Environmental Health Officer (PO2/PO4)

Working on behalf of a Local Authority, Aatom Recruitment has a new opportunity for an Environmental Health Officer on a 3 months contract with the possibility for further extension.

Job’s purpose:

To protect tenants and to secure improvements to standards and management in private sector housing through the investigation and enforcement of unlicensed properties and processing of property licence applications.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Deal with service requests, including complaints in a timely manner, and take appropriate follow up action.
• Carry out inspections of properties, identify deficiencies and assess hazards to health and safety.
• Use enforcement powers as authorised including service of notices, simple cautions, civil penalty notices and prosecutions.
• Providing expert advice to landlords, agents, tenants and other client’s services on legal requirements enforced by the Residential Environmental Health Team
• Secure improvements to standards and management in private rented housing.
• Deal with property licence applications
• Provide expert advice to landlords, agents, tenants and other relevant people.
• Investigate unlicensed HMOs and other privately rented properties covered by either mandatory licensing or the additional and selective licensing schemes.
• Maintain an up to date comprehensive record on all aspects of work, including inspection records and follow up action.
• Use data and intelligence to support service objectives
• Carry out duties in accordance with legal requirements, guidance issued by external agencies and internal procedures.
• Collect, prepare and present evidence at court hearings and residential property tribunals
• Maintain good working relationships with internal and external agencies, landlords, partners and private renters.
• Provide professional, expert support and advice and represent the team at meetings, working parties and inter-agency groups.
• Maintain professional competency and keep up to date with environmental health legislation, codes of practice and technical requirements relevant to the post
• Hold a general knowledge of other areas of specialism within environmental health and be able to undertake those functions if required or move teams or assist with other teams.
• Participate in the operation of the service including developing policy and practice, awareness raising activities and projects
• Work occasionally outside normal office hours where the demands of the service require this
• Assist with training and development of staff and trainees assigned to the team.
• Assist and deputise for the Environmental Health Manager as required.
• To achieve agreed service outcomes and outputs, and personal appraisal targets, as agreed by the line manager.

Work Style:

Mixture of office-based work and inspections of privately rented properties within the client’s area.

Requirements:

• Chartered Environmental Health Practioner and/or Possess a degree or diploma in Environmental Health and the Environmental Health Registration Board’s Certificate of Registration
• Experience investigating complaints about poor housing conditions, identifying and securing remedial action
• Experience undertaking housing inspections to identify non-compliance with private sector housing legislation and taking follow-up enforcement action
• Knowledge and understanding of housing defects & remedial action, Housing Act 2004, other legislation relevant to private rented housing conditions, HHSRS, Property Licensing and LACORS Fire Safety Standards
• Investigation and enforcement skills including collecting evidence to support enforcement decisions, preparing and presenting evidence
• IT skills including ability to use word processing, spreadsheets and databases
• Communications skills including the ability to write contemporaneous notes on inspections, write complex letters and reports and explain private sector housing requirements to a broad range of people
• Prepared to work and undertake inspections outside office hours when required.
• Hold the HHSRS Practioner qualification
• Understanding the legal controls and processes around investigations (PACE, RIPA etc) and enforcement specialising in housing and public health

If this sounds like you, please apply or contact Pocholo!