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Salary

This range is provided by Acorns Children’s Hospice. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range: Acorns Children's Hospice are looking for a Head of Health and Safety to lead, develop, and implement a robust Health and Safety (H&S) strategy across the organisation.

About the Role

At Acorns Children’s Hospice we offer specialist palliative care and support for children and their families across the West Midlands from our three hospices. Each hospice has specially decorated bedrooms, therapy rooms, a hydrotherapy room and dining facilities. We also have a network of charity shops across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire, which help to provide the funding that we need to provide this care.

As Head of H&S, you will:

• Develop and deliver the organisation-wide Health and Safety strategy aligned with Acorns objectives
• Ensure the organisation meets statutory and regulatory requirements, including Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations, CQC Fundamental Standards (as a healthcare charity), Healthcare-specific H&S guidance, and ISO 45001 standards where applicable
• Create, review, and update H&S policies, procedures, and management systems to maintain compliance and best practice
• Provide expert advice and guidance to Trustees, Executive Directors, and Senior Leadership Team
• Support managers to complete safety audits, investigations, and root cause analysis for incidents, accidents, and near-misses
• Develop and maintain emergency plans, including fire safety, evacuation, pandemic response, and incident escalation
• Participate in an on-call rota, being on call 1 in 7 weeks

About You

• NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety or equivalent (NCRQ, NVQ Level 6, degree in Safety & Health)
• Extensive experience in a senior H&S leadership role, ideally within healthcare or a regulated environment
• Strong knowledge of UK H&S legislation, risk management, and governance frameworks
• Experience in developing and implementing organisational H&S strategies

What We Offer

• £50,000 to £60,000 per annum plus car allowance (additional £3,192 per annum)
• 37.5 hours per week
• Based at your nearest Acorns Hospice (Walsall, Birmingham or Worcester), with travel across the region
• Employee discounts from leading retailers
• Generous contribution to group personal pension plan or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
• NHS pension scheme life assurance or Acorns group life assurance scheme

You need to be eligible to work in the UK to be considered for this role. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and therefore any successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check for children and will be asked to provide two satisfactory references. In addition, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of immunisation against specific diseases or confirm their willingness to receive the necessary vaccinations.

As a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting organisation, we are committed to ensuring that the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is embedded into both culture and practice within the organisation. As an employee you will be a Duty Bearer for Children’s Rights and support all children to be Rights Holders.

Note: This job description reflects the current requirements and may be reviewed in light of the organisation’s needs.