Guidance

Government Health and Safety Profession career framework (HTML)

Published 30 October 2025

Why use this Career Framework?

Increase Professionalism

• Define Civil Service H&S standards and available roles
• Establish common skills framework for career success
• Promote external qualifications and accreditation

Recruitment and Retention

• Showcase H&S opportunities to attract and retain talent
• Support consistent, high-quality recruitment practices
• Learn from others career stories

Career Development

• Self-assessment against role expectations
• Development routes for expertise and experience
• Facilitate manager discussions on professional development needs and identify learning opportunities

Framework Guidance

What is the H&S Career Framework? A toolkit demonstrating H&S career opportunities across the Civil Service. It outlines job roles, required capabilities, learning pathways and accreditation, featuring skills indicators, role descriptions, career routes and professional success stories.

Who is it for? All Civil Service departments and ALBs. It provides competency information, role types, career pathways and training requirements to enhance development conversations between H&S professionals and line managers.

Where does it fit? Health and Safety is a recognised government specialism. Roles often sit within the HR or Property Function. The HR and Property Profession Career Frameworks both feature Health and Safety but this framework shows the full depth and breath of the specialism.

How do I use it? 1) Assess your current role and competency level. 2) Identify your next career goal and capability gaps. 3) Discuss plans with your line manager during development reviews. 4) Set progression milestones for the performance year. 5) Identify and pursue the appropriate professional accreditation for you.

Skill Level Indicators

The skills indicators benchmark required competencies for H&S roles at different levels. They help professionals understand current role expectations and promotion requirements, assist line managers in identifying development gaps, and provide structure for professional development, recruitment, retention and accreditation.

Level	Awareness	Working	Practitioner	Expert
Key indicators	- Foundation level knowledge and understanding of H&S. - Individuals can apply knowledge with support and guidance but show willingness to learn and develop their skills. - Appreciation of the legal importance of H&S and how it contributes to wider departmental goals.	- Solid subject knowledge of H&S. - Individuals can apply knowledge and skills to carry out routine tasks with minimal support and guidance. - Clear understanding of H&S policies and procedures, can resolve standard problems on own initiative.	- In-depth subject knowledge of H&S, competent person, can confidently interpret complex policies and information. - Works independently, delivering high quality results without supervision. - Strong leadership qualities. Likely to supervise and mentor others. - Adaptable, showing resilience in complex situations. - Highly capable decision maker and problem solver.	- Comprehensive knowledge, deep subject expert in H&S. - Can significantly influence and impact departmental policies. - Champions the profession by engaging at senior level and influencing decision making. - Leads by example, demonstrates commitment to a positive H&S culture. - Adept at recognising complex issues and developing innovative solutions. - Actively shares expert knowledge. Supports learning and mentors teams.

Health & Safety Roles

Job Families	Core Roles	Foundation Practitioner CS Grades: AA, AO, EO	Practitioner CS Grades: HEO, SEO	Senior Practitioner CS Grades: G7, G6	Senior Leader CS Grades: SCS1, SCS2
Leadership	Safety Director				X
Leadership	Deputy Director				X
Leadership	Head of Health and Safety			X
Management	Health and Safety Lead			X
Management	Health and Safety Manager		X
Management	Health and Safety Advisor		X
Management	Health and Safety Officer	X
Fire Safety Management	Head of Fire Safety			X
Fire Safety Management	Fire Safety Lead			X
Fire Safety Management	Fire Safety Manager		X
Fire Safety Management	Fire Safety Advisor		X
Fire Safety Management	Fire Safety Officer	X
Regulation	Head of Operations			X
Regulation	Principal Inspector			X
Regulation	Regulatory Inspector		X
Regulation	Specialist Inspector		X

Director / Deputy Director of H&S (SCS2/1)

Summary of Role(s): Senior leadership roles responsible for shaping, implementing and overseeing the department’s health and safety strategy in alignment with business objectives. These roles may be based in Property/Estates, Human Resources or broader Corporate Services. They lead by example, cultivate a proactive safety-first culture and drive governance, risk management and performance oversight. They safeguard the health, safety and welfare of Civil Service employees ensuring full statutory compliance with health and safety legislation.

Areas of Responsibility

• Accountability for the health, safety and welfare of employees and service users, possibly competent person.
• Developing a departmental H&S Strategy linked to corporate objectives and integrating KPIs.
• Leadership of H&S team, designation of roles and responsibilities.
• Deep expert in UK health and safety law and its implementation.
• Solution driven approach to identifying and adequately controlling H&S risks.
• High level influencing re the importance of H&S, including legal responsibilities.
• Devise, implement and oversee processes for employee engagement re H&S.
• Developing and maintaining of H&S management arrangements.
• Leading by example to role model a positive health and safety culture across the department.
• Cultivates relationships with regulatory bodies (HSE/Local Authorities), other CS departments, TUs and external bodies e.g. IOSH.
• Establish parameters for internal H&S Audits, linking to KPIs, using results to drive proactive change.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals (or equivalent)

Desirable:

• NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk

• NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Health and Safety Leadership Excellence

Accreditation

• Essential: Chartered Membership of IOSH Or Certified Membership of IOSH working towards Chartered

Career Pathways

• HR/People Safety
• Estates/Building and Maintenance
• Facilities Management
• Risk Management

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – expert level

• Establish a clear H&S vision aligned with organisational goals with the ability to influence and inspire senior leaders regarding the importance of H&S compliance.
• Leads by example, motivating the H&S team to embed a positive H&S culture across the organisation.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• Expert  knowledge and understanding of the application of H&S law, standards and guidance, and the requirements for regulatory compliance.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Expertise in high level risk assessment.
• Ability to conduct root cause analysis of incident/accident reporting, identify and analyse trends and decide on corrective action.

Organisation and Culture – expert level

• Shapes a culture where H&S is a core value of the business, prioritising the health, safety and welfare of employees and service users.
• Ensure SLT lead by example in modelling good H&S behaviours and are accountable for H&S performance.

H&S Management Systems – expert level

• Expert at developing and delivering H&S management system in a large organisation based on Plan Do, Check Act.
• Skilled at improving H&S outcomes through innovative practices, and technologies.
• Ability to develop and implement KPIs for monitoring and reporting on H&S performance.
• Uses audits, inspections and assurance checks to drive continuous improvement.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement – expert level

• Influence and persuade SLT to integrate H&S into strategic priorities of the department.
• Introduce safety initiatives and encourage senior leaders to support and sponsor these.
• Champion employee engagement

Head of Health & Safety (G6)

Summary of Role: Leading health and safety role, often recognised as the competent person, responsible for safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of all employees, contractors, visitors and customers. Develops and oversees a robust framework of health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments to ensure legislative compliance. Ensures effective governance and provides strategic leadership to foster a positive health and safety culture, and manages a competent team of health and safety professionals, including training and development.

Areas of Responsibility

• Competent person in delivering the H&S strategy and ensuring the health, safety and welfare of employees and service users.
• Leading implementation of departmental H&S Strategy linked to KPIs.
• Overseeing the implementation of H&S Management system (Plan, Do, Check, Act).
• Review risk control measures based on monitoring of processes.
• Promoting a strong, positive H&S culture across the department.
• Stakeholder engagement with regulatory bodies (HSE/Local Authorities).
• Producing and dissemination of H&S performance reports to SLT.
• Provides detailed advice and guidance re current, new and upcoming H&S legislation.
• Establishing and maintaining comprehensive safe systems of work/safe operating procedures.
• Contractor management.
• Designate duties for site auditing to teams, ensuring audits are completed, recommendations are implemented and  lessons learned.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals (or equivalent.)

Desirable:

• NEBOSH IIRSM Certificate in Managing Risk.

• NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Health and Safety Leadership Excellence.

Accreditation

• Essential: Chartered Membership of IOSH Or Certified Membership of IOSH willing to work towards Chartered.

Career Pathways

• DD HR/People Safety.
• DD Estates/Building and Maintenance.
• Facilities Management.
• Risk Management.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership - expert level

• Ability to transform  the H&S vision into a strategic management plan, developing a policy, outlining roles and responsibilities and establishing lines of accountability.
• Inspires the H&S team to promote the importance of a good H&S culture.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of the application of H&S law, standards and guidance, the requirements for regulatory compliance and how to achieve this.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Skilled in identifying risks and devising robust systems for ensuring adequate risk control.

Organisation and Culture – practitioner level

• Promotes a positive H&S culture throughout the organisation.
• Conveys the H&S message from SLT to employees across the organisation.

H&S Management Systems – practitioner level

• Skilled at implementing a H&S management system based on Plan Do, Check Act.
• Initiates innovative practices, standards and technologies to ensure control of risk.
• Ability to implement KPIs for monitoring and reporting on H&S performance.
• Confident using, audits, inspections and assurance checks to drive continuous improvement.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement – practitioner level

• Facilitate communication between senior management and H&S team.
• Ensure employee engagement (through Trade Unions or employee representatives) regarding incident/accident reporting, hazard identification and risk assessment processes.

Health & Safety Lead/Manager (G7/SEO)

Summary of Role: A leadership role responsible for shaping and steering the department’s health and safety policy framework, procedures and risk assessments to ensure legislative compliance. Leads and develops a team of H&S professionals, coordinating risk assessments, control measures and policy implementation. Provides expert guidance to managers, champions a positive safety culture, and drives governance, assurance and continuous improvement. Works with senior leadership to translate policy into operational practice, overseeing training and audits, and engages with regulators to sustain robust compliance.

Areas of Responsibility

• Leading a team of health and safety professionals, allocating roles and responsibilities.
• Develop departmental H&S policy, oversee its implementation throughout the department, monitor and review.
• Ensuring compliance with H&S legislation and departmental policies.
• Engaging with senior management to drive a pro-active H&S culture.
• Identifying and assessing key risks, determining adequate control measures and ensuring these are implemented.
• Analyses of complex data and insight, drawing conclusions and making recommendations to SLT.
• Root cause analysis of accidents/incidents/near misses, make recommendations for appropriate remedial action.
• Managing technical compliance and assurance requirements, reviewing audit conclusions and reporting to SLT.
• Engagement with H&S professionals at senior level across the Civil Service.
• Provide professional and specialist advice in occupational health and safety management.
• Ensuring compliance with both H&S legislation and departmental policies.
• Ensure site audit and inspections are undertaken  to determine levels of compliance.
• Engaging with employees to promote a pro-active H&S culture throughout the organisation.
• Maintenance and updating of departmental H&S policy.
• Using data and insight to identify patterns and trends, producing reports and disseminating information to key stakeholders.
• Assist with the development of departmental H&S policy, ensure it’s implementation throughout the organisation.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: NVQ Level 6 H&S Qualification or NEBOSH Diploma (or equivalent)

Accreditation

• Essential: Certified Membership of IOSH  (willing to work towards Chartered)

Career Pathways

• Head of Health and Safety

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – practitioner level

• Ability to lead a competent H&S team, allocate responsibilities, assign tasks and determine accountabilities.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the application of H&S Law, Standards and Guidance.

Hazards and Risks – practitioner level

• Skilled at conducting suitable and sufficient risk assessments by identifying hazards, who is at risk, level of risk, control measures to be implemented and residual risk, also implementing a system of monitor and review.

Stakeholder Engagement – expert level

• Highly skilled at persuading and influencing at senior levels to drive improvements in H&S
• Builds and maintains robust relationships with external and internal stakeholders.
• Champions employee engagement, promoting inclusive participation and clear communication.

Audit & Assurance – practitioner level  

• Detailed technical understanding of statutory requirements relating to audit and assurance processes.

Organisation & Culture – practitioner level

• Persuasive in promoting a positive H&S culture and  linking the benefits of good H&S management to business goals and objectives.

H&S Management Systems – expert level

• Expert at developing and delivering H&S management system in a large organisation based on Plan Do, Check Act.
• Skilled at improving H&S outcomes through innovative practices, and technologies.
• Ability to develop and implement KPIs for monitoring and reporting on H&S performance.
• Uses audits, inspections and assurance checks to drive continuous improvement.

Health & Safety Advisor (HEO)

Summary of Role: Supporting role providing practical guidance to ensure compliance with health and safety law, including support for risk assessments and safe systems of work. Assists in policy development, contributes to training, and offers guidance to managers. Supports audit processes and incident reporting to help maintain regulatory compliance.

Areas of Responsibility

• Provide support and guidance on H&S law, departmental policy and best practice.
• Implementation and checking of hazard control measures as per risk assessments.
• Engaging with other areas of the business when required regarding control measures and workplace adjustments e.g. Estates/HR.
• Conduct site H&S audits, including statutory technical compliance and assurance checks.
• Delivering H&S training to employees and line managers
• Liaison with employee representatives including trade unions or H&S reps.
• Processing employee H&S claims.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: NVQ Level 6 H&S Qualification, NEBOSH Certificate (or equivalent).

Accreditation

• Preferred: Technical Membership of IOSH or working towards.

Career Pathways

• Health and Safety Lead/Manager.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – working level

• Takes initiative carrying out specific tasks.

Law/Standards/Guidance – practitioner level

• General knowledge and understanding of H&S law, standards and guidance, including how it is applied in the workplace.

Hazards and Risks – working level

• Understanding of the risk assessment process, ability to carry out simple risk assessments and can support more experienced colleagues conducting risk assessments.

H&S Management Systems – practitioner level

• Knowledge and understanding of a H&S management system based on Plan Do, Check Act.
• Initiates innovative practices, standards and technologies to ensure control of risk..
• Ability to implement KPIs for monitoring and reporting on H&S performance.
• Confident using, audits, inspections and assurance checks to drive continuous improvement.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement – practitioner level

• Facilitate communication between senior management and H&S team.
• Ensure employee engagement (through trade unions or employee representatives) regarding incident/accident reporting, hazard identification and risk assessment processes.

Head of Fire Safety / Fire Safety Lead (G6/G7)

Summary of Role: Responsible for directing and overseeing the organisation-wide fire safety strategy. Provides strategic leadership on fire risk management, evacuation planning, fire protection measures and compliance with fire safety legislation and building regulations. Leads a professional fire safety team, ensuring robust fire risk assessments, training, drills and governance, and reporting to executive leadership. Regularly engages with regulatory bodies.

Areas of Responsibility

• Develop and implement organisational fire safety strategies ensuring they align with legal requirements and best practice.
• Conduct complex fire risk assessments across multiple sites, devising strategies for managing risk.
• Oversee the development and delivery of fire safety training programmes, ensuring that the training is relevant, up-to-date, and effective.
• Lead in managing fire incidents and emergencies, coordinating with external emergency services, and ensuring that incident reports are thorough and actionable.
• Monitor and evaluate compliance with fire safety regulations and organisational policies. Conduct safety audits and inspections to identify areas for improvement.
• Collaborate with senior management, external regulators, and other stakeholders on fire safety issues, providing expert advice and recommendations to support decision making.
• Prepare detailed reports for senior management regarding fire safety performance, incident investigations, and compliance issue.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement in fire safety practices, staying informed about industry trends, new legislation, and best practices to implement innovative solutions.

Skills & Competencies

Leadership – expert level

• Expertise in design and development of strategic plan for fire safety, outlining roles and responsibilities and establishing lines of accountability.

Law/Standards/Guidance - expert level

• Specialist knowledge and understanding of the application of UK Fire Safety law (both England and Scotland), standards and guidance, the requirements for regulatory compliance and how to achieve this.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Skilled in identifying fire risks and devising robust systems for ensuring adequate risk control.

Organisation and Culture – expert level

• Influential in shaping an organisational culture that understands the importance of robust fire safety procedures, prioritises the safety of employees and promotes fire safety procedures across the organisation.

Communication/Stakeholder Engagement – expert level

• Persuasive influencer, ability to engage senior leadership on the importance of fire safety.
• Collaborative approach to working with external stakeholders such as fire authorities and regulators.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications: Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety (Fire Inspector), Level 5 Diploma in Fire Engineering Design (Technician), Level 6 Incorporated Fire Engineer

Accreditation: Institute of Fire Engineers, Institute of Fire Safety Managers, Registered with the Engineering Council. Career Pathways: Senior Fire Safety Officer, FM/Property/Estates roles

Fire Safety Manager (SEO)

Summary of Role: Coordinates day‑to‑day fire safety operations and ensures the effective implementation of fire safety policies and procedures across the department. Develops and reviews fire risk assessments, leads a team of fire safety professionals, and organises training to maintain competence; supports compliance with fire safety legislation and building regulations, and engages in governance, incident reporting and regulatory liaison as required to safeguard staff and occupants.

Areas of Responsibility

• Conducting site specific fire risk assessments, identifying potential fire hazards, evaluating risks and determining control measures.
• Implementing fire safety policies and procedures ensuring they are successfully communicated to employees.
• Designing and delivering fire safety training for staff at all levels promoting awareness of fire risks, safe practices and emergency procedures.
• Investigating fire related incidents and near misses, preparing detailed reports and recommendations for preventing future occurrences.
• Liaison with emergency services.
• Monitor and audit fire safety equipment, systems, and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with relevant legislation and organisational policies.
• Review and update emergency evacuation plans, ensuring they are practical, well-communicated, and regularly practised through drills.
• Collaborate with management, FM/Estates teams, and external fire safety authorities to address emerging fire safety concerns.
• Maintain accurate records of fire safety inspections, training sessions, and incident investigations.

Skills & Competencies

Leadership – practitioner level

• Skilled at developing and implementing strategic plans for fire safety.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• In depth knowledge and understanding of the application of UK Fire Safety law (both England and Scotland), Standards and guidance, the requirements for regulatory compliance and how to achieve this.

Hazards and Risks – practitioner level

• Proficient in identifying fire risks and implementing adequate fire risk control measures.

Organisation and Culture – practitioner level

• Influential in communicating the importance of robust fire safety procedures across the department.

Communication/Stakeholder Engagement – practitioner level

• Demonstrates skill in engaging with senior leaders, line managers and employees about the importance of fire safety.
• Successful collaborator with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications: Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety, Level 4 Risk Assessment, Fire Safety (Auditors)  Accreditation: Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE), Institute of Fire Safety Managers.

Career Pathways: Fire Safety Advisor/Technical Guidance, Head of Fire Safety/Fire Safety Lead, Fire Safety Design & Engineering.

Fire Safety Officer/Advisor (EO/HEO)

Summary of Role: Assists in implementing and monitoring the organisation’s fire safety policies and procedures. Carries out regular inspections, conducts risk assessments and delivers fire safety training to ensure compliance with fire safety legislation. Supports the Fire Safety Manager and Fire Safety Lead in operational fire safety activities and emergency preparedness, contributing to governance, incident response planning and regulatory liaison as required.

Areas of Responsibility

• Assist with carrying out fire risk assessments, identifying potential fire hazards, evaluating risks and implementing control measures.
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop action plans for fire safety.
• Deliver basic fire safety training sessions to employees during building inductions, educating them on fire risks, evacuation procedures and the proper use of fire safety equipment.
• Ensure fire safety equipment is maintained in good working order, including fire extinguishers, alarm systems etc. Liaise with estates/building management staff regarding this.
• Maintain accurate records of fire safety inspections, training sessions, incidents, and any remedial action taken as a result..
• Participate in the investigation of fire-related incidents.
• Conduct site inspections to identify potential fire hazards.

Skills & Competencies

Law/Standards/Guidance – working level

• Good  knowledge and understanding of UK Fire Safety law (both England and Scotland), standards and guidance.

Hazards and Risks – working level

• Ability to identify fire risks with knowledge of adequate risk control measures.

Organisation and Culture – working level

• Aptitude for promoting the importance of robust fire safety procedures to employees and their representatives.

Communication/Stakeholder Engagement – working level

• Confident communicator delivering training, liaising with trade unions and employee representatives about the importance of fire safety.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications: Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety, Level 3 Risk Assessment.  Accreditation: Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE), Institute of Fire Safety Managers.

Career Pathways: Fire Safety Manager, Fire Safety Risk Assessor, Fire Safety Advisor/Technical Guidance.

Regulatory H&S: HM Inspector (SEO)

Summary of Role:  Conducts inspections and investigations to determine compliance with UK H&S law. Takes proportionate enforcement action where non-compliance is found, including issuing improvement notices, prohibition notices, and, where appropriate, prosecutions, ensuring organisations take remedial action to ensure compliance with H&S legislation. Provides practical guidance to employers and employees, and liaises with external stakeholders such as regulators, industry bodies and other agencies to promote a safe and healthy working environment.

Areas of Responsibility

• Visit commercial and industrial premises to inspect processes and procedures and ensure compliance with H&S law.
• Investigate accidents, incidents and fatalities to determine whether there has been a breach of H&S law.
• Evidence gathering, including witness statements, photographs, exhibits and productions.
• Confidently take enforcement action including serving Notices to ensure compliance with H&S law.
• In depth knowledge and understanding of H&S legislation and Approved Codes of Practice and guidance and their application.
• Provide information, advice and guidance to organisations.
• Wide ranging stakeholder engagement from Boards of Directors, police, legal profession, employee groups, injured people and their families.
• Ability to produce complex reports on potential prosecutions whilst meeting the evidential sufficiency test.
• Prepare for and present prosecution cases at court.
• Appear as a witness in H&S trials.
• Provide training and mentoring.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: Postgraduate Diploma in Regulatory Health and Safety.

Accreditation

• Not Applicable.

Career Pathways

• Principal Inspector.
• H&S role wider CS.
• Roles in other regulatory bodies e.g. ORR or ONR.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – practitioner level

• Ability to lead a team of H&S Inspectors carrying out large scale interventions, linked to HSE objectives.
• Planning, preparing, organising resources, setting milestones and gathering evidence based results.
• Coaching and mentoring of colleagues.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• Expert knowledge and understanding of H&S law, standards and guidance and it’s application, including the evidential sufficiency and public interest tests for enforcement action.

Hazards and Risks – expert  level

• Demonstrates understanding of the risk assessment process, reviews risk assessments for compliance and suitability, and provides constructive feedback to improve quality. Identifies gaps and escalation points.

Stakeholder Engagement – expert level.

• Demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly with a broad range of stakeholders including employers, employees, trade unions, legal professionals, police, bereaved families and other regulatory bodies—to gather information, present findings and secure cooperative action to improve safety outcomes.

Audit & Assurance – practitioner level

• Demonstrates a strong technical understanding of statutory requirements relating to audit and assurance, and applies this knowledge to ensure organisational  compliance, robust governance and evidence-based decision‑making.

Incident Investigation – expert level

• Expert ability of how to conduct investigations into accidents, incidents and near misses, draw conclusions and make recommendations for proportionate enforcement action, corrective actions and improvements.

Regulatory H&S: HM Specialist Inspector (SEO)

Summary of Role: Provides expert interpretation and guidance on technical safety standards within their specialist field, supports incident investigations and enforcement actions. Collaborates with industry stakeholders to develop and promote British and international standards and implement best practices in safety management within their area of expertise. Provides expert witness evidence in H&S cases.

Areas of Responsibility

• Attend commercial and industrial sites to assist field Inspectors by providing specialist advice and expertise.
• Appear as expert witness in court in the prosecution of H&S cases.
• Participate in developing UK standards and guidance in relation to specialist areas of safety and health.
• Complex report writing, attention to detail.
• In depth knowledge and understanding of H&S legislation, Approved Codes of Practice, guidance and their application.
• Provide information, advice and guidance to organisations.
• Wide ranging stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Essential: Postgraduate Diploma in Regulatory Health and Safety and relevant qualifications in specialism.

Accreditation

• Not Applicable.

Career Pathways

• Principal Specialist Inspector
• Health and Safety role in wider Civil Service.
• Roles in other regulatory bodies e.g. ORR or ONR.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – working level

• Ability to lead and motivate a small team of specialist inspectors on project-based work, coordinating tasks, timelines and resources to deliver high-quality outcomes and detailed expert conclusions.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• In-depth expertise in applying health and safety law to the specialist domain (e.g., machinery safety, noise and vibration), with up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, standards and codes of practice; applies legal requirements to risk assessments, control measures and incident investigations, and provides expert guidance to ensure compliant practice.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Subject-matter expert in hazards and risks within their specialist domain, with in-depth knowledge of relevant legislation, standards and codes of practice. Proficient in systematic hazard identification, risk assessment and the design and evaluation of effective controls, able to translate technical expertise into practical guidance for stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement – practitioner level

• Effective communicator who routinely engages with field inspectors and colleagues to gather and verify information. Produces detailed reports that clearly differentiate facts from opinions, providing evidence-based conclusions and recommendations, and liaises confidently with peers to discuss findings and determine appropriate actions.

Regulatory H&S: HM Principal Inspector (G7)

Summary of Role:  Provides strategic leadership to a team of inspectors, manages complex health and safety inspections, investigations and enforcement actions across designated sectors, allocating resources effectively to deliver key operational objectives, liaising with legal professionals on matters of evidence. Responsible for the training and mentoring of new H&S Inspectors, supporting their assessment and further professional development. Plays a key role in shaping safety policy and guidance, engaging with stakeholders across industry, government and other regulatory bodies to drive consistent, compliant practice.

Areas of Responsibility

• Leading, motivating and managing a team of operational H&S Inspectors, allocating and assigning responsibilities depending on training, experience and operational priorities.
• Overseeing inspection, investigation and enforcement activities of Inspectors.
• Contributing to and managing strategic organisational health and safety interventions.
• Developing close working relationships with other enforcement agencies, industry bodies and other representative groups relevant to HSE’s work.
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues across HSE to contribute to cross sector delivery of HSE’s business objectives and operational delivery priorities.
• Ensuring effective and efficient delivery of the HSE’s corporate objectives.
• Stakeholder engagement with police, CPS (and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland), legal representatives etc. re complex cases
• On call rota for major incident attendance
• Undertake presentations and media commitments as appropriate.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: Postgraduate Diploma in Regulatory Health and Safety.

Accreditation

• Not Applicable.

Career Pathways

• Head of Operations.
• Health and Safety role in wider Civil Service.
• Roles in other regulatory bodies e.g. ORR or ONR.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – expert level

• Demonstrates the ability to lead and motivate a high-performing team of H&S Inspectors, setting strategic priorities, building capability through mentoring and development, and driving consistent, evidence-based enforcement and regulatory outcomes across designated sectors.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• In-depth expertise in applying health and safety law, standards and guidance, and translating them into practical workplace requirements. Leads strategic enforcement and advisory activity, interpreting complex regulations for organisations, guiding policy development, and ensuring robust compliance across designated sectors.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Demonstrates expert knowledge of the suitable and sufficient risk assessment process, including identifying hazards, determining who is at risk, assessing risk levels, selecting and implementing control measures and evaluating residual risk.

Stakeholder Engagement – expert level

• Highly skilled at persuading and influencing senior leaders to drive sustained improvements in health and safety across designated sectors, using data-driven arguments and regulatory insights.
• Builds and maintains robust relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders, including industry bodies and employers, to meet enforcement priorities.
• Champions employee engagement and inclusive participation, ensuring clear, transparent communication and meaningful opportunities for frontline staff to contribute to safety decisions.

Organisation & Culture – practitioner level

• Persuasive in linking the benefits of effective health and safety management to business goals and objectives, clearly articulating how proactive risk control, regulatory compliance and workforce well-being support productivity, resilience and overall organisational performance.

Regulatory H&S: Head of Operations (G6)

Summary of Role: Leads the delivery of organisation-wide health and safety programmes across multiple sectors, ensuring consistent, efficient execution and robust regulatory compliance. Provides strategic direction for operations, overseeing governance, performance management and resource planning to meet organisational objectives. Leads cross-functional operational teams, develops and implements strategic HSE policies, and promotes a proactive safety culture. Builds strong relationships with stakeholders across industry, government and regulators, influencing policy development and driving national safety standards.

Areas of Responsibility

• Leading, motivating and managing Inspectors, across various operational teams in a geographic location.
• Ensuring delivery of operational priorities in line with organisational objectives.
• Developing and implementing strategic operational initiatives to improve workplace health and safety in targeted industries.
• Recognising opportunities for collaborative working, building and maintaining relationships with other enforcement agencies, industry bodies and other stakeholders.
• Engaging with police, legal authorities, the media and other partners on complex high profile cases.
• On call duties for responding to major incidents.

Qualifications, Accreditation, and Career Pathways

Qualifications

• Essential: Postgraduate Diploma in Regulatory Health and Safety.

Accreditation

• Not Applicable.

Career Pathways

• Divisional Director (HSE).
• Health and Safety role in wider Civil Service.
• Leadership roles in other regulatory bodies e.g. ORR or ONR.

Skills and Competencies

Leadership – expert level

• Leads and motivates teams of operational inspectors to deliver high-quality health and safety inspections in line with organisational priorities, setting clear objectives, overseeing performance and development, and ensuring consistent, evidence-based enforcement and regulatory compliance.

Law/Standards/Guidance – expert level

• Brings in-depth expertise in applying health and safety law, standards and guidance. Leads the development and implementation of cross-functional HSE policies, controls and assurance frameworks to ensure statutory compliance across all sites and activities. Advises senior management, shapes risk-based interventions, and liaises with other regulators to maintain robust governance and drive continuous improvement.

Hazards and Risks – expert level

• Holds expert knowledge of the suitable and sufficient risk assessment process and applies this understanding to regulating external organisations. Leads the design, governance and oversight of risk assessment requirements across regulated activities, ensuring consistency in expectations and due diligence. Oversees monitoring and review systems, drives assurance through governance, audits and reporting to senior leadership, and supports risk-based enforcement and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement – expert level

• Strategically persuades and influences senior leaders across designated sectors to drive sustained health and safety improvements, leveraging data analytics, risk intelligence and regulatory insights to inform policy and operational priorities.
• Builds and sustains robust relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders—including other regulators, industry bodies, major employers and the legal profession to align enforcement priorities with organisational objectives and secure cross-cutting support.
• Champions a culture of safety through active employee engagement and inclusive participation, ensuring clear, transparent communication and meaningful frontline involvement.

Organisation & Culture – practitioner level

• Strategically links the benefits of effective health and safety management to business goals and objectives, clearly articulating how proactive risk control, regulatory compliance and workforce wellbeing support productivity, resilience and overall organisational performance across all sectors.. Engages senior leadership to embed safety into strategic decision-making and resource allocation, leveraging data-driven insights to demonstrate value and secure ongoing commitment.

Career Profiles: Leadership

Emma Austen, Director of Defence Safety, MOD, Head of Specialism

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

Having been a Civil Servant all my working life starting as a AO in MoD in 2004, I fell into Health and Safety in 2006 , knowing nothing about Safety. Little did I know it would be one of the best decisions of my career.

From that point on my career has been rooted in safety, I have been the Station Health and Safety advisor at both RAF Uxbridge and Halton. Then moving onto a challenging 5 years at the UK Permanent Headquarters, stepping into a world of overseas operations, providing a safety management system that works in locations such as Falkland Islands to conflict zones in Afghanistan. Ensuring senior leaders had the safety advice needed to make informed decisions on risk.  I was then offered the chance to step sideways away from safety for 2 years to become a wider policy adviser.

I continued this break from safety with a role in the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, but realised I wanted to get back to Safety, so I took another sideways step to the Department for Work and Pensions. Here I spent an amazing 6 years building and expanding a team of safety professionals that were respected as subject matter experts. I led the team through COVID, ensuring that we kept the safety of our people at the heart of all we did, while ensuring our most vulnerable customers could seek the support. It was during this time that I was promoted to my first SCS role, as Deputy Director for People Safety, making it one of the first SCS safety roles in the Civil Service. My current role came up on loan, after initial hesitations, I jumped at the opportunity to return to Defence and into a newly established SCS2 Director role. I knew it would test all the skills I have learnt and it most certainly has lived up to that expectation.  Everyday is different and a challenge but hugely rewarding.  In October 2024 I was given  the opportunity to become Head of Specialism for Health and Safety.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

People – I thrive on ensuring people are safe, everyone deserves the right to come to work and go home to their families.  In Defence we ask our people to operate at the extremes of ability, so we must ensure the system is there to provide the support they need to do that as safely as possible.

Advocating – As safety professions we have the unique ability to shine a light on dark corners and call out what we find and advocate for change – we have a strong voice that is listened too, use it to the best of your ability!

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

Take every opportunity you are offered, you never know what may come of it and take what it gives you and pass it on.

Maria Lane, Deputy Director for People Safety, Department for Work and Pensions

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

I am a lifelong civil servant, having left school and joined the CS at 16 years old. I have worked in DWP and its predecessors for over 30 years.

I came into H&S by accident about 20 years ago as an EO who was looking for a change of roles. I knew nothing about H&S at that time, but from the moment I started, I just knew this was where I belonged. After a couple of years as EO, business support, I was lucky enough to gain promotion to HEO, H&S Business Partner for NW England, my dream job! H&S business partnering remains my best role ever, being able to help colleagues and managers across the Northwest gave me immense satisfaction and a feeling of really making a difference.

During this time, I undertook my NEBOSH certificate and then Diploma, which only served to embed the feeling of being where I belonged.

Sometime later, I was promoted to Senior H&S Business Partner and then Head of Business Partnering.

During the pandemic I was the head of DWPs H&S COVID response team. An extremely challenging role that nobody could ever really be prepared for, but that was equally rewarding. And finally, in 2024 I was promoted to SCS1 Deputy Director for People Safety.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

H&S professionals are a unique group of individuals, whose role is to keep our people safe. I am inspired by my peers across Government and by each and every one of my team, who really do put into practice our aim of keeping our people safe, both physically and psychologically.

Even after all these years I love what we do and every day I learn something new!

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

My first career advice to anyone would be to try and find your niche area, what role, gets you up and motivated in the morning.

If you are in the right role, going to work is never a chore.

Secondly, if H&S is the role for you, don’t be afraid of sideways moves, sometimes, learning the breadth of a topic serves you well for future career moves/promotion.

I am proud to say I have done most of the roles in my team at some point, which serves me very well now leading the team.

And lastly, don’t let your nerves or imposter syndrome hold you back, volunteer for opportunities, even those things that fill you with dread!

Daniel Hutley, Deputy Director for Health, Safety, and Wellbeing, Environment Agency

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

I fell into the Health, Safety and Wellbeing profession by chance really back in the late 90’s. I was on a fast track graduate management programme with Tarmac and was working in a 24/7 asphalt plant in West London when I saw an advert in The Guardian newspaper saying ‘ would you like to do something different everyday’ and it was to become a trainee Inspector for the HSE.

I decided to apply, and was successful! I started as a trainee inspector at HSE in October 2001. That led to a 13 year stint with HSE where after training of 2 years, I spent the following 7 years visiting a vast array of duty holders across manufacturing, agriculture, fairgrounds, health and social care and government organisations.

I also supported the development of the stress management standards and the revision of HSG65.

The last 4 years at HSE were spent as a senior policy advisor working in the health and social care arena, helping to shape and define national H&S policy in this complex environment.

I joined NHS Property Services in November 2014 as the South West H&S Manager. Over a period of 10 years, I progressed to become the Regional Head of Health and Safety and finally the National Health and Safety Manager.

Over that time, my skills developed and transferred from being the one providing local H&S advice and support, to leading and developing teams and influencing the importance of health, safety & wellbeing at a senior level.

Just over 18 months ago I left NHS Property Services for a fresh challenge, joining the Environment Agency to head up the Health, Safety & Wellbeing Team.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

That’s easy, and if I didn’t say this, I’d be worried, I’m focused on ensuring people go home safe and well at the end of the working day, and for me this is all about developing the right organisational culture! Even after all these years I love what we do and every day I learn something new!

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

It feels like quite tactical advice, but time and time again I see this as an issue. It’s very easy as a HSW professional to get bogged down in the regulations and the technical elements of the work we do. Always keep your intended audience in mind and keep it simple - regularly check in with yourself to ensure you are translating the regulations and technical into something that is understood and can be implemented.

Alison Wilkie, Keeping Customer Interactions Safe, Strategy & Stakeholder Lead, DWP

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

I began my DWP Health and Safety journey in 2009 as a Jobcentre Manager, working in various offices.

I was responsible for all aspects of colleague and customer safety on site and consistently sought opportunities to enhance practices and behaviours, building strong relationships and learning from incidents to ensure safety was embedded in everything we did.

My growing interest in health and safety led me to join the DWP People Safety Team in July 2020—just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. This was a challenging period and a steep learning curve, but it deepened my commitment to the profession.

In August 2021, I achieved the NEBOSH General Certificate, studying alongside a cohort of DWP colleagues. In January 2023, I was promoted to Senior Executive Officer (SEO), taking on leadership of the DWP Personal Injury Management Team.

I introduced new processes and governance frameworks that strengthened our response to injury claims—ensuring timely, evidence-based decisions that balanced legal responsibility with fairness.

I’m especially proud of how the team uses insights from these cases to drive continuous improvements in workplace safety, helping to protect both colleagues and customers.

Currently, I am pursuing the NEBOSH Level 6 Diploma and have secured a temporary promotion to Grade 7 as Strategy and Stakeholder Lead for Keeping Customer Interactions Safe.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

People are my motivation, and I’m excited to influence safety culture across DWP.

I’m also driven by continuous learning and development, and I find great satisfaction in sharing knowledge and shaping a positive safety culture.

By assessing risk and implementing effective controls, we can ensure everyone in DWP is as safe as possible.

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Curiosity leads to understanding, and understanding enables you to influence culture.

Be brave—your voice matters

Christopher Wright, Health and Safety Lead, UKRI

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

I’m the UKRI UK and International Office Estates Health and Safety Lead, I’m a Band F which is a  Civil Service G7.

In 2014 I was hired as a Technical Author in a military aerospace and defence contractor, at the time my role was to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the various manufacturing processes in relation to cable harness production for aircraft, missiles, and military vehicles.

Various manufacturing processes were involved, both manual and mechanical, and the job involved talking to production staff and watching them work.  An opportunity came up for a Health and Safety role in 2015 and I took it, so I was able to turn the knowledge I’d gained of manufacturing to the various health and safety aspects.

I came to UKRI in 2020 to a new challenge in a very different hazard profile setting, but with a greater level of complexity in the application of health and safety over a wider area, and with different groups of people and workplace cultures.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

What motivates me is helping people in their day to day working lives; I’m lucky to lead a wonderful team that makes such a difference to people at UKRI and there are many ways we make people’s working lives better. 

It can be the case that health and safety is seen purely as a compliance and legislative exercise, which to an extent it is, but the people are what gives it its purpose.  We work on so many related aspects such as accessibility, wellbeing and estates so there is a great variety to the job.

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

The one piece of career advice I would give is to learn as much as you can about processes and the workplace, and about the people that do them; what they do, what motivates them, why they do things in a certain way. 

The behavioural side of health and safety is so important and it will give you the right focus on producing policies and guidance, as opposed to from a purely legislative perspective

Eve Macready-Jones, Civil Service Health & Safety Profession Lead, Cabinet Office

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

In 2005 I saw a job advert with the strapline ‘Do you want a job where you can make a difference?’

It was exactly what I was looking for after graduating and working in the trade union movement and so I began my career in the Civil Service as a Health and Safety Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

I spent 15 years as a field Inspector where no two days were alike. I carried out inspections, investigations including workplace fatalities and took enforcement action for non compliance of H&S law.

I was fortunate enough to visit some amazing places and meet some fantastic people, even in sometimes the most difficult of circumstances.

During the pandemic, Inspectors were effectively grounded so I took the opportunity to move into an agricultural policy role, working with farmers, specialist Inspectors and other stakeholders, persuading them of the benefits of health and safety.

In 2023, I joined the Cabinet Office in a strategic role dedicated to developing health and safety as a recognised government profession. My career journey demonstrates the versatility within the health and safety field, illustrating that it is possible to progress from an operational role to a strategic policy position.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

My motivation goes back to the job advert in 2005 – I’ve always wanted a job where I could make a difference and fundamentally I believe that no-one should go to work and either not come home or suffer life changing injuries or illness in the process of earning a living.

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

In health and safety I’d say focus on your communication skills, everything else, the law, the technical stuff can be learned.

Often a H&S professional is a lone wolf, trying to persuade people in organisations how important the subject is legally, ethically and of the financial benefits, communication is the key!

Ian Baker, Property Fire Safety Technical and Team Lead, Ministry of Justice

How did you get here? Tell us about your career journey

After leaving school with no qualifications, I joined the Royal Air Force as an operational firefighter and left the RAF after 35 years service.

As my career progressed, I developed additional qualifications to my operational role and began conducting fire safety assessment and assurance work across military infrastructure assets.

The varied properties and specialised structures I encountered in the military, gave me a broad understanding of fire safety risk and the measures to reduce or mitigate the risk, which I found was easily transferable to other job roles such as within the Ministry of Justice.

I joined the Ministry of Justice in 2020 just before the pandemic and felt at home almost immediately, the fire safety team at the time was only 2 people and we were so busy we spent most of our time just answering FM colleagues queries.

Following the Dame Hackett report into the Grenfell disaster, I started to highlight the need to create a “golden thread” of information for MoJ properties, which resulted in a project to have 375 building fire strategies created across the probation estate.

During that period I was promoted to a Grade 7 position as the fire safety team lead. This reflected the increase in workloads for advice, guidance and technical support to project teams.

I have managed to increase the property fire safety team to 8, who are all providing timely guidance to FM colleagues across the MoJ property portfolio and monitoring performance of our FM contractors.

What motivates and inspires you as an H&S professional?

I really enjoy my job, I’m surrounded with a great team who are very professional in what we do, with us all wanting the same thing – to do a great job once, properly and in a timely manner that sees a safe property environment for our clients and colleagues.

What career advice would you give to an aspiring H&S professional?

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or an opinion from a colleague when dealing with a complicated fire safety problem.