About the Borough This special place in South West London between the capital and the country has been a Royal borough longer than anywhere else - it is where the first kings of England were crowned. Today it is a vibrant and diverse borough, with a long history and strong cultural and community heritage. Kingston's riverside location, fantastic retail offer, historic market place and church, parks and gardens all make Kingston town centre the vibrant space it is, and each of our district town centres (Surbiton, New Malden, Tolworth and Chessington) have something unique to offer. Situated in Zone 6, Kingston is among the best-connected town centres in London – with direct train links from Kingston and Surbiton stations to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and Tramlink. Kingston’s people are innovative and entrepreneurial, and have a strong sense of community pride. The borough has been home to great industry and creativity for many years, reflected in assets such as the Rose Theatre, the International Youth Arts Festival and Kingston University, which boasts more new graduate business start-ups than any other. We have seen tremendous generosity and compassion within our communities, particularly in response to COVID-19, which is a demonstration of Kingston’s key strength. The council offers a strong level of support to vulnerable groups and those who need additional support, which has also increased significantly as a result of the pandemic. Like most places, the average age of our population is rising as more people are living longer, so we are working closely with residents to help them maintain their independence and further improve the cost effectiveness of our service to meet the ongoing rise in demand. Kingston is home to people from diverse and interesting cultures and backgrounds, which helps to create the rich sense of community shared across the borough. In particular, Kingston has a large Sri Lankan Tamil community and is home to more people from Korea than any other part of the UK. About the Role We have an opportunity for a highly self-motivated and effective individual to join our friendly, professional team in this important Compliance Officer role for the Repairs and Maintenance team. Reporting to our Asset & Compliance Lead Officer, our Compliance Officer for Fire Safety and Asbestos Awareness role will manage and offer guidance in all aspects of Fire Safety and Asbestos Awareness for buildings owned or managed by the Council’s Housing Landlord. You will act as the point of contact for staff, peers in other organisations and other stakeholders regarding all matters of Fire and Asbestos safety. Manage the Fire Risk Assessment programme, Asbestos re-inspection programme and asbestos register, with particular emphasis on ensuring review dates are met and all actions are logged with the correct priority, as well as managing and controlling relevant budgets to deliver effective remedial works and inspections. You will ensure the organisation remains legally compliant in line with relevant Legislation & Regulations. About Us The Royal Borough of Kingston’s vision is that it has a national reputation as one of the very best places to live and work. The post holder will have a major contribution to make to the delivery of that vision and the Council’s strategic priorities for the effective improvement of the Council’s housing portfolio. We recognise that our position as a highly successful Council depends on our outstanding team of people, who work hard, love what they do and do it because they want to make a difference. About You You will have experience of working within a regulatory framework so precise outcomes are essential. A comprehensive understanding of fire safety, asbestos awareness particularly where it relates to social housing would be advantageous. Having, or developing, a good knowledge of risk assessments and safety measures and controls within buildings, you should also be familiar with the Health and Safety Act, Regulatory Reform and all current Building Regulations. Have a strong familiarity with reading and interpreting FRAs and Asbestos Surveys developing recommendations into planned programmes of works. Have a customer-focused, flexible, cooperative and well organised working style, you will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate compliance information clearly and effectively to colleagues in other departments, good presentation skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure, think strategically and problem solve.