Housing Enforcement Officer - (Building Safety)

Overview

At Buckinghamshire Council, we are dedicated to ensuring a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment for all those that live, work and visit our area. Our Environmental Health teams, which are part of Regulatory Services, are committed to delivering high-quality services that meet the needs of our community. We are looking for a passionate and dedicated Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP)/Housing Enforcement Officer to join our team and make a real difference.

This is 1 year fixed term contract.

About the role

As an EHP/Housing Enforcement Officer, you will play a crucial role in contributing to the Environmental Health Service objectives.

The role is for an officer to lead and oversee a programme for high rise buildings and buildings of between 11m and 18m in height, monitoring against the regulatory requirements and standards, and making efficient and effective decisions to engage with Responsible Persons to ensure appropriate remediation is undertaken.

Working in partnership with the Fire and Rescue Authority you will lead on the Council’s data collection and monitoring of identified buildings in the area which require further investigation. You will support partners undertaking regulatory action, where required, to ensure landlords are addressing fire and structural defects to make their buildings safe with a focus on being a Resident Centred Approach.

You may become involved in some housing standards related work which is outside the scope of the project and manage a small caseload as a result.

We are looking for someone who is able to interpret and manage data, apply legal standards and have excellent communication skills.

Some of the responsibilities include;

• Conduct investigations, legal and regulatory actions as necessary.
• Develop, implement, and review special projects and assigned tasks, including promotional, advisory, and educational activities.
• Maintain up-to-date professional knowledge of legal, technical, and social issues to ensure effective service delivery.
• Provide training and support to colleagues to maintain competencies for regulatory interventions.
• Respond to service requests, consultations, and take enforcement actions to achieve regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with team members, other departments, external agencies, and partners to deliver a customer-focused service.

On-the-go:

Our ‘on-the-go’ roles mean you’ll usually start and finish your day from a base, moving around between different locations throughout the day. You won’t need a fixed desk to work from, but you’ll have access to our network where you can keep up to date with admin and the latest staff updates.

About you

• Substantial relevant experience in large/complex organisation with a good knowledge in environmental health.
• Authority and credibility to build relationships, influence and engage successfully with colleagues, partners and customers at all levels in complex situations.
• Knowledge of construction methods and building deficiencies, in particular those relating to mid and high rise buildings
• Diploma, Degree, or MSc in Environmental Health or related qualification (such as in building construction).
• Certificate of competency in undertaking HHSRS.
• Evidence of continuing professional development

 

Other information

Full driving licence and use of a vehicle.

Ability to work flexibly within core hours and occasionally outside normal office hours.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/