Our Values

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

The Community Safety Team sits within Regulatory Services and leads the Council’s work to prevent harm, reduce risk and improve safety across Coventry’s neighbourhoods, public spaces and communities. The team works across a broad and complex agenda, including partnership governance, prevention, enforcement, safeguarding‑related activity, anti‑social behaviour and wider public protection priorities, working closely with statutory partners, voluntary organisations and local communities.

As part of the continued development of the Community Safety function, this role introduces dedicated leadership for the Protect, Prepare and Resilience (PPR) agenda. The Protect, Prepare and Resilience Lead will provide focused strategic oversight of Counter Terrorism preparedness, protective security and resilience, ensuring the Council and its partners are aligned with national expectations, including Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty). The role complements the wider Community Safety offer by strengthening governance, coordination and assurance in this critical area, while working collaboratively across Regulatory Services and with partners to support a safer, more resilient city.

What is the job role?

As the Protect, Prepare and Resilience Lead, you will provide leadership for Coventry’s PPR framework, ensuring the Council, its partners and communities are ready, informed and aligned with national Counter Terrorism expectations and local risk.

You will work closely with Counter Terrorism Policing, the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, emergency services, government departments and local partners, acting as the Council’s strategic lead for coordination, governance and delivery oversight.

You will support, enable and embed Counter Terrorism training locally by ensuring the right structures, plans, partnerships and assurance are in place.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and chair the Protect, Prepare and Resilience Group, providing governance, coordination and strategic direction.
• Maintain oversight of the local threat picture, working with Counter Terrorism Policing to ensure senior leaders and partners understand risks and mitigations.
• Develop, maintain and drive delivery of Coventry’s Protect, Prepare and Resilience Plan, with clear priorities, actions and reporting.
• Act as the Council’s lead for Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty) readiness, supporting services, venues and partners to understand and prepare for emerging statutory requirements.
• Support Counter Terrorism Police‑led activity, including: 
  • Coordinating access to and take‑up of CT training delivered by policing partners.
  • Supporting venues and organisations to engage with CT advice and guidance.
  • Enabling the implementation of protective security measures, including Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM), where led by specialist partners.
• Work with partners to support the rollout and assurance of public access bleed kits and related preparedness activity.
• Engage with businesses, venues, faith groups, voluntary organisations and communities to strengthen understanding of protective security and preparedness expectations.
• Provide clear, confident advice and briefings to senior officers, elected members and partnership boards.
• Represent the Council at local, regional and national PPR and Counter Terrorism forums.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for a confident and credible professional who understands the local authority role within Counter Terrorism and preparedness, and who can operate effectively in complex, sensitive and high‑profile environments.

You will bring:

• Experience of working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing or protective security partners
• Strong partnership and coordination skills, with the ability to influence without direct operational control
• High levels of political awareness and experience working with elected members
• The ability to translate complex risk and policy into practical, organisation‑wide action
• Excellent communication skills and calm judgement under pressure

Within our team people from minority ethnic backgrounds are currently under-represented across our middle-management team, as a result we would like to encourage people from minority ethnic backgrounds to apply for this post. This does not prevent any other applicants, with or without a protected characteristic, from applying.

For an informal conversation about this challenging and rewarding role, please contact Davina Blackburn, Strategic Lead – Regulation and Communities: davina.blackburn@coventry.gov.uk 

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date: 29th April 2026

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.
At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies

Coventry City Council