Health & Safety Officer, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

At Western Care we aim to provide the most appropriate care, in the most appropriate setting for the people we support. And right now, we are looking to grow and support our team across County Mayo. Why not be part of a progressive team, that's delivering for its community. Western Care - Supporting People To Live Their Lives. Health & Safety Officer, Castlebar, Co. Mayo Permanent 35 hours per week Reference Number 2025-078 Closing date: March 27 th , 2025 Job Brief Reporting to the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement the Health and Safety Officer will have responsibility for the administration of all aspects of the safety and risk systems within Western Care Association, to ensure the people we support and staff are safely supported and to continuously improve the quality of care and support we deliver. The role incorporates the administration of the safety and risk components of the overarching Quality and Safety Management System in line with best practice in a person-centered model of service. The successful candidate will support an organisational culture that embraces positive risk taking within a person-centred and self-directed model of service in line with priorities and rights of the people we support. They will also support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement in all aspects of the delivery of the Quality and Safety Management System. Main Responsibilities (full details available in Job Description) Health and Safety Incident Management Risk Management Outcome Measurement Safety and Risk Education and Training Relevant Safety Committee Support Culture of Safety and Rights Qualification and Experience An academic award in Quality, Safety, Risk Management or Clinical Governance in Healthcare at a minimum of level 6 (or higher) on the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) framework or equivalent. Experience of working in a post that has involved safety, risk management, quality improvement and/or regulatory compliance. Experience of participating in quality processes and/or initiatives. Excellent IT Skills required Ability to analyse and interrogate data to present to Management and other relevant stakeholders Ability to present and lead training events Good community skills Clean Drivers Licence and use of vehicle for work Other Requirements All applicants will be subject to Irish Garda Vetting & Reference checks All applicants from Countries outside the E.U. will be required to provide relevant work authorization to take up employment in Republic of Ireland. This must be submitted along with Application All applicants will be required to access Overseas Police Clearance if they have lived outside of the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland more than 6 months since the age of 18 years Employment Benefits Competitive salary Pension and Life Insurance Scheme Annual leave in excess of statutory entitlement Dedicated learning and development Flexible working opportunities Staff initiatives e.g. Employee Assistance Programme, Bike-to-Work Scheme Sick pay scheme Salary Scale Grade VI Pay Scale (Scale Range €51,590 to €63,502 per annum) Health Applicants must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to this post and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service JOB DESCRIPTION Job Summary Reporting to the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement the Health and Safety Officer will have responsibility for the administration of all aspects of the safety and risk systems within Western Care Association, to ensure the people we support and staff are safely supported and to continuously improve the quality of care and support we deliver. The role incorporates the administration of the safety and risk components of the overarching Quality and Safety Management System in line with best practice in a person-centered model of service. Support an organisational culture that embraces positive risk taking within a person-centred and self-directed model of service in line with priorities and rights of the people we support. This includes: Implementing effective health and safety systems to support staff of Western Care Association. Overseeing an incident management system which supports the line management system to consistently improve the quality and safety of service provided to people we support. Supporting effective proactive and reactive risk management strategies. Presenting data and information from all data streams to enable analysis of the information to drive improvement across the organisation. Identification of appropriate education and training to staff to support their involvement in safety and risk systems, in partnership with the Training & Development function. Providing support and relevant analysis, statistical data and reports as required. Preparing reports as required. Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement in all aspects of the delivery of the Quality and Safety Management System. Main Duties and Responsibilities Health and Safety Implement Western Care Association's Health and Safety Programme in line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated statutory instruments. Maintain knowledge and competency in all related safety and risk practice. Ensure the Western Care Association Health and Safety Statement is up to date and publicly displayed. Collate a centralised database of all Health and Safety incidents raised. Monitor all Health and Safety incidents to ensure they are appropriate followed up, reported appropriately internally and externally as required, and closed out. Support Line Managers to undertake regular Health and Safety Risk Assessments. Incident Management Assist as necessary in the management of incidents which occur within Western Care Association. This may include the provision of direct support to Line Managers and front-line staff on how to complete an incident report and/or manage an incident that has been raised. Ensure all incidents are classified and risk rated by the relevant line manager / responsible person. Monitor the follow up management and close out of all relevant incidents. Liaise with and support Line Managers regarding this follow up as necessary. Prepare data for analysis and interrogation by the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement and management teams with the objective of identifying areas for organisational learning and improvement. Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement, and any other team/individual as required, to undertake effective analysis of Serious Incident Reviews or Investigations on a reportable incidents or events. This may include coordination of interviews, preparation of documents for review, drafting findings, preparing the report etc. Risk Management Ensure the organisational Risk Register is maintained and reflects current risks and associated risk ratings as identified by the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement and Management Teams. Support Line Managers in the development and review of service / departmental Risk Registers in line with Western Care Association's Risk Management policy and procedure. Support Line Managers to identify any controls to address risks raised in service / departmental Risk Registers. Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement in the development and update of any proactive risk assessments. Oversee on the implementation through the relevant manager of the risk and safety related complaints management process for people we support and families in a manner that is accessible to them (e.g., poster displays, notices, etc). Ensure all risk and safety related complaints are logged in a centralised database and relevant reporting is completed as required. Outcome Measurement Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement in the development of organisational measures to determine the ongoing level of safety and risk. On an ongoing basis, collate the data for the organisational measures and display the data in a format that can be reviewed and interrogated by the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement and the Line Management Team. With the input of the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement, support Line Managers to identify measures relevant to their area which would promote continuous safety improvement. Safety and Risk Education and Training Engage with relevant stakeholders regarding promotion of training related to and including the following: Identification/Delivery of appropriate education and training to all relevant staff on, Incident management in line with Western Care Association policy and procedure. The process for developing departmental risk registers including the identification of risks, risk assessment, allocation of severity ratings, identification of control measures and how to review the register on an ongoing basis. Other relevant training as required. Relevant Safety Committee Support Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement on implementing a schedule of meetings; preparing and circulating relevant documentation in advance of the meetings; coordinating attendance by Committee Members; preparing and circulating minutes after the meeting; and following up on any actions identified from the meeting. Culture of Safety and Rights Support the Head of Quality, Safety and Service Improvement to develop an annual safety and risk survey in relation to people we support and staff safety, engagement, and continuous quality improvement, including positive risk taking, risk acceptance and self- determination. Lead in the administration of the survey. This may include preparation of the survey in an accessible format, communication of the survey to all relevant staff; collation of results; and presentation of results for analysis and interrogation. Where actions / quality improvement initiatives are identified from the survey, monitor, and track the implementation of the actions. Prepare information about the results of the survey for consideration by management. Qualifying Criteria 1. An academic award in Quality, Safety, Risk Management or Clinical Governance in Healthcare at a minimum of level 6 (or higher) on the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) framework or equivalent 2. Experience of working in a post that has involved safety, risk management, quality improvement and/or regulatory compliance. 3. Experience of participating in quality processes and/or initiatives. Other Requirements: Excellent IT Skills required Ability to analyse and interrogate data to present to Management and other relevant stakeholders Ability to present and lead training events Good community skills Clean Drivers Licence and use of vehicle for work Working Relationships and Communication Develop and contribute to good working relationships in the Organisation and with all other relevant personnel. Report to and appraise line manager or designate of all work-related issues and difficulties. Follow the Association's Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure, available on the Association's intranet. Maintain strict confidentiality relating to matters regarding personnel and services. Attend and actively participate in staff meetings as required. Actively participate in supervisory support as per Organisation Procedure. Be familiar with and operate within relevant local and organisational procedure, directives and general information made available through the line manager. General Promote and develop good community networks which support people we support inclusion and integration. Promote a positive image and name of the Association in the wider community. Be accountable and responsible for input into service planning and delivery, together with job performance as per role within the Association. Promote dignity at work and show respect to people we support, colleagues and stakeholders in the course of duty. Act in a confidential manner when dealing with personal information relating to people we support, families and staff. Attend staff training events as required and implement learning in the workplace. Perform any other appropriate duties as requested by the person in charge. Hours: 35 hours per week Monday to Friday. Flexibility is required to ensure effective delivery of services Base: Castlebar, Co. Mayo Salary: Grade VI - Department of Health and Children Consolidated Pay Scales To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process click the Apply button below to Login/Register.