Education Advisor (Maternity Cover)

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire; Salisbury; Hybrid; GBP 31,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional fire and rescue service in Salisbury is looking for an Education Advisor (Maternity Cover) to deliver safety education programmes in schools. The role requires significant travel and communication with various stakeholders. Ideal candidates will have experience in an educational environment and an understanding of safeguarding policies. This position offers flexible working arrangements and a salary ranging from £31,537 to £33,143 per annum.

Benefits

Flexi time scheme

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave allowance

Family friendly schemes including extended maternity leave

Health & well-being services

Qualifications

• Experience of delivering education in a school environment.
• Ability to adapt to the diverse needs of children and young people.
• Strong communication skills for engaging with both children and adults.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

Responsibilities

• Deliver safety education programmes within schools and colleges.
• Coordinate attendance at schools and colleges, acting as the main contact.
• Maintain accurate records of educational delivery.
• Support firefighters in delivering educational content.

Skills

Experience of delivering education within a school environment

Ability to adapt to diverse needs of children and young people

Ability to use Microsoft packages

Ability to communicate professionally with adults and children

Understanding of Safeguarding procedures

Job description

Job title: Education Advisor (Maternity Cover)

Grade: D

Salary: £31,537- £33,143 per annum (rising by annual increments to £33,143). More information on salaries and progression can be found on our pay and policies page.

Hours: Full Time - 37 hours per week

Location: Wiltshire, specific centre of duty can be negotiated

The service encourages flexible working and is open to flexible working options. The role will be based in the Salisbury area with the flexibility to work from home / DWFRS Stations / Support Offices and we would welcome a conversation with the successful candidate on what type of flexible working arrangement will work best for you.

Travel: You must have a full current driving licence and be able to fulfil the significant travel requirements of the role. Use of your own vehicle will be required; however, a Service vehicle will be available. Please note Service vehicles are manual transmission only. Travel requirements are essential to this role. You will be expected to travel daily to schools for delivery, along with attending monthly team meetings which could be anywhere within Dorset or Wiltshire.

If you are unable to drive due to a disability, we would still welcome your application and will explore any reasonable adjustments that could be put in place.

Appointment Type: Temporary - 12 month fixed term contract (maternity cover) or until return of substantive postholder

Contact: For a chat about this post, please contact Vikki Thomas, Prevention Delivery Manager on 07788 305006 or email [e-mail]

Closing and Interview date: The closing date for applications is Sunday 1 February 2026 (midnight). It is intended that interviews will take place on Thursday 12 February 2026. Should you be shortlisted for interview, further details regarding the interview format / location will be provided before the interview date.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it.

We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well‑being services.

As an Education Advisor in our Prevention department you will:

• Deliver safety education programmes within schools and colleges, throughout the Wiltshire and Swindon area
• Coordinate our attendance at schools and colleges, and be a point of contact
• Keep accurate records of education delivery
• Work with our firefighters to support them in the delivery of education

What makes you our ideal Education Advisor?

• Experience of delivering education within a school environment
• Ability to adapt to the diverse needs of the children and young people
• Ability to use Microsoft packages for all aspects of the role
• Ability to communicate to adults in a professional capacity, as well as children during delivery
• Understanding of Safeguarding procedures

For full details of the role and requirements please have a look at the job description and person specification.

Other Information:

• The role may involve some evening and weekend working. These requirements are fairly infrequent and would be discussed with you in advance.
• There is a rigorous selection process and the identity of the successful candidate will be checked thoroughly, including an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance for this role prior to offer of employment.
• Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre‑employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 5 years. We are required to obtain references for your full 5 year employment history so we may need to ask you to provide additional referees.
• This is a regulated activity, working with children and young people. Anyone who is on the DBS barred list would not be able to work within this role.
• Should a permanent position arise in the team during the period of your Fixed Term Contract, that is substantially similar to the role you are carrying out, you may be considered for the role in the first instance.
• Please click here for information relating to raising tax awareness and pension considerations when applying for a job.

To find out more and apply:

Our Candidate Charter outlines the commitments we make to you when applying for a vacancy with us.

Please note we do not accept CV’s in place of application forms.

We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills in your application, but please don’t allow it to shadow your own unique voice.

While we appreciate innovative approaches, we also value authenticity. Our assessment considers both the content of the application and how it was created, ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all applicants. At the end of the day – we want YOU to work for us!

You should ensure you include satisfactory evidence in your application to demonstrate all of the areas stated as being measured at the Application Stage on the Person Specification. This will ensure you have the best opportunity of progressing to the next stage of the selection process.

We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training.

We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post to which they are applying. Please tell us in confidence if this applies to you, or if there are any reasonable adjustments that would help you apply for this post. To find out more, please see our website.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.

If you hold international qualifications, you will be required to provide official evidence that shows how these compare to UK Qualifications. We will accept a Statement of Comparability from a UK organisation called ENIC which can be obtained via their website. Please note that UK ENIC charge for this service, so if you request a Statement of Compatibility, you will be required to pay for it as we are unable to reimburse you.

For further guidance on how to complete your application, please refer to the Job Application Guidance Notes. If you are experiencing difficulties completing your application or have a need to complete your application in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact HR Resourcing on 01722 691444 within plenty of time of the closing date of the position you are applying for.

Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Services. When recruiting, we identify the most important behaviours for the role and these are used as part of the short‑listing and selection process.

Please be aware that maintenance to the e‑recruitment platform is conducted on the third Saturday of each month, which may cause a delay in applying on these days for a limited time.