• Proven knowledge of the Building Regulation including Approved Document "B"
• Proven Knowledge of Fire Legislation (RRO) and enforcement protocols
• Ability to undertake High risk and complex technical fire risk assessment.
• Knowledge of risk management techniques
• Experience of the Equality Act 2010