Environmental Health Officer (Food Safety)

About Southwark

The team have challenging inspection and enforcement targets and deal with a variety of unusual food items as well as various types of food businesses. From illegally imported food to illegally produced meat known as 'smokies', every day in the role is different. However, you will be rewarded by the specialist and unique learning and development experience you will gain dealing with these businesses which will take your career to the next level. You will also get job satisfaction knowing that you are making a valuable contribution to ensuring the health and wellbeing of all who lives and work in Southwark including visitors to the borough.

The work includes inspection of food business across all the risk categories, supporting more senior officers with complex casework such as hygiene emergency prohibitions and approval of relevant establishments, contributing to the delivery of various project and promotional work to showcase the service as well as working with our partners both internal and external on local/regional priority initiatives. The role also involves reactive work dealing with service requests and complaints such as the investigation of food poisoning allegations, other concerns about food and food premises and following up infectious diseases Notifications. You will identify contraventions, and execute appropriate enforcement action based on assessed risk, and where necessary, prepare reports and evidence for legal proceedings including giving evidence in court.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark's communities and the council's staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

This role is designated essential car user and an additional payment as well as mileage is made if you use your own vehicle to carry out your work. A staff parking permit is also provided which allows you to park at various locations in the borough.

Join Our Team as a Food Safety Officer at Southwark Council!

Following movement in the team, an exciting opportunity has arisen for us to appoint a full time and permanent food safety officer.
As a knowledgeable and enthusiastic field officer, you will be an important part of this very busy team which is responsible for regulating food business undertakings in the borough and deliver appropriate infectious disease control functions. The role involves the provision of expert advice, guidance and support to both new and existing food businesses, enforcing a variety of food legislation and taking prosecutions to secure high standards of food hygiene and food law compliance.

About You
We are looking for an experienced, ambitious and driven Environmental Health Officer or Food Safety Officer with current or recent experience in food law regulation to carry out the full range of food safety, hygiene and food standards enforcement work. Ideally, you will hold registration with the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB), its equivalent or successor. To succeed in this role, you will possess the following:
• Knowledgeable of food safety matters, have a sound knowledge of food law regulation and satisfy the qualifications and competency requirements for individuals responsible for undertaking official food controls.
• Have relevant enforcement experience around food safety with a demonstrable track record of delivering quality work.
• Commitment to continuing professional development necessary to deliver the duties of the post.
• Excellent communication skills, and the ability to prepare legal documents and case files.
• Ability to show initiative in problem solving and decision making, along with sensitivity handling contentious issues.

Additionally, you will be focused on ensuring that we deliver the highest standards of customer care and contributing to the council's local priorities while fulfilling the statutory responsibilities linked to the role.

Recruitment timetable

Closing Date - Sunday 14th September

Shortlisting - W/C 15th September

Interviews - W/C 29th September

Please note: If you have applied for this role within the last three months , your previous application would have already been considered as part of our recruitment process. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept repeat applications during this period, and any new application submitted within this timeframe will not be progressed.

To request an informal discussion about the post please contact us via [email protected] or [email protected].

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme . We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Attachments

• Click here to view the Job description and Person specification

Salary range

• £41,580 - £47,628 per year