Environmental Health Officer (Pollution)

Full Vacancy Description

We are looking for an Environmental Health Officer to work in the pollution team of the London Borough of Camden

The role is for an initial three months, but is likely to be extended

Role Purpose:

To take the lead and personal responsibility for effective investigation and resolution of casework across the full range of Pollution Environmental Health functions.

Pollution services incorporate noise and statutory nuisances including but not limited to construction/licensed premise/people noise, planning applications and contaminated land.

Carrying out routine or unplanned visits and inspections to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.

Understand complaints, investigate, negotiate and mediate between parties where possible to achieve positive outcome.

Advise and respond to planning applications and desk search enquiries including contaminated land.

Responsible for developing and delivering special projects, policy, research on areas of expertise and/or functional activity within the service.

Identify learning from external sources to continuously improve service delivery.

Example outcomes or objectives that this role will deliver:

To take the lead on and personal responsibility for developing, implementing and enforcing policies in connection with the following pollution environmental health core function(s):

Determine the most appropriate intervention to be taken to resolve a request for assistance, whether this be informal or initiating legal proceedings involving the preparation and giving evidence in court.

To keep abreast of all relevant new and draft legislation, advice and other developments relevant to the post.

Responsibility for the timely investigation of service requests, including programmed inspections and use of appropriate interventions in line with the Camden Plan priorities and enforcement policies.

To be self-directing and to take responsibility for their own learning and development and be confident to identify opportunities for innovation to improve the service in terms of creating and improving policies and procedures, particularly through the evaluation and review of case work performance and customer feedback.

To lead on the identification, design and delivery of projects that improve the services response to reducing risks and impact of non-compliance with legislation on the community.

To manage a caseload with competing priorities.

Providing advice and assistance to householders, public, businesses, and planning applicants.

Provide cover for managers in the service where appropriate.

Any other duties as required.

People Management Responsibilities:

There are no formal management responsibilities for this role. However, from time to time the post holder maybe required to supervise students, apprentices or those on work experience, including over-seeing delivery and giving feedback.

Relationships:

Reports to the Environmental Health Manager.

Case supervision and work allocation will be undertaken by the Pollution Principal Officer.

This role will be expected to build and sustain effective partnership relationships with customers, colleagues and a range of stakeholders (internal and external to the Council) acting as a point of expertise, which support the delivery of outcomes and meet the services priorities. Key contacts are likely to include:

Customers and businesses

Cabinet members and ward councillors

Directorates and services across the Council

Government departments and other local authorities, especially the Greater London Authority

Government agencies including Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and Public Health England.

Local community groups

Local and national businesses / business representatives

Police

Work Environment:

The role will be based in our offices at 5 Pancras Square where staff are expected to base themselves alongside colleagues, with a significant amount of time on-site investigating complaints, carrying out programmed inspections and attending external meetings.

The role will involve lone working in a diverse range of environments, some potentially hazardous or sensitive in nature. A thorough understanding & adherence of the Council's Health and Safety Policy and guidance is imperative. You will know how to handle a wide range of situations and be prepared to receive advice and training to enhance your skills.

The post holder will be expected to work independently and with minimal supervision, and will be seen to apply sound judgement and a commitment to delivering excellence and a high quality service to community of Camden. The post holder may require guidance from senior officers on occasion.

The post holder is required to work in a busy and demanding office environment with competing demands and priorities, working flexibly to meet individual and service objectives.

The post holder may be required to work at weekends, early mornings or in the evenings particularly if the working model for the team includes out of hours arrangements.

The post holder will work in an agile way in line with the Council's move to a flexible and paperless work environment, prioritising their own work within the empowered and enabled team culture, recognising and utilising the expertise of others where appropriate.

Technical Knowledge and Experience:

Essential: hold a BSc/MSc or Diploma in Environmental Health and hold the EHRB Certificate/Diploma in Environmental Health.

Essential: hold competency in noise and statutory nuisances and/or competency in contaminated land with experience of delivery and training for role requirements.

Essential: hold a Certificate of Competence in Environmental Noise Measurement or equivalent or be willing to complete the course and and attain accreditation whilst working.

Desirable: hold a Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control.

Have a detailed knowledge of the legislative framework relevant to the team and experience in its application to casework in order to:

Identify and secure innovative interventions in the investigation of complaints and other enquiries.

Prepare and write clear reports, specifications and other documentation relevant to legislation and service of notices.

Effectively monitor the progress of works/actions required by informal/formal action.

Report and recommend enforcement action for failure to comply with requirements of legislation and statutory notices.

Attend court, prepare and give evidence as required; and participate in PACE interviews.

To have good observational and investigation skills; and the ability to carry out inspections relevant to the work area, at times outside normal core working hours.

Ability to take an organised approach to own workload whilst dealing with conflicting priorities and to ensuring a customer service focused approach.

Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external partners to identify innovative and creative approaches to complaints and Camden objectives.

Demonstrate good customer care and communication skills in explaining complex and technical issues accurately, clearly and concisely both orally and in writing when dealing with all service users.

Capacity to show resilience and tenacity in the face of difficult cases and work effectively to resolve these.

Experience of dealing with the public, face to face and ability to defuse confrontational situations.

Demonstrate your involvement in organising, coordinating and participating on projects as part of a team, and identify how this has led to a successful outcome.

Knowledge of and ability to manage sensitive intelligence and information securely.

Proven ability to identify and implement service improvements.

Proven experience of providing advice on cases and act as a mentor for training purposes.

Understand importance of accurate data entry in relation to updating management information systems and the consequential impact on business intelligence for the service.

Demonstrate an awareness of politically sensitive issues.

The role will be based in an enabled and empowered team focussed service where all officers are expected to work as one team to assist in the development of a culture where knowledge and experience is shared and responsibility for making decisions on complex issues is shared, where appropriate.

Camden Way Five Ways of Working

In order to continue delivering for the people of Camden in the face of ever increasing financial pressure, we need to transform the way we do things. We call this the Camden Way. The Camden Way is a key part of our transformation strategy often referred to as the transformation triangle which links the Camden Plan, the Camden Way and the Financial Strategy together.

The Camden Way illustrates the approach that should underpin everything we do through five ways of working:

Deliver for the people of Camden

Work as one team

Take pride in getting it right

Find better ways

Take personal responsibility