Facilities Officer (Grade 14)

Job Category:  Facilities & Environment
Job location Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5BT

United Kingdom 
Somerset Council

Hours per week: 37
Start date: Immediate start
Salary: £13.05 per hour

This role is part of a team of staff responsible for ensuring that the buildings managed as part of the Corporate Landlord function (currently in excess of 140 buildings) are fit for purpose and meet minimum legal and corporate requirements in terms of Health and Safety.

 This is a technical role and the postholder is required to be the eyes and ears on the ground for the Strategic Asset Management Service ensuring the safe keeping of premises and equipment, which includes Health and Safety related checks and the accurate recording of results and remedial actions. Failure to properly carry out statutory functions could result in death, injury, criminal proceedings as well as reputational damage for Somerset Council.

 Key results area Accountability Corporate Responsibilities 

• Understand, uphold, and promote the aims of the council’s equality, diversity, and inclusion policies; health, safety and wellbeing of self and others; and Organisational values in everything you do. Equality and Diversity practice covers both interaction with staff, service users and communities and includes challenging discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity for all. Compliance checks Undertakes statutory compliance checks in all corporate and commercial multi-let buildings. Weekly Health and Safety Compliance checking on multiple sites for items such as; 

• Fire alarm testing • Legionella testing • Evacuation chair checks • Emergency light checks Role Description • Fire Extinguisher checks • Basic electrical checks • Panic alarm testing • Visual asbestos checks • Tree inspections • Microwave testing • C02 Testing to agreed testing rotas. 

Maintains and updates records of checks and where faults and defects are found. Undertakes routine resting of equipment and appliances to ensure their operation in a safe and satisfactory condition with associated record keeping. Undertakes monthly utility readings. Record Keeping Maintains and updates records to ensure statutory compliance.

 Enters compliance data on systems such as Civica and B-Safe, in relation to the preparation and review of risk assessments. Updates inventories of furniture and equipment as required. Health and Safety Identifies and appropriately addresses Health and Safety issues discovered on site. 

Identifies severity of issues and appropriately rectifying, reporting and escalating issues found. Undertakes DSE assessments as required and assists with resolutions. Incident Control Assists with incident control during fire, bomb and security related incidents providing incident control, fire warden or first aid cover as necessary. Acts as Chief Fire Marshall/Incident Control Officer in the absence of the Facilities Manager/Facilities Supervisor. Security and Key management Plays an important role in maintaining building security at sites. Keyholding, alarm setting/unsetting and dealing with activations. Physically unlocks/locks buildings as required to allow Council staff access.

  The Facilities Officer will also have the ability to travel to buildings outside of their area to carry out testing. Work is day to day routine and reactionary by nature but manages own workload, sites visits to make best use of time. Regular interaction with staff, contractors, and elected members and external agencies to pass and receive information. Daily contact with manager, supervisor. Regular contact with other service areas within the council. This role does not have any budgetary responsibility and does not manage any staff. 


Qualification/ Knowledge / skills / experience Qualification Essential 

• Good GCSE Grades (A-C) in Maths and English 

• 6 months experience in similar health and safety related role 
• Current driving licence (Car) Desirable 
• IOSH Qualification and/or NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety
 • Certificate NVQ2/3 in Administration 
• IWFM Level 3 Facilities Management or equivalent Knowledge Essential 
• Relevant IT skills to enable effective input, manipulation, retrieval and presentation of data and information 
• Articulate – ability to communicate clearly 
• Ability to speak fluent English as stated in Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) Desirable 
• Data input experience 
• Competent in the use of MS Office Skills Role Description Essential 
• Numerate 
• Good interpersonal skills 
• Flexible and adaptable 
• Commitment and enthusiasm 
• Self-motivated and self-aware 
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail 
• Ability to work independently as well as team player 
• Confidentiality, tact and diplomacy 
• Flexibility to travel to other offices with short notice Notes Working conditions: Travelling to other sites on a daily basis to undertake compliance checking. The role must be a trained First Aider and Fire Warden.

 This role requires an enhanced DBS/barred list check. 

Lone working – accessing unoccupied buildings using keys and alarm codes, conducting dynamic risk assessment for any signs of break ins or problems before proceeding. Staff required to use Lone Working system. An element of manual physical manual handling work both inside and outside of buildings, such as snow clearance, sweeping leaves, moving office furniture and equipment, dealing with waste and recycling into skips, dealing with clinical waste, bodily fluids, dead birds, accessing storage compounds, plant rooms and roof spaces May be required to pick up sharps identified during Health and Safety tours and dispose of within prescribed guidelines.. In the event of an emergency incident including a fire, bomb or security related incident which warrants the long-term evacuation of the Hub building, the postholder will be expected to oversee the evacuations and remain on duty until arrangements have been made to enable staff to get home. Working arrangements: Working arrangements vary based on the site requirements Some teams require shift working (3 week rota), depending upon site opening and closing requirement.

 Role Description Example: Week 1 – 7am until 3pm, Week 2 – 12 noon until 7.30 pm (or end of last meeting) and Week 3 – 8.30 am until 5pm Some teams require the following pattern;

 • 6.30am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, 6.30am to 2.30pm Friday 
• 11am to 7.30pm Monday to Thursday, 11.30am to 7.30pm Friday 
• Postroom cover between 8am to 5pm daily 
• Back-office reception cover 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday Work unsupervised on security duties outside of core hours (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm). Some teams require fixed hours 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm with an hour for lunch, time to be agreed with the local manager.