Position: Senior Housing Standards Officer (SCP 40)
Location: High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 3+ Months
Working Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Pay Rate: PAYE: £27.86 per hour
Job Responsibilities
- Improve the quality, safety, energy efficiency, and management of private sector housing across the borough, ensuring compliance with housing legislation and council policies.
- Investigate complaints relating to poor housing conditions, overcrowding, statutory nuisances, and housing hazards through property inspections and risk assessments.
- Identify hazards using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and determine appropriate enforcement action.
- Prepare inspection reports, schedules of work, statutory notices, legal documentation, and evidence for court proceedings where required.
- Lead complex housing enforcement cases, including interviews under caution, prosecutions, works in default, and attendance at court or tribunal hearings.
- Supervise, support, and allocate work to Housing Standards Officers, ensuring high-quality service delivery and professional development.
- Promote and enforce housing standards within Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), including licensing, inspections, compliance monitoring, and enforcement.
- Manage complex empty homes cases, working with internal departments and external stakeholders to bring vacant properties back into use.
- Administer Caravan Site Licensing, including inspections, licence applications, compliance monitoring, and enforcement action.
- Support the Housing Solutions Team by inspecting properties for statutory overcrowding, disrepair, and housing condition assessments.
- Promote domestic energy efficiency initiatives and contribute to the council's obligations under the Home Energy Conservation Act.
- Maintain accurate records using the council's housing management systems and contribute to performance monitoring and reporting.
- Develop and maintain effective partnerships with landlords, tenants, legal representatives, contractors, emergency services, and other external agencies.
- Contribute to the development and review of housing policies, procedures, and service improvements in response to legislative changes.
- Keep up to date with relevant housing, environmental health, and property legislation, regulations, and best practice.
Person Specification
- Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health or an equivalent professional qualification.
- Certificate of competence in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is desirable.
- Proven experience enforcing housing legislation to improve private sector housing standards.
- Experience working within Environmental Health, Housing Standards, or HMO Licensing services.
- Experience carrying out property inspections, identifying housing defects, and preparing technical reports.
- Experience preparing legal documentation and presenting evidence in court proceedings.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with landlords, tenants, contractors, solicitors, and partner agencies.
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior staff is desirable.
- Strong knowledge of housing legislation, Environmental Health legislation, HHSRS, Housing Act 2004, HMO licensing, and related statutory guidance.
- Sound understanding of residential construction methods and housing defects.
- Excellent investigation, analytical, report-writing, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong communication, negotiation, and customer service skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and housing management IT systems.
- Ability to manage a varied workload independently while meeting deadlines.
- Full UK driving licence with access to a suitable vehicle.
- Ability to obtain a Basic DBS clearance.
Job Reference: OR108127
Pay: £27.86 per hour
Expected hours: 36.0 per week
Experience:
- Housing standards: 2 years (required)
- Environmental Health: 2 years (required)
- Private Sector Housing Enforcement: 2 years (required)
- enforcing housing legislation: 2 years (required)
- property inspections: 1 year (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
