Senior Environmental Health Practitioner - Public Protection

Thanet District Council is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, conscientious and motivated Environmental Health Practitioner to lead the Public Protection team within our Regulatory Services Department. You will work in a multi-disciplinary role within the Public Protection Team covering occupational health and safety, food safety, and infectious disease control.

The service is responsible for enforcing a variety of legislation and regimes so you will need to hold relevant qualifications and specialist knowledge of all relevant Environmental Health legislation;including Food Safety, Occupational Health and Safety, Infectious Disease Control, Imported food, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Public Health Acts. The role provides an excellent opportunity to work across multiple areas of Environmental Health.

You will be managing a busy, friendly, supportive and professional team within a forward-thinking and innovative service which is already utilising technology to enhance the service we deliver and providing its officers with efficient and modern working practices supporting a great work-life balance.

• To deliver a high quality service to the public that is consistent, open and balanced and in the first instance incorporates an educative approach to guide businesses to compliance with current legislation.
• To provide day to day management of the Public Protection Team including, staffing and recruitment issues, proactive & reactive operations, rota’s, support and supervision, work allocation and supervision of case work across a range of enforcement areas.
• To complete service planning and write, update and maintain policies and procedures in line with Codes of Practice and communicate these effectively to the team, other departments and Council members.
• To prepare for and take part in internal and external audits of the service.
• To deputise for the Regulatory Services Manager in their absence including attendance at meetings as may be required from time to time to meet the needs of the service.
• To instigate enforcement action, when necessary, according to Codes of Practice and Enforcement Policies, including preparing, serving, and enforcing legal notices, cautions and prosecutions relating to Environmental Health.
• To acquire & maintain specialist expertise in the fields of public protection including, but not exclusively, food safety, health & safety, public health & infectious disease, sampling & port health, fishing and shellfish classification.