Environmental Health Officer

1. Job Purpose: To provide technical professional services with the overall aim of protecting and improving the health and wellbeing of every resident, worker, and visitor within the Borough. Providing assistance, advice and using available statutory powers to carry out all manners of enforcement to keep people safe and to maintain professional and legal standards. Achieving your full potential in delivering high quality services ensuring that the Council discharges their statutory obligations. To ensure that the impact from noise and nuisance on residents and others within the Royal Borough is controlled using appropriate enforcement powers, negotiation and practical knowledge both during office hours and as part of an out of hours service operation.

2. Key accountabilities: Environmental Health Officer

• Respond to, investigate and resolve, within published service standards, wherever possible, service requests relating primarily to noise and nuisance, but also complaints relating to other areas within the Environmental Services remit.

• Work between the hours of 8am and 8 pm as part of the Noise and Nuisance Service’s.

• To assist in the preparation of the service and enforcement of legal notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Control of Pollution Act 1974 and any other legislation that is appropriate to secure the main purpose of the post.

• To follow up and re-visit where informal and formal action has been taken, checking works in progress, ensuring that the necessary works, etc. have been properly executed in accordance with good practice. To identify those cases where notices have not been complied with and take appropriate enforcement action.

• To contribute to a front line ‘witnessing’ service, carrying out visits and gather evidence of reported breaches which may from time to time, be out of hours.

• To be involved, as appropriate in the event of emergency situations occurring within Barnet.

• To work closely with other teams (e.g. Licensing, Community Safety Team , Barnet Homes etc.) to promote collaborative working, data sharing, and co-ordinated intervention to ensure the best service for residents.

• Assist the instigation of all necessary legal action in line with Council policy, including the preparation and presentation of evidence at Court and Tribunals.

• Respond to correspondence and maintain up to date records on the Boroughs’ computer systems, officer notebooks, records of visits made and action taken to ensure a complete record of cases is maintained in the event of later enquiries, complaints or subsequent legal action.

• To give advice to the general public and commercial undertakings on Environmental Health matters relating to premises in the borough.

• Contribute to projects and initiatives in relation to the work of the Noise and Nuisance Team and, where appropriate, the Council or Team as a whole.

• To keep abreast of appropriate legal and technical developments. • Meet performance targets for proactive and reactive work.

• Undertake projects and initiatives to improve the delivery of the service. These projects may reflect the impact of the wider environmental agenda on the operation of the premises visited.

• To prepare detailed reports relating to case work and wider noise and nuisance issues and attend internal and external meetings.

• Assist in maintaining Quality Assurance procedures and other documentation.

• Participate in the training of businesses, health promotion initiatives, and the staff training programme as required.

• Ensure effective liaison is maintained with other relevant colleagues about matters relating to work within their areas.

• Become familiar with operational policies, procedures and techniques relevant to the job.

• Undertake engagement and enforcement activities at events as required. Duties include monitoring and taking action under all relevant legislation where appropriate.

• Cover the work of colleagues in time of leave, sickness or other absenteeism.

• Carry out such other duties relevant to the post when required. • As the Council moves towards further flexible ways of working be prepared to embrace different methods of working for example flexibility about working hours.

• To ensure all elements of investigations conducted by officers are compliant with the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996 and the codes of practice as well as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the codes of practice.

• Adhere to the Assurance Investigators Code of Ethics. Page 2 of 7

• To wear appropriate Council Uniform whilst performing duties and ensuring the team are also suitably attired to be recognised as employees of Barnet.

• Working out of hours as and when required as part of a shift rotation and/ or agreed overtime.

• Carry out other duties as required by your line manager in accordance with the grading of the post.