Environmental Health Practitioner

Full Vacancy Description

Job title:                    Environmental Health Practitioner

General

An Environmental Health Practitioner is required to join the Regulatory Services team for a nine month to one-year period.

The team has a strategic and operational role in protecting the environment.

The position will be challenging, varied and requires a good knowledge of environmental protection, related legislation and the ability to work effectively with partners.

You must be a qualified Environmental Health Practitioner with a sound understanding of environmental protection. Candidates should highlight expertise within any specialism such as air quality, noise or contaminated land with appropriate references or qualifications.

You will be responsible for the investigation of service requests and a specialist function. You need to be able to travel throughout the Borough to undertake visits and inspections and will be required to carry out out-of-hours work if required.

Job purpose

To carry out the role of Environmental Health Officer responsible for:

(i)         protecting and enhancing public health through the enforcement of statutes related to Environmental Health matters (including but not exclusively food safety, infectious disease, health and safety, environmental protection, housing conditions and pest control),

(ii)        the promotion of public health through education and promotional projects,

(iii)       working in partnership with other agencies and the community to improve public health.

Although undertaking their primary role in one of the teams, the post holder will be required to undertake an element of planned work in a secondary work area within the other Environmental Health Teams.

The post holder is required, from time to time, to work outside “normal” working hours to fulfil the functions of the post.  This expectation is reflected within the salary for this post.

The post holder is expected to take part in the noise patrol on a rota basis and a payment will be paid per shift worked, as detailed in the Terms of Reference.

Main duties:

To work under the general direction of the Head of Health and Community Care Services, Environmental Health Manager and Private Sector Housing Manager, and exercise all powers and duties imposed by statute or delegated from time to time.

To deputise for the Team Leader or Private Sector Housing Manager in their absence and to advise, supervise and motivate all staff as may from time to time be delegated.

To liaise with other Officers within Health and Community Care Services to provide specialist advice or information to ensure that a high uniform standard is adopted throughout the Borough.

To be responsible for an environmental health function within the Borough with the support of such additional staff as may be provided and for maintaining appropriate environmental health standards within that function. Function areas include the following as appropriate:

Food safety, health and safety at work, infectious disease control, acupuncture and tattooing

Environmental control including air and water quality, control of noise and other nuisances, contaminated land and pest control 

Private Sector Housing including disabled facilities grants, empty properties, housing standards enforcement, home energy conservation, houses of multiple occupation licensing, caravan site licensing

Health education and promotion

Public health

The function or area of environmental health or housing may be subject to change.

To work within the framework of the Council’s enforcement policy to achieve compliance and enforce environmental health and housing legislation as appropriate including conducting inspections, drafting schedules of works and specifications, the drafting and service of notices, preparation of witness statements and legal reports, collection of evidence, conducting interviews under caution, giving evidence at Court.

To use computerised systems for the efficient management of duties, including the keeping of computerised inspection records and the use of mobile working facilities where these are available; to keep appropriate records and the making of returns as may be required.

To respond to Planning and Licensing Applications, drafting of condition and attend hearings as required.

To be responsible for initiating and carrying out any surveys, projects and investigations as may from time to time be required to deliver enforcement activities and/or the promotion of environmental health and housing.

To provide advice and support to other services within the Council in respect of the Council’s duties to deliver environmental health related enforcement duties.

To give advice to members of the public and others including lectures and health education activities, the preparation of exhibitions and public relations projects.

To work with partner agencies and community groups to enable the delivery of environmental health outcomes.

To act in an advisory role in mentoring other team members, other Council officers as appropriate and key staff in partner agencies.

To initiate and assist with the training of other officers in respect of environmental health and housing functions and responsibilities.

To assist in preparing  new, and amending existing, procedures or methodologies to address environmental health and housing functions and responsibilities and to agree such procedures and methodologies with managers.

To carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required by the Director, the Head of Health and Community Care Services, Environmental Health Manager, Private Sector Housing Manager or the appropriate Team Leader in connection with the Council’s services.

Work will be conducted in compliance with the Council’s safety policy and in particular arrangements to safeguard the activities of lone workers.

To adhere to the data protection legislation, policies and procedures.

To carry out duties related to the role of the post flexibly and outside of normal hours where this is required or necessary to effectively fulfil the role.

The post holder is expected to take part in the Out of Hours Noise Patrol service on a rota basis. A payment will be made for each shift worked as detailed in the Terms of Reference.