Environmental Health Officer

Environmental Health Officer

The extraordinary story of Kudzy’s travels

About us

Environmental Health at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where passionate and expert professionals go above and beyond for their colleagues every day.

Kudzy knows the streets of Westminster like the back of her hand. Her office can be anywhere. Market stalls, spas, carnivals, hotels, even backstage at an Adele concert. She’s travelled more than most have in a lifetime without leaving Westminster. She’s an Environmental Health Officer like no other. But, for her, seeing the difference her work makes to communities is the real highlight. For some, it’s financial lifelines, for others it’s the open sign on the restaurant they’ve always dreamed of. For Kudzy, it’s the smiles on her customers’ faces.

The Role

As an Environmental Health Officer, you can make your own powerful contribution to people and businesses across Westminster.

This is a city of stories and, in this role, you’ll prioritise our communities. Working to proactively identify areas of risk to the public, responding to community concern, and prioritising the most vulnerable in our society, you’ll deliver front-line, customer facing support to the widest range of Westminster residents and businesses.

We have a variety of roles on offer across several different teams, part-time, as a job-share, or full-time. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full-time. 

Our Food and Health and Safety team works to reduce the risk to public health from food purchased, produced or eaten in Westminster, ensuring the health and safety of people in venues ranging from places of worship to Theatres to.

Our Private Sector Housing team regulates unsafe housing in the private rented sector, ensuring properties are well manged, responding to complaints, and issuing HMO licenses.

Our Proactive Noise Service investigates complex and repeat complaints relating to noise, odour and light pollution. This will include late night and overnight shifts, for which you’ll receive a 13.5% shift enhancement to your pay.  

Our Consultation team provides Environmental Health input into planning and licensing processes. Their work touches many of the major events that take place across the city.

Wherever you join us, you’ll play a part in ensuring millions of people have access to a clean, safe and quiet place to call home. You’ll carry out routine or unannounced visits and inspections to ensure people and businesses are complying with legislation, prioritising the health and wellbeing of our communities, and taking action to improve conditions through engagement, education and enforcement.

You’ll act a source of expert advice and guidance, ensuring that public health and reducing inequalities is at the heart of everything you do. You’ll help others develop their knowledge and expertise, communicating effectively across the council, and with the people your work touches.

About You:

A natural communicator passionate about giving residents and businesses the tools they need to thrive, you’ll enjoy getting stuck in and being out and about in the community.

No two days are the same, so you’ll need to be both well-organised and highly adaptable, ready to get the job done without too much supervision.

You’ll have a strong customer focus and be keen to inform and educate people about how to meet environmental regulations. When legal interventions are necessary, you’ll need the ability to gather evidence and build a case. We’ll build on your good interpersonal skills to ensure you know how to foster trust and de-escalate conflict.

You’re likely to have relevant experience or qualifications in Environmental Health.  Whether you are graduating in 2024, looking for a new challenge in your career or returning to the profession we have a place for you.  

For roles in our food service you must meet the Food Standards Agency competency framework contained within the Food Law Code of Practice Guidance and be registered with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Board (EHORB)/ CIEH Register. For all roles, good IT skills are important.

More than anything you’ll be a person passionate about improving outcomes for Westminster residents and businesses. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a varied and dynamic profession, and to supercharge your career in the process.

What we Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster.

The salary range for this role is £40,005-£54,135, and we encourage applications from applicants at all stages of their career. Your specific salary will depend on your qualification, skills and experience.

Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit  https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties

As a forward thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application , we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.