Animal Health Officer

Full Vacancy Description

We are looking for an Animal Health Officer to join our local authority client

1.  Job context and purpose
To carry out a full range of duties as may be required within the specific responsibilities of a team, and also  from time to time across the wider Public Protection Service.
A significant proportion of the work done by the post holder is carried out away from the office and frequently outside normal office hours

2.  Main duties
To cover animal health duties relevant to the specialist team covering the Council’s area.
Enforcing a range of legal powers and duties.
To conduct inspections of a specified range of premises especially to premises with high and medium risk rating to ensure compliance with all public protection legislation
To respond to complaints and enquiries by investigation or advice as necessary. To use professional judgement to determine and implement consequent enforcement action
To carry out monitoring, inspections etc outside of office hours, often at weekends, at night or early in the morning and to assist other officers as required.
Conduct criminal investigations (resulting from complaints, inspections and officer initiative) to recommend action necessary from service of notices, organisation of works in default and preparing files for prosecution. To attend court as a witness.
Ensure that Council based businesses, including national companies, comply with public protection legislation by offering legal advice and where necessary act as a point of reference to other UK enforcement agencies
Mentor and motivate trainee public protection officers studying for professional qualifications and to participate in their training including responsibility for their Health and Safety.
Contribute to and participate in the review and implementation of project work, surveys and sampling programmes.
To maintain accurate records of actions on manual and computer systems. To ensure notebook records are contemporaneous and admissible as evidence under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).
To provide education and training by facilitating courses and seminars, organising and providing subject specific training for particular groups. Identifying opportunities for promoting the service and representing the department.
To attend meetings of outside bodies and represent the council as necessary in matters relating to the post holders caseload
To contribute to the planning, implementation and review of operational policies and priorities.
Provide cascade training to staff, at all levels within the service, on new legislation following attendance at national/ regional courses and seminars.
Providing the council's out of hours standby response to public protection emergencies and out of hours investigations - taking all necessary decisions, including legal action and revenue expenditure, as sole responsible person - the council's point of contact for emergency planning issues (Local Authority Incident Officer).

3.  Physical and psychological demands
Standing and walking when on inspections; working on foot, including rough terrain
Having to access difficult locations during course of investigations e.g. attic spaces, climb through undergrowth or over fences
Working in filthy and verminous premises
 Some manual handling when on district, carrying equipment e.g. for drainage inspections, noise recording equipment, water/ food sampling equipment, weights and measures equipment.
Also manual handling in terms of lifting manhole covers during drainage investigations; working at height i.e. climbing ladders to inspect silos, accessing machinery and plant in factories and such like
Transporting large amounts of equipment for giving talks etc
Handling stray/ dangerous dogs to transport them to kennels

4.  Health and Safety
To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of anyone else who may be affected by your acts or omissions.

5.  Records management
You are responsible for ensuring that all information sources for which you have responsibility are maintained in line with corporate guidance.  This applies to all electronic and hard copy information.  In particular, you must make sure that sufficient time is spent on ensuring that information is kept accurate and up-to-date and stored in ways that promote findability.  All redundant information must be archived, deleted or physically destroyed in accordance with the corporate Records Retention Policy. 
You should also ensure that access permissions are maintained to limit access to sensitive information.  You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive data, whether held electronically or in hard copy, and promptly reporting all breaches, or potential breaches, of our Information Security Policy to the Information Assurance Team.

6.  Other duties
You may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the job.  The particular duties and responsibilities attached to jobs may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed.  Such variations are a common occurrence and would not in themselves justify the re-evaluation of a job.  In cases, however, where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a job occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the job would be eligible for re-evaluation.  (Staff temporarily undertaking additional duties may be considered for an honorarium payment subject to eligibility).
Person Specification
Specialist knowledge and experience of relevant areas of Animal Health law and practice, sufficient for day to day operational purposes. This includes a broad knowledge of legislation, and application of skills such as serving notices, instigating formal action. Evaluation of options available and most appropriate course of action.
Holding relevant qualifications or working at a level of knowledge to a minimum of national qualification framework level 5 or intermediate on the framework for higher education qualifications or equivalent
Relevant professional membership
Additional professional qualifications
Staff without the relevant qualifications would require at least 12 months experience in a role that combines contact with the public, enforcement and a necessity to use technical/legal knowledge