Health & Safety Lead

Interim Health & Safety Lead  – London £400 paye / £550 per day Umbrella (Inside IR35) 37 hours per week 3–6 month contract We are currently supporting a London based Local Council in recruiting an Interim Health & Safety Lead to provide senior capacity during a period of transition. This is a high-impact strategic interim focused on stabilising existing Health & Safety activity, progressing priority improvements and preparing a structured handover for incoming permanent staff. The assignment is about creating clarity, frameworks and momentum — not delivering full ISO accreditation or long-term cultural transformation. Hybrid working applies: 2 days per week in the London office, 3 days remote. Reporting directly to the Head of Corporate Health & Safety, you’ll act as a senior advisor across the organisation, helping to establish consistent standards and engagement during this critical period. Responsibilities Over the 3–6 month contract, you will: Health & Safety Standards & Systems Review and update corporate H&S policies, procedures and management systems Establish a baseline of H&S maturity across the Council Identify key risks, gaps and duplication Design a proportionate ISO 45001-aligned framework Produce priority corporate standards and model risk assessments Design (not deliver) an audit and assurance frameworkEngagement, Communications & Culture Reset the H&S engagement and communications approach Develop a simple engagement strategy for Directorates Improve visibility of H&S through consistent messaging Support managers to embed H&S into daily operations Design leading and lagging performance indicatorsTraining & Capability (Design Phase Only) Complete a high-level training needs analysis Create a H&S competency and training matrix Identify priority gaps and quick wins Produce a roadmap for future training deliveryLeadership & Handover Act as senior H&S advisor to Directors and senior managers Report into governance and leadership forums Coach and support existing H&S team members Produce a comprehensive handover covering: Baseline maturity assessment Work completed Key risks and dependencies Clear next steps and recommendationsRequirements Senior Health & Safety leadership experience within large, complex organisations Strong experience designing or implementing ISO 45001-aligned systems Proven ability to improve H&S management frameworks Experience driving engagement and cultural improvement Confident influencing senior stakeholders without formal authority Able to deliver at pace in short-term interim roles Public sector or local government experience (highly desirable)Contact James at Service Care Solutions (phone number removed) (url removed)