Specialist Environmental Health Officer Housing - Fire Safety

Specialist Environmental Health Officer (Housing - Fire Safety)

Start:                      May/June 2024

Rate:                       £45 - £50ph Umbrella Inside IR35 (dependant on experience)

Duration:                6 months initially (likely to extend to 12mths)

Location:                West Mids

Work pattern:         Hybrid

The Person:

Our client is seeking an energetic and motivated Specialist EHO, who is suitably qualified,knowledgeable and highlyexperienced in private rented housing to join a newly created ‘Specialist Fire Safety team’.

Job Purpose:

You will be working as the housing expert within a ‘Specialist Fire Safety Team’ (SFST). SFST sits within Private Rented Housing. You will work alongside key enforcement partners, stakeholders, and businesses we will require duty holders to remove, reduce and remediate Fire Safety risks using a range of management and enforcement tools.

Personal specification:

• You will already be working as a lead/specialist EHO, for private sector housing in a busy Housing authority
• It is essential you possess an expert and detailed understanding of private sector housing legislation/ codes of practice and have the ability to exercise sound professional judgement in its interpretation and implementation
• It is essential you will have an in-depth knowledge of the HHSRS and its practical application
• It is desirable to have experience in using the HHSRS operating guidance: addendum for the profile for the hazard of fire and in relation to cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings, or experience in assessing the hazard of fire in similar complex buildings
• Ideally you will have expert knowledge of Fire Safety features and systems associated with high-rise/ complex residential buildings
• It will be essential to have experience of multi-agency, stakeholder and partnership working
• Experience of managing a team would be essential to take a lead on SFST site visits
• Experience of collaborating and communicating with a wide range of staff, business contacts and residents from varied backgrounds would be crucial
• Excellent IT skills and computer literacy to include M3 and other software used to record data for the SFST
• During site visits it will be essential to take accurate notes, detailed observations on technical Fire Safety related findings

Key Responsibilities:

• To help develop the SFST in delivering its current and future business objectives
• To conduct joint Fire Safety inspections/ audits on site visits, while supporting the other SFST members in carrying out their specialist functions, so creating a combined report
• Identify, record and report on potential fire hazards and recommend corrective actions
• To carefully consider, discuss and decide on the most applicable legislation to resolve Fire Safety concerns
• Be open to using a range of informal and formal enforcement tools, or intervention types, to remediate Fire Safety hazards in a range of high-rise residential buildings or be able to agree on establish the most appropriate course of action to bring about remediation
• Ensure compliance within the HHSRS and its addendum on ‘Fire Safety’
• To advise and support the team in reviewing Fire Safety documentation for existing buildings
• To provide technical and interpretation on Fire Safety legislation for writing informal and formal notices
• To collaborate, consult and communicate with key fire partners at WMFS
• To liaise with a range of other persons, to include local authority enforcement officers, building safety managers, stakeholders, responsible persons and their managing agents
• To keep up to date with Housing legislation, GOV.UK updates, policies, procedures, codes of practices, standards or guidance, or any information to betterment the SFST’s objectives
• If required, to write press releases, committee reports, to update Councillors/directorate

Requirements

• A formal Environmental Health qualification that is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
• You must be EHORB registered and have a current membership with the CIEH, and ideally chartered, and have maintained your hours of CPD
• At least 3 years’ experience in a specialist or lead Environmental Health Officer position within a Housing Authority
• You should be receptive, or willing to receive further specialist Fire Safety, or any other training, the section perceives as valuable
• Competent using and applying the Housing Act 2004, and has an acceptable knowledge and can demonstrate operational experience in carrying out HHSRS assessments; to include the hazard of fire
• It is desirable the candidate has worked in joint working operations with colleagues in private/ public sector housing authorities
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Can formulate reports and able to draft and serve notices

If you are interested in the role, we would love to hear from you! Please apply to receive more information.