Environmental Health Officer (food)

Full Vacancy Description

Job title         Environmental Health Officer/ Food Safety Officer

The successful candidate will be focused on Covid 19 work and the reopening of premises. It is not essential that the candidate has food competency, but it would be an advantage

ROLE PURPOSE:                          

1.         As an Environmental Health Officer/Food Safety Officer you will be working towards achieving competence in all aspects of Food Safety / Food Standards.

2.         You will take a key role in undertaking and assisting with investigations and will be developing skills in enforcement and gaining competence in all types of food regulatory interventions. You will also have the opportunity to contribute in other areas of work.

3.         To develop and maintain an excellent knowledge of Food Safety, Health Protection and Infectious Disease and keep fully conversant with all legislative and technical developments in relation to the functions of the team.

4.         To carry out inspections and other interventions to verify food businesses are meeting food hygiene, food standards and/ or health and safety legal requirements, as well as meeting benchmark standards in associated guidance and established codes of practice.

5.         To exercise professional judgement over the range of assigned duties and determine and implement appropriate courses of action, working on one’s own initiative and within the policies and procedures set out.

6.         As part of the inland food law enforcement team, you will review new food registrations food approval applications, carry out inspections and grant approvals under product specific legislation in line with agreed levels of competency.

7.         Where contributing to the work of the airport imported food inspection team you will undertake official statutory controls including verification of import documentation undertaking examination and sampling of products.

8.         To prepare, as necessary, reports and statements of evidence for legal proceedings resulting from the contravention of Food Safety/Health Protection and Health and Safety law and to attend court, to give evidence on behalf of the Council.

9.         To carry out all enforcement work in line with Council policies procedures, relevant national guidance and codes of practice.

10.       To be aware of the Councils responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulations ensuring the security accuracy and relevance of all personal data held.

11.       To manage with a minimum level of supervision your own workload including a complaint caseload.

A. Job Description

1. People Management

1.         No direct supervisory responsibility however there will be requirement to assist in induction and training of peers and new employees.

2. Resident & Community Contribution

1.         To demonstrate understanding of the Council’s Customer Care Standards and ensure that these standards are met in order to deliver the Council vision of ‘putting our residents first’.

2.         To liaise with Trading Standards, Licensing, HSE, Food Standards Agency, other local authorities, police fire authorities, Public Health England and local courts.

3.         To respond to resident and business complaints and to undertake targeted proactive partnership work in local council wards to help provide a safe fair and well-regulated environment for residents and businesses in our communities.

3. Operational Service Delivery

1.         To be an authorised officer conversant with the requirements of Food Hygiene and Food Safety legislation.

2.         To carry out reactive visits and proactive inspections and take any necessary remedial actions in line with agreed levels of competency, so as to ensure compliance with legislative standards.

3.         To complete intervention risk ratings and determine food hygiene ratings for food businesses.

4.         To complete topic-based health and safety interventions and campaigns around established programmes of work.

5.         To deliver in a consistent, proportionate and transparent manner, a caseload of handling proactive and reactive complaints and resulting enforcement work to meet statutory and service requirements.

6.         To undertake the sampling of food and water for microbiological and chemical analysis, and to interpret and communicate results.

7.         Manage an individual and varied case load using current database software to review premises history, plan and prioritise visits and inspections in accordance with risk.

8.         Enforcement of the requirements of Part 1 of the Health Act including the investigation of complaints about smoking in public places.

9.         To assist senior officers with guidance and recommendations to event organisers and licensees in advance of temporary and licensable events.

10.       To assists senior officer in the production of reports to council committee and other bodies.

11.       To maintain all pertinent records (manual and computerised) to comply with requirements of the team, the service management, directors, external agencies and government.

12.       To assist Senior Officers, the Proper Officer of the Council and or Medical Officer from Public Health England with the function of preventing spread of infectious diseases.

13.       To investigate food poisoning complaints and as necessary take necessary enforcement action.

14.       To participate in health promotion and education activities including food safety, healthier eating and health and safety training/ coaching.

15.       To complete any specific tasks or instructions as determined by the Team Manager.

16.       Must be able to drive and be able to make site visits throughout the Council area.

17.       To be able to demonstrate continuing professional development and ongoing competencies in the field of food safety.