Environmental Health Practitioner/Senior Food Safety Officer

Humber Recruitment are pleased to be resourcing an Environmental Health Practitioner/Senior Food Safety Officer for a new client of ours in Grimsby on a temporary basis.

Overall Purpose of the Role

• To work as part of a team to deliver the operational and enforcement activities as detailed in relevant service plans and the Council’s outcome framework
• To offer advice, inspect businesses, and respond to service requests from the public, businesses and other stakeholders using necessary enforcement powers as appropriate

Responsibilities

• Enforce all Food, Hygiene and Standards, Communicable Disease, Health & Safety, Public Health and Port Health legislation
• Recommend and implement formal action, including prosecution, seizure and detention of food and goods, closure of premises, prohibition of work activities, rejection and or destruction of imported products
• Undertake the inspection of food manufacturing, storage, distribution and retail premises, including vessels, to assist in the discharge of NELC’s statutory food & port health authority functions
• Undertake a range of activities relating to regulatory services to support the team
• Maintain accurate records, collect evidence including witness statements, prepare criminal proceedings and give evidence as required
• Compile inspection reports, legal notices, letters, and take further legal actions as necessary in response to the above areas of work, including seizure, detention, prosecution and prohibition of food or work activities
• Investigate accidents or occupational health incidents at relevant commercial workplaces, including potentially fatal or other serious incidents
• Investigate public health incidents, such as food poisoning outbreaks and cases of notifiable infectious disease
• Action and/or allocate requests for service and investigate complaints. Issue advice and enforce remedial actions as necessary
• Undertake investigative sampling and analyse results, particularly with regard to product safety and food standards and take appropriate actions
• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected at this level

Role Accountability and Expected Outcomes

Management of Resources

• Assist in work familiarisation of colleagues and new recruits, including advice and guidance on how allocated resources may most effectively be used
• Will have daily personal responsibility for a laptop computer, personal protective equipment (reflective jacket, safety shoes, etc.), a camera, thermometer and other small items of equipment required to carry out food, safety and port health functions
• For the period of time taken to sign out a key, deposit evidence and return a key, the post will have sole responsibility for the security of the secure evidence store.  Frequency will be dependent on criminal investigations requiring use of the store and is likely to be infrequent

Creativity and Innovation

• When inspecting premises or vessels, apply legislation to determine the correct response, which could include the provision of advice, service of notices, detention or seizure of food or equipment, prohibition of activities and/or gathering evidence for prosecution
• Conduct investigations of incidents, which would include conducting interviews under PACE and the taking and drafting of witness statements and the compilation of prosecution files to court standards
• Respond to service requests, adopting a consistent approach to the investigation and resolution of issues. Apply legislation, work procedures and work protocols to determine the correct response.
• Investigations will require organising and undertaking visits, on occasion with other agencies. Co-ordinate enforcement operations between partner agencies, on occasion taking a lead role for the authority
• Create a variety of inspection reports and letters on a daily basis, which translate legal requirements in a manner appropriate for the recipient
• Conduct examinations and inspections, form and act upon opinions as to fitness of food and safety. Provide bespoke advice to businesses, including alternative options and clearly distinguish between legal requirements and good practice. Use enforcement powers where necessary
• Provide advice and guidance to facilitate the development of existing businesses and the establishment of new food operations
• Carry out research to ensure knowledge is current for own professional development

Relationships with Stakeholders – Partners, Communities, Citizens & Employees

• Daily contact with representatives of businesses importing, exporting, producing, distributing and selling food within North East Lincolnshire. Gathering information in order to progress service requests and ensure their business processes are legal and their products are safe
• Maintain key business relationships, particularly in relation to manufacturing and the import and exportation of goods
• Occasional contact with other council officers e.g. CSSU and occasional contact with elected members to offer advice on relevant regulatory matters
• Regular contact with colleagues in other Local Authorities, national agencies and regulatory bodies to provide information or consult to inform regulatory action or ensure best practice
• Maintain partner relationships with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), UK Border Force, Health & Safety Executive, Public Health England, Police, Fire Services, HMRC and other critical, role specific organisations. Participating as necessary in multi-agency groups working towards the Council’s priorities
• Whilst carrying out official controls maintain professional relationships with all parties e.g. investigations may lead to elements of formal action, which will require conflict management examples include interviews under caution, taking statements and evidence collation
• Ensure positive stakeholder relationships are maintained through the provision of a service, which provides clear, accurate and timely responses and solutions to queries, requests and complaints.
• Represent the council in court proceedings

Discretion and Decision Making

• Use technical knowledge and experience to make decisions which will have consequences in relation to business operations and for the public
• Within the context of the legal requirement, decisions regarding legal interventions, matters of a complex, unusual or politically sensitive nature will be identified as such and discussed with the Principal or Senior Officer.
• Assist in the production and ongoing development and implementation of relevant work plans and procedures, to promote a consistent approach to planned and reactive official controls and enforcement action
• Make necessary decisions regarding health protection actions such as exclusion from work or other activities and assess medical information insofar as it relates to the investigation of communicable diseases
• Decisions will influence the speed at which allegations of poor hygiene practice are investigated and concluded. In the case of outbreaks of food poisoning or legionella they may affect the speed at which an outbreak is contained and consequently the number of people affected.  Decisions related to the importation or exportation of food will affect local, national and international trade
• Decisions help protect the health, safety and welfare of the local, national and international population. Individual decisions will affect individuals, businesses or whole communities
• Actions ensure an effective system of local environmental regulation with high customer satisfaction levels and the provision of a service that is value for money; operating in compliance with statutory requirements and guidance; and focused on Council priority outcomes.
• Recommend the most appropriate course of legal action having regard to the Code for Crown Prosecutors
• Decisions will help safeguard the reputation of the local authority
• Consistency in decision making will impact on businesses and help secure a stronger economy

Working Environment

Planning and Organising

• Effective and efficient planning, prioritisation and organisation of a variable programme of work. Work to deadlines which can be statutory, legally or organisationally determined. Sometimes this does not allow for deadlines to be negotiated e.g. completing an export certificate or court deadlines
• Due to working with a wide variety of issues work plans will be regularly interrupted by the arrival of new service requests from stakeholders which may require a reassessment of work prioritisation. Responsive to changing demands and priorities in order to ensure risk is minimised. E.g. the impact of delayed feeder vessels.
• Work planning is subject to frequently changing circumstances and conflicting priorities e.g. providing immediate response to emerging and urgent service requirements e.g. reported rodent issues, unfit food or product recalls

Working Conditions

• Work split between time spent in commercial premises, in factories, and time spent in an office environment. On occasion exposed to the elements without means of shelter.
• Visits will often require a carry out dynamic risk assessments and will require the correct use of personal protective equipment.
• Work in factory environments and on vessels will require clear adherence to established safe methods.
• Subject to heat, noise and dirty conditions

Work Context

• Work involves daily direct contact with the public, businesses and organisations with whom there will be conflicting situations to resolve. Undertake unannounced visits to commercial premises to undertake statutory inspections and enforcement work.
• Raise points of legal non-compliance with businesses which may be contentious and issue publicised hygiene ratings to food business operators and will make decisions regarding imports which may have significant financial implications for importers and exporters.
• Investigation work may occasionally involve interviewing individuals who are grieving or otherwise in a heightened state of emotion.
• Work at height and with appropriate tools in order to carry out the role

Role Specification

* Assessment Method:

A = Application Form

I = Interview

To apply for the position, click the apply button below or at the top of the page and complete the form. For more information on the role, call our team on 01472 729768 and we will be happy to assist. You can visit our jobs page to see our full list of available vacancies.

Never miss our latest vacancies by signing up to our mailing list and receive them straight to your inbox.