Environmental Health
Officer
Salary £24,345 to £30,363 pa inc. (pay award pending)
Working as part of a team you will investigate service requests relating
to housing conditions in Camden including and carry out detailed premises
and site inspections with a view to statutory action where appropriate. You
will have your own demanding caseload incorporating HMOs, disrepair and energy
efficiency.
You must have a BSc or Diploma in Environmental Health and be a Graduate
or Corporate member of Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. You will
have knowledge of appropriate legislation including the Housing Act 1985,
Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Good communication skills and the ability to identify, assess and find solutions
for complaints relating to housing conditions and environmental nuisances
will be required.
Department: ENVIRONMENT
Designation: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER/
PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER Grade: SO2-PO4
Division/Section: ENVIRONMENT & CONSUMER PROTECTION/RENEWAL/INITIAL RESPONSE
SECTION A: BASIC OBJECTIVES OF POST:
1. As an Environmental Health Officer you will be required to carry out duties
in line with the Council's Policies and Procedures, in relation to its
Environmental Service.
2. The postholder will be working as part of a structured Team, carrying
responsibility for progressing and monitoring a demanding caseload. S/he
will be required to achieve a turnover of cases and meet challenging objective
and targets for both programmed and reactive work within defined timescales.
Regular feedback to Managers on casework and participation in the annual
assessment.
3. To participate in training and implementation of projects or special
activities.
SECTION B: REPORTING TO:
DESIGNATION: 1. OPERATIONS MANAGER
2. TEAM MANAGER
3. SERVICE MANAGER GRADE:
1. PO5
2. PO7
3. PO10
SECTION C: STAFF SUPERVISED:
To assist the Operation, Team and Service Manager as necessary and where
appropriate to allocate work, monitor and supervise Environmental Health
Technicians and other support staff to ensure the satisfactory completion
of work.
SECTION D: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
A: Please describe the main duties and responsibilities.
1. To investigate all complaints and enquiries and undertake the inspection
of premises relating to the Team's area of responsibility.
2. To prepare all necessary notes, reports schedules, specifications, estimates,
notices or other relevant correspondence.
3. To monitor and supervise works to ensure compliance with all statutory
requirements, including codes of practice, byelaws, regulations, Acts of
Parliament and license conditions.
4. To attend officer and site meetings, Public Inquiries, courts of tribunals,
Council meetings, meetings of external agencies, voluntary organisations
and local groups, as a representative of the Assistant Director, as required.
5. To keep records, daily diaries, mileage, logs and other associated
administrative details as required, including entering/processing information
on IT Systems.
6. To participate in the rotation of staff between EH teams, subject to a
minimum period of two years in each Team and consultation with the staff
member.
7. To carry out such other duties, responsibilities or special projects
applicable to the post as may be allocated or determined by the Assistant
Director/Service Manager.
8. To protect the Council's interests in all aspects of financial transactions
the postholder is involved with.
9. To assist the Assistant Director or the Consultant of Communicable Disease
Control in the event of a major outbreak of infectious disease, food hazard
warning, flood, storm or other emergency, as required.
10. To undertake and discharge the Council's policies and statutory functions
in relation to its Environmental Health Services for which the officer is
authorised in writing and to provide advice and guidance where necessary.
11. To participate in the Career Development Scheme for Environmental Officers
as detailed in the attached Appendix D.
NB: The current functional responsibilities referred to in 1 and 8 above
are contained in Appendix A for Environmental Health Officers allocated to
the Renewal/Initial Response Team and Appendix B for Environmental Health
Officers allocated to the Food, Health & Safety Team and Appendix C for
Environmental Health Officers allocated to the Pollution Control Team. Officers
in the Renewal/Initial Response Team will be required to undertaken either
general duties or specialist duties in relation to HMO's. Functional
responsibilities may change from time to time.
11. Equal Opportunities
The Council is committed to principles of equality of opportunity for all
in terms of service provision and employment. As an officer of the Council
it is your responsibility to ensure equality of access to jobs and services
to women, black/ethnic minorities, lesbians and gay men and people with
disabilities, regardless of marital status, age, creed/religion and unrelated
criminal conviction.
You will be expected to play a leading and proactive role in the Council's
implementation of Equal Opportunities at Work.
12. Health and Safety
All staff have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of persons
at work and members of the public in premises or sites controlled by the
Council.
The methods of achieving this will be by the provision of safe systems of
work, safe and healthy conditions and environment, and including such
information, training, instruction and supervision as is necessary to achieve
these objectives in accordance with Safety Legislation and Council Safety
Policy.
13. Tobacco & Health Policy
To comply with the Council's Tobacco & Health Policy which aims to protect
and improve the health of people who live and work in Camden by a ban on
smoking in all Council premises (except certain designated areas) and in
Council vehicles carrying passengers.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
Stage 1 (PO3)
14. Participate and as necessary take responsibility for the training of
staff, in particular technical officers, student EHOs and affirmative action
trainees.
15. Participate, assist and take responsibility for the co-ordination and
organisation of any special projects or functional activities with the team,
under Management supervision.
Stage 2 (PO4)
16. Deputise for the Operations/Team Manager in the management and supervision
of a group of EHOs and support staff when necessary.
17. Participate in the recruitment, selection and appointment of staff when
required.
B: Functional Links
Please list the most important contacts necessary to carry out the job (ie
with other departments, members of the public, councillors etc.)
* The public and/or their professional advisers/contractors.
* Other members of the section, Division and Department.
* Other Departments including Housing, especially the Housing Aid Centre
and Homeless Persons Unit, the Direct Services Department, Law and
Administration, Social Services and the other Divisions in the Environment
Department.
* Members of the Council.
* Voluntary organisations, professional associations, other local authorities
and agencies including the LFCDA, Health & Safety Executive, District
Health Authority and the ALA Bed and Breakfast Information Exchange.
* Community groups, residents and tenants organisations.
SECTION E: OTHER RELEVANT MATTERS:
This section should be used to record any other important points about the
job.
Progression through all grades are subject to assessment under the Career
Development Scheme.
Out of hours rotas exist in relation to emergency service, noise investigation
and entertainment licensing. Officers participate voluntarily in these rotas
for which a casual car user allowance and additional payments will be paid.
APPENDIX A: RENEWAL/INITIAL RESPONSE TEAM
1. a) Investigation of complaints etc., (general)
To investigate complaints or other enquiries relating to housing conditions
and other general nuisance, in relation to both the private and public sector,
and to carry out detailed premises and site inspections with a view to statutory
action where possible.
b) Investigation of Hotels, Hostels and accommodation for the Homeless
To investigate complaints and enquiries and assess accommodation which may
be used by the homeless in Camden and elsewhere. Make recommendations and
maintain liaison with the Homeless Persons Unit other organisation as necessary.
Investigate statutory action when appropriate and negotiate, monitor, improve
and maintain standards as directed.
To undertake inspections and enquiries in relation to other hotel accommodation
as necessary. Examine proposals for all new/proposed accommodation and make
recommendations accordingly.
2. Service of Statutory Notices
To take statutory action in line with the Council's strategy and departmental
policy. To report and/or advise where statutory action is not appropriate.
3. Work in Default
To investigate, recommend and supervise Work in Default where necessary with
either the Council or private contractors involving, with the appropriate
technical support, the preparation and pricing of schedule works for tender,
assessment of return tenders, site meetings and monitoring of works, through
to release of final retention. To assist in the recovery of Works in Default
costs.
4. Appeals/Prosecutions
To initiate prosecutions for failure to comply with statutory notifications
where appropriate. To negotiate with other parties and prepare documentation,
in conjunction with the Corporate Services Legal Division in appeal cases,
prosecutions and for Public Inquiries for compulsory purchase. To give evidence
as required.
5. House Renovation Grants
To respond to enquiries, encourage applications in appropriate cases and
advise clients in connection with all types of home improvement grants.
To carry out inspections, determine eligibility, calculate grant, supervise
work and release all monies.
To aid in the monitoring of compliance with grant conditions, lead recovery
action in cases of breach.
6. Technical Support Staff
In association with the Operations/Team Manager, to plan, monitor, control
and supervise the work of Technical Support Officers within the functional
group.
7. HMO Programme
To undertake inspections and statutory action to meet the targets of the
HMO programme as directed by the Operations/Team Manager.
8. Residential Noise
To investigate complaints following the service procedure.
9. Travellers
To inspect and report on temporary travellers' sites as directed.
10. Management of Workloads
To conform to Council policy in prioritising casework as directed.
11. Training
To undertake training as required and to assist in the training of students
and trainees.
OTHER DUTIES
12. To be responsible for monitoring and maintain overview of a caseload
revisiting regularly and ensuring that tenants and/or complainants are kept
informed of progress. Periodically to review caseload and report in detail
to senior officers and/or Committee, highlighting for priority action such
as Compulsory Purchase Orders.
13. To assess the need for, initiate and progress as required, the temporary
rehousing of tenants to facilitate repairs whether as a result of notice,
grant application or Works in Default.
14. To carry out surveys with a view to the establishment of new work portfolios
or other programmed work as directed.
15. To take active part in the development of departmental procedures for
the implementation of the private sector strategy and when required participate
on working parties for particular topics.
16. To represent the Department and the Council by attendance as Committee
Tenants Associations, DMCs and meetings of independent groups as
directed.
source:
http://www.camden.gov.uk/jobs/jobs_fr.htm
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