Senior Environmental Health Officer – Selective Licencing

The Role:

As a Senior Environment Health Officer (EHO), you too can make a powerful contribution. You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to work closely with the Principal Officers to lead efforts in improving housing conditions across one of the most high-profile, dynamic boroughs, Westminster. Our aim is to ensure that every resident, business, and visitor of Westminster will thrive in a clean, safe, and quiet city. Public Protection and Licensing is a service that enhances the lives of our residents and businesses. It sits at the heart of our vision to deliver a Fairer Westminster.

As a Senior EHO, you will support the development of apprentice Environmental Health Officers and Regulatory Compliance Officers. Alongside the Principal Officer, you will develop and deliver staff training, ensuring quality monitoring systems for operational-based teams. With a view to improving processes and services, you will undertake project work, leading on the delivery of complex or high-profile pieces. Using your knowledge of environmental health in private sector housing, you will identify risk, support the resolution of issues, and help others to develop their knowledge and expertise.

A key part of your role will be ensuring that the private housing sector meets high standards, property licencing is enforced, and rogue landlords are tackled. To this, you’ll need to engage with landlords and tenants to ensure compliance, requiring a mix of diplomacy and firm enforcement. You will be proactive in identifying and educating on areas of risk, helping the public to meet regulatory requirements. When complaints arise, you will deliver a sensitive, fair and informed response in a timely manner. You will carry out routine or unannounced visits and inspections to ensure compliance with legislation. When necessary, you’ll take enforcement action, initiate court proceedings, prepare and give evidence in court. This will require gathering the right intelligence and having well-kept records.

To ensure housing compliance and the effectiveness of enforcement actions, you will work with internal teams, legal professionals, landlords, tenants, and external agencies like the police and fire service. You will often have to balance differing perspectives, expectations and priorities.

Additionally, using your specialist technical skills and knowledge, you will be a champion for developing, implementing and enforcing environmental health policies and legislation. All with a view to maintaining and improving safeguard standards relating to people’s health and well-being. You will be proactive about ensuring that your expertise in environmental health is up to date through ongoing training.

As part of the team at Westminster City Council, you be surrounded by passionate, knowledgeable colleagues, all dedicated to improving living conditions. This is a tremendous place to develop your career, as inclusivity, innovation and professional growth are truly valued.