NFCC Health and Wellbeing Lead

We are advertising an excellent opportunity for an NFCC/FRS colleague to step into a national leadership role and support NFCC and FRS colleagues.

Don’t be put off by the expectation of a national role, there is support available and colleagues will work with you to support the national work under your leadership.

After several years as the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Health and Wellbeing lead, CFO Ian Hayton will be stepping down from this lead role as he retires. Ian has championed this role and this is a great opportunity for a new lead to step forward and help shape and support this important work with FRS and NFCC.

The new national lead will oversee the existing Health and Wellbeing Committee which aims to provide leadership and support to every FRS ensuring:

  • wellbeing is actively supported throughout people’s careers
  • a supportive health and wellbeing culture is embedded in every FRS
  • the prevention of illness and the promotion of health and wellbeing is paramount; and
  • all staff have early access to the appropriate intervention when they need it.

This includes physical and mental health as well as the broader concept of wellbeing – which enables individuals to realise their potential, be resilient, and be able to make a productive contribution to the fire and rescue service workforce.

The Committee’s objectives are to:

  • establish Resilient Leadership and Line Management as a key enabler to build and maintain workplace wellbeing and resilience by providing practical strategies, tactics and tools to effectively influence, inspire and support resilience and maximise wellbeing in the workplace.
  • embed clear, consistent, evidence-based Guidance, Practice and Standards throughout the FRS
  • provide a national evidence-based set of policy and guidance within a Mental Health Framework including the development of guidance on ‘Trauma, Post Incident Support and Disaster Management’.
  • provide a national evidence-based set of policy and guidance on Physiological Wellbeing & Firefighter Fitness
  • establish health datasets and intelligence to support the national Performance & Assurance Frameworks

The Committee workstreams include – Psychological Health; Physical Health and Fitness; Royal Foundation Mental Health at Work Commitment; Suicide Prevention; Data, performance and Assurance; Medical and Occupational Health Evidence and Post Incident Trauma Care.

Current NFCC projects include:

  • The NFCC HWB Strategic Framework – following the HWB Research Project, the NFCC approved the establishment of new project to develop a Strategic Framework or roadmap for FRSs to improve their health and wellbeing offering to staff.
  • Crisis (Suicide Prevention) Line – working with the Firefighters Charity, the purpose of this project is to establish and sustain an easily accessible prevention and postvention immediate crisis line to support individuals who have developed an action plan or who are in the process of activating that plan. The aim is to have a support infrastructure in place to catch people and redirect them from that point of crisis to quality assured appropriate support that will set them on the road to recovery.

To apply

If you have any questions relating to the role, then please contact Ian Hayton (current lead) ihayton@clevelandfire.gov.uk or the NFCC Chair mark.hardingham@nfcc.org.uk.

Using the Application Form, please submit an expression of interest, of up to 500 words which sets out your suitability for the lead role.

Please send your expression of interest to nfccadminsupport@nfcc.org.uk by the deadline.

Closing Date: 12.00 (midday) on Friday 1 December 2023

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