About Us:
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF MOHAMAD’S CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
Public Protection & Licensing in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people are passionate about keeping our streets safe and clean. Take Mohamad, a City Inspector who looks after the Little Venice ward. No two days are the same for Mohamad when he's out and about conducting ward inspections. He could be doing a licensing premises inspection one day and advising businesses and residents on the proper way to handle their waste on another. But before he joined Westminster, he used to work in banking, where he honed his skills in customer service and people management. And those skills matters because, while he occasionally needs to enforce the law, his job is mostly about building strong relationships: educating businesses and residents about the impact of certain enviro-crimes.
One day he came across some unmarked commercial waste dumped on Edgware Road. Following procedures, he investigated this waste, carefully collecting evidence. Yet, despite his attempts to make contact with the commercial premises, the owners wouldn’t cooperate. Digging deeper, he worked collaboratively with different Westminster departments such as businesses rates and licensing, and discovered multiple businesses registered at the same address. After issuing six different notices, three of the business failed to comply and were successfully prosecuted. So while Mohamad’s successfully swapped his financial know-how for expertise in local authority legislation, it’s his people skills and powers of persuasion he’s still proudest of.
The Role:
As a City Inspector, you will make your own powerful contribution to keeping Westminster’s streets safe, clean and well managed. Acting as a visible ambassador for the Council, you will work at the frontline of our communities, either as part of a local ward-based team or a citywide response team. You will carry out your duties in line with the Council’s principles of regulation – proportionality, consistency, transparency and accountability – using your knowledge and judgement to balance engagement, education and enforcement in every situation.
Your role will involve a wide range of responsibilities across the city, including inspecting licensed venues such as nightclubs, pubs, casinos, gambling premises, and late-night refreshment venues, ensuring that each operates safely and in compliance with regulations. You will also play a key role in tackling environmental issues – from waste offences and fly-tipping to street cleanliness – working collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to maintain the city’s high standards.
Responding swiftly and effectively to noise complaints and anti-social behaviour will form an important part of your role. This could include managing reports of aggressive begging, street drinking, illegal trading or pedicabs, using both negotiation and enforcement to resolve issues. You will proactively identify and respond to complex or emerging community concerns, using your professional expertise and relevant legislation to maintain public safety and quality of life.
You will be responsible for recognising and mitigating risks to the public, educating others on the impact of their actions, and, when required, taking formal enforcement action to stop harmful or unlawful behaviour. Gathering and recording evidence accurately and in line with policy will be essential, as you may be required to give evidence in court to support your actions.
You will make full use of the tools available to you – including mobile inspection technology – and work flexibly to suit your circumstances across a 24-hour, 365-day service that can include evenings, nights and weekends. Acting as the face of the Council in the community, you will take pride in being part of a dedicated team that keeps Westminster running smoothly, day and night, in all weathers and circumstances.
About You:
You don’t need to have a certain kind of background to be considered for this role – we welcome applications from all walks of life. With that being said, this is a highly rewarding, public-facing role. You will need experience working with customers, where you have built trusted relationships quickly and resolved conflicts calmly.
It’s on you to be the bridge between the local residents and the Council. That means you will be confident when engaging with residents and businesses, and you can listen carefully to different viewpoints to influence behaviour and secure positive outcomes. Comfortable responding to complaints in person and in writing, you can communicate clearly, accurately and with empathy.
You also bring experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of agencies and professionals to improve public safety and deliver excellent service. Assessing situations quickly, you make sound judgments and apply the right intervention based on risk to the public. You are highly organised and can manage your workload independently, meeting agreed targets and standards.
The importance of evidence gathering is something you understand well. That’s why you are able to record information accurately, knowing how your work may contribute to enforcement or court proceedings. You are confident using IT and mobile technology to record information, complete tasks, and respond to residents while out in the community.
Your resilience helps you to carry out your duties in all weather conditions. It’s a highly flexible position where shifts run from 7 AM to 7 PM – and you might even have the opportunity to work evenings and weekends, as part of a 24/7 service. You bring exceptional transferable skills, thrive in a high-performing team and are eager to develop through training and formal qualifications. Calm, professional and community-focused, you will reflect Westminster’s reputation for excellence and its commitment to keeping the city safe, clean and welcoming for everyone.
Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme will automatically be invited to interview, should they meet the essential criteria for the role.
We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning, subject to the volume of suitable applicants.
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. 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 an interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.
Work Location: In person
