Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer
· 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE)
· £35,000 pro rata
· Based at Roadford Lake Office, with travel across Trust sites.
· Permanent
· Reporting to Corporate Services Director
Closing Date: 05 August 2026
Purpose of the Role:
To lead, develop and maintain a proactive and positive Health & Safety culture across South West Lakes Trust, ensuring legal compliance, effective risk management and safety delivery of all activities, conservation work, recreation, events and volunteer programmes. The postholder will act as the Trust’s competent person for Health and Safety matters and provide strategic advice and assurance to the Senior Leadership Team and Trustees.
Key Responsibilities
· Promote and embed a positive Health, Safety and Wellbeing culture, encouraging shared responsibility, learning and continuous improvement across the Trust.
- Provide support, advice and assurance to managers, senior leaders and Trustees to help them fulfil their Health & Safety responsibilities
- Support managers to ensure safe working practices are understood, implemented and consistently applied across volunteer activities.
- Work collaboratively with volunteer teams to promote practical and proportionate risk management that enables volunteers to contribute safely and confidently.
- Promote compliance with established water safety standards and risk controls across Trust sites and activities.
- Support managers in ensuring contractors understand and comply with the Trust’s Health & Safety requirements and agreed safe systems of work.
- Monitor compliance with Trust policies, procedures and risk controls through inspections, audits and site visits, providing practical recommendations for improvement.
- Work with managers and teams to ensure Health & Safety policies and procedures are embedded within day-to-day operations and decision making.
- Use audit findings, incidents, near misses and training records to identify trends, share learning and support continual improvements.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Experience, Skills and Qualifications
Essential
- NEBOSH General Certificate (or equivalent).
- Experience of delivering Health & Safety management within an operational environment.
- Strong understanding of UK H&S legislation and best practice.
- Experience of undertaking inspections, audit and incident investigations.
- Experience of producing risk assessments, policies and safe systems of work.
- Ability to design and deliver training programmes.
- Strong communication and influencing skills.
- Experience using digital compliance, incident or risk management systems.
- Full UK driving licence and ability to travel across Trust sites.
Desirable
- IOSH membership
- Experience in the charity, environmental, conservation or land management sectors.
- Experience working with volunteers and community groups.
- Knowledge of water safety management.
Expected behaviours
· Promotes a positive and practical approach to Health & Safety.
· Able to challenge unsafe practices professionally and constructively.
· Influences and builds credibility with staff, volunteers, managers and contractors.
· Balances compliance requirements with practical operational delivery.
· Demonstrates sound judgement and integrity.
· Committed to continuous improvement and organisational learning.
About us
- As an independent charity, our purpose is to protect special places for people and wildlife; in doing this we care for over 40 inland waters in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Ranging in size from one to nine hundred acres, the lakes provide unrivalled access to watersports, angling, walking and cycling, and are places you can be active or play and explore all day long. We take great pride in protecting and enhancing these locations for the future and for people to value and enjoy. They provide a perfect setting for a great day out, be it for a stroll, to play, nature watch or enjoy adventurous activities such as stand up paddle boarding, kayaking or sailing.
- We offer a stakeholder pension scheme after 3 months of employment, with a 5% contribution matched by the company, 23 days holiday (plus statutory bank holidays) rising to 25 days after 5 years and 28 after 10, a culture of investing in our employees through training and development and the opportunity to work in some of the most beautiful places in the southwest.
To apply
- To apply please complete and return our application form or to learn more please contact Ellie Lyons– [email protected]
Pay: £35,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
