About the job

Summary

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire & rescue services – in the public interest. We promote improvements in policing and fire & rescue services to make everyone safer.

We are independent of the government, police and fire and rescue services. We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered and produce major reports which shine a light on issues at the very heart of policing and fire and rescue services. Our reports are widely covered by the media and help inform the public of the performance of their local police forces and fire and rescue services. You can find out more about HMICFRS on our website (https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/) and see some of our recent reports.

Working at HMICFRS gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to the quality of local police and fire and rescue services and the lives of the general public. We are a unique organisation with staff seconded or loaned from across the civil service, police forces and fire and rescue services. We are also a rewarding place to work. We set ourselves high standards, taking great pride in the quality of work we achieve and the opportunities we create for our staff.

Location

HMICFRS is a national organisation which currently has a Head Office in London and regional offices in Birmingham and Leeds. The Government is committed to increasing the number of Civil Service roles throughout the UK under its Places for Growth programme and this will see more roles based outside London and the South East. In line with this, over the next five years HMICFRS is moving its Head Office to Birmingham and reducing the number of roles in London and Leeds. We will also be creating a new hub in Manchester (Salford). This role is being advertised on a national basis and is home based.

Job description

Working in HMICFRS as a Service Liaison Lead puts you at the heart of the inspection activity. You will be instrumental in developing inspection plans, leading a team of inspectors and writing reports for the public. You will also be the primary point of liaison between HMICFRS and your allocated services, working on behalf of Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) to build and manage the relationship with services successfully. You will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of inspection processes whilst working with colleagues and stakeholders. You will be in regular contact with principal officers in your nominated services. This role provides an excellent opportunity for you to further develop your leadership and communication skills. It will provide you with the opportunity to gain an in-depth insight into how the fire & rescue service is run, building your skills and experience in a way which could prove invaluable to your future career. You will also be contributing the overall safety and efficiency of our fire & rescue services, making observations, and creating reports which could lead to vital changes.

We are looking for talented individuals who have the drive, enthusiasm, and skills to be part of this inspection programme. You will need to be inquisitive, have the ability to assess data and performance objectively as well as follow lines of enquiry. You will be expected to form constructive relationships that will enable you to work closely with those we inspect, provide challenge, identify areas for improvement and share best practice. You must have the ability to organise yourself have excellent written and oral skills and be able to provide a high-quality level of service to assist the HMI in discharging their public office function efficiently and effectively.

HMICFRS is seeking to recruit Service Liaison Leads for a two-year period. As a remote access worker, you will be expected to work independently from home when not inspecting or required to be in the office. Therefore, you must be a self-starter with the ability to plan and prioritise your work and consistently deliver to a high standard. The role will involve regular travel and overnight stays. You will be required to undertake engagement visits to your nominated services, as well as inspection activities in both your and other services as required. This will be by prior arrangement and it is essential you are able to provide this flexibility.

The Service Liaison Lead will report to the Chief of Staff and may have responsibility for direct line management of up to three Inspection Officers.

We believe this is an excellent opportunity for people who are seeking to widen their skill base and progress within the English fire service. Many of our former secondees have returned to their home services on promotion following their time at HMICFRS.

Responsibilities

Designing and planning the bespoke elements of your services’ inspection activities and ensuring the timely delivery of a variety of post-inspection products, including inspection reports :

• Developing and maintaining professional working relationships with the Chief Fire Officer / Chief Executive, Service Liaison Officer and other key personnel in your nominated services through regular contact and visits. Keeping the service updated about future inspection activity and good practice elsewhere

• Leading, directing and supporting diverse inspection teams to successfully undertake inspection activities for your nominated services

• Building strong interpersonal relationships with inspection colleagues through actively participating in other inspection activity and supporting fellow Service Liaison Leads as required

• Working confidently with a range of analytical products as well as with both the services’ and HMICFRS’s analysts to monitor service performance

• Managing and evaluating a wide range of evidence to write the inspection reports of your nominated services and delivering post inspection feedback to HMIs and senior managers in the fire and rescue service

• Being responsible for quality assurance of public reports for service context and accuracy

• Keeping the HMI and Chief of Staff informed of issues by contributing to briefings and providing assurance of the information HMICFRS holds about your nominated services

• Monitoring the progress of nominated services to meet HMICFRS recommendations

• Working closely with the FRS portfolio team and other teams across HMICFRS to ensure the delivery of a consistent and professional inspection programme

• Demonstrating and actively promoting behaviors described in HMICFRS’s values, and where applicable taking an active role in managing and developing staff

Essential Criteria:

• For this secondment opportunity candidates must currently work in a fire and rescue service in England and have their service’s agreement to apply or have equivalent experience in a similar fire & rescue service related field

• Candidates must currently be Group Managers (and equivalents) applying on level transfer or Station managers (and equivalents) applying on temporary promotion

• Detailed operational knowledge and experience of fire & rescue services in England with strong leadership and team management skills

• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with experience of preparing formal structured papers or submissions of a high standard for presentation to senior management and other stakeholders

• Flexibility to work away from home for extended periods to lead and support various aspects of inspection activities and undertake training

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of leading or designing inspections

• Experience of using analytical skills and the ability to articulate complex concepts in a way that people can easily understand

• Experience of using performance and management information to improve performance

• Experience of presenting to and managing relationships with chief officers or senior stakeholders

• Experience of report writing for publication for an external readership or for the public

• Experience in operational firefighting

If you do not have current operational or non-operational experience of working within a fire & rescue service in England or meet the other essential requirements, your application will not progress further.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing