Asylum Support Contract Assurance Environmental Health Officer (Housing Standards)
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
The Customer Services Group brings together Asylum & Human Rights, Asylum Support and Dispersal, Asylum Accommodation Centres, Resettlement Group, Passports, Citizenship & Civil Registration, Customer Operations Support Services and UK Visas & Immigration.As a major operational arm of the Home Office, we play a vital role in supporting the economy and cultural life of the UK.
Asylum Support, Resettlement and Accommodation (ASRA) Directorate, part of the Home Office, delivers support services to people seeking asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK. This involves use of external suppliers, and partnerships with local government and other agencies.The asylum support system is the biggest single spending area in the whole of the Borders & Immigration area and has a high public profile.
Three different suppliers hold Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts (AASC) to provide housing and associated support to destitute asylum seekers across the UK under seven separate regional contracts.
The accommodation providers are:- Serco, covering the North West, the Midlands and East of England (our offices in Manchester, Liverpool and Solihull);
- Mears, covering the North East of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (our offices in Leeds, Newcastle and Glasgow);
- Clearsprings Ready Homes, covering the South of England and Wales (our offices in Croydon, West London, and Cardiff)
- Inspecting properties to ensure that the required standards are being met;
- Using a range of data sources to test their performance against the Key Performance Indicators in the contracts each month;
- Undertaking thematic assurance reviews into areas of provider performance.
To support our functions, we require an Environmental Health Officer (Housing Standards) with experience of working within a local authority housing Environmental Health Service with a detailed understanding of housing regulation, enforcement and related law.
The Key Responsibilities of the post holder are:
- Working with the senior management team advising on the development and implementation of new procedures, guidance, tools, and training for the wider team, within the framework relating to environmental health (housing standards) and Housing health & safety rating system (HHSRS).
- Working with Accommodation Providers to address accommodation standards that don’t meet contractual requirements, and unsatisfactory management in licensed properties. Taking reactive and targeted action with Accommodation Providers to encourage and support them in becoming compliant utilising Environmental Health Officer (Housing Standards) legislative knowledge and powers but stopping short of enforcement action.
- Working with Accommodation Providers in relation to fire safety across their accommodation portfolios, including Initial Accommodation (IA) sites and Contingency IA (hotels) to ensure in accordance with legislation.
- Houses in Multiple Occupation including Licensing, overcrowding, advising on housing standards enforcement and standards in houses in multiple occupation, hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation. Reactive and proactive work in respect of all types of property licensing (mandatory and discretionary).
- Involvement in the implementation of policy decisions relevant to team.
- Liaise with relevant internal and external partners, our Accommodation Providers, Local Authority, Fire Authority etc.
- Be involved with complex correspondence, and enquiries, including from Local Authorities and MPs.
- To represent the Department at external meetings and prepare and present reports.
- Develop expertise on a specialist area of environmental health work and update staff on area of expertise.
Utilising the accredited skills and techniques (i.e. audit, inspection, advisor, negotiation, persuasion and enforcement powers) of an Environmental Health Officer (Housing Standards) to influence our programme of proactive and reactive functions which will contribute to raising Housing Standards within the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts.
Working Pattern
We encourage applications from candidates who wish to work part-time; however, part-time opportunities cannot be guaranteed and are subject to the requirements of the role and business. Candidates wishing to work part-time should notify the vacancy holder as soon as a provisional offer of employment is made, to explore whether this can be accommodated at your selected location.