Job Introduction

The Health & Safety Manager will be the subject matter expert in health and safety, instrumental is delivering health and safety policy and practice in the form of a structured and robust health and safety management system. They will manage the health and safety function at Westminster School (including both the Great School and Under School), be responsible for the health and safety management systems and promote safe working practices. They will develop and maintain health and safety standards; provide advice and guidance regarding compliance with relevant statutory requirements, legislation and regulations, and promote best practice in accordance with sector and professional standards.

Working with the Head of Legal, Risk & Assurance, the Health & Safety Manager will support the development of an organisation-wide incident management policy and system, providing for effective incident reporting and ensuring that actions are follow-up and closed out.    

Responsibilities will also include policy development, performing health and safety audits, supporting investigations, manage risk assessments and DSEs, lead on the School’s combined Health and Safety Committee as well as on working groups for the delivery of specific health and safety projects. They will also be required to prepare and present health & safety reports. The Health & Safety Manager will be responsible for designing and delivering effective health and safety and related training, including staff health & safety inductions.

This role will be line managed by the Head of Legal, Risk & Assurance who will oversee and support the post holder to embed a culture of excellent health and safety practice and compliance throughout Westminster School.

Role Responsibility

• Advise on health and safety matters, keeping the School and key stakeholders informed of current legislation and regulatory requirements, professional codes of practice, sector guidance and changes in best practice as appropriate; including business continuity and Disaster Recovery management.
• Promote and champion a strong and robust health and safety culture across the School, ensuring a consistent professional approach to the management and knowledge and understanding of health and safety compliance.
• Responsible for the review, planning and development of the School’s health and safety arrangements; which includes working with key stakeholders to write and develop policies, procedures, practices and Key Performance Indicators and standards for the H&S function.
• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive health and safety management systems based on the principles of ISO 45001 to demonstrate continuous ongoing improvement in compliance.
• Maintain all statutory records and documents required by law and the School, including those required for internal and external audit purposes, and take follow-up action as required in accordance with the provisions of UK GDPR.
• Advise, monitor and support staff in the promotion of health and safety conscious practices, make recommendations for actions where appropriate, in efforts to reduce accidents and near misses.
• Conduct investigations into Health & Safety incidents.
• Promote a safe and healthy environment for the wellbeing of staff, students and visitors and liaise with colleagues on wellbeing initiatives across the School and take a lead in respect of H&S interventions.
• Lead on investigations appropriately for accidents and incidents which may occur and to continually improve procedures to prevent their recurrence. To report all accidents and incidents (as classified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) to the relative authorities and senior management under the newly developed organisation-wide incident management policy and system.
• Responsible for the preparation and presentation of statistical records and analyses of H&S reports for management review and the deployment of accident/risk prevention measures.
• Keep abreast of external factors which may affect the School including the interpretation of current and forthcoming Health and Safety legislation and regulatory requirements, including professional codes of practice, sector guidance, advising on its application to School policies, procedures, activities and practices.
• Establish and maintain a system of safety inspections/audits in conjunction with responsible managers for buildings, equipment, practices and personnel to ensure compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation, statutory instruments and codes of practice which are applicable. Make recommendations for changes to practices where necessary.
• Liaise with managers, HR, and advise as appropriate in monitoring the activities of contractors working on behalf of the School, to ensure compliance with statutory regulations, Codes of Practice and safe working procedures.
• Advise on, review and support the completion of Risk Assessments across the School as required in the development, review and maintenance of a School H&S Risk Management Register; advising and supporting managers in undertaking the risk assessment process in their areas of responsibility.
• Over the School’s Summer break, to update the room risk assessments across both the Great School and Under School.
• Work with HR in relation to interventions such as H&S related health, stress and disability assessments to promote a safer and healthier working environment.
• Participate in the identification of training needs within the School, such training to relate mainly (but not exclusively) to health and safety at work and participate in the evaluation and monitoring of training and developmental activities in liaison with colleagues.
• Design, organise and deliver H&S training including staff health & safety inductions to meet identified training needs as required in liaison with colleagues and ensure that appropriate records are maintained.
• Provide advice and support to the Head of Legal, Risk & Assurance in the annual preparation of the Organisational H&S Statement, Governing Body H&S Statement, and the annual update of the combined H&S policy.
• Working closely with the Head of Legal, Risk & Assurance, ensure the effective running of the School’s Combined Health & Safety Committee through agenda setting, research and reporting on legislative changes, preparation of papers and reports to include information, statistics, advice and guidance, closing off and reporting on previous meeting actions. The post holder will also provide information and reports to Senior Management, the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee and Governing Body where appropriate.
• Liaise with the Head of Site Services, in their role as operational ‘first line of defence’, to advise on and oversee the continual monitoring and review of fire policies and procedures. The post holder, as part of the ‘second line of defence’, will recommended changes based on best practice when required.
• Carry out other duties as may reasonably be required by the Head of Legal, Risk and Assurance.

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to below (attached) person specification.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Package Description

Required for: as soon as possible

Location: Dean’s Yard, Westminster

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Hours of work: 09:00 – 17:00, Monday to Friday with an hour unpaid lunchbreak.  The role will be based in Westminster although hybrid working can be discussed.

Salary: £53,000 per annum

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 14th January. Interviews will take place shortly after the closing date.

About the School

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Westminster School is friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here.

There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued.

While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future. At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicals, and much more. 

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence. 

Westminster School