Inverurie - Compliance, Enforcement and Investigative Officer

APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We welcome applications from candidates with visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

Do you want to apply your communication and problem-solving skills in a role that provides variety and flexibility?

Do you have experience within an enforcement environment?

If so, we have an amazing opportunity to join the team as an Enforcement and Investigative officer and would love to hear from you!

There is a need to maintain strong links with the Food Standards Scotland Intelligence Officers and APHA’s Regulatory Affairs, Compliance and Enforcement Team (RACE).

The Compliance, Enforcement and Investigative Officer will play a vital role in leading the work on compliance and working effectively with enforcement partners ensuring that the Agency operates within the legal framework

You will provide expert advice to colleagues and enforcement partners on compliance issues.

In exceptional circumstances, in absence of an external investigating body, you may take full control of an investigation.

This will be vital for development of processes to improve controls in conjunction with Food Standards Scotland.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

• Work with APHA Field Inspectors and admin teams to understand the animal health and welfare legislation to identify areas on non-compliance; working collaboratively to bring businesses/ keepers back into compliance.
• Act as a point of contact within Scotland Field Delivery to advise on appropriate actions when non-compliance is suspected, raise the profile of non-compliance issues and to encourage the exchange of information.
• Input into the identification of high-risk areas of non-compliance and to ensure the development of plans and procedures to prevent or mitigate them.
• Ensure APHA acts as a fair, proportionate, and consistent Regulator when dealing with non-compliance; training and upskilling staff to be confident and effective in dealing with non-compliance issues to understand enforcement principles and providing guidance on evidence gathering, witness statement writing and court preparation.
• Build effective relationships with enforcement partners, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) other stakeholders and policy colleagues, thus ensuring a collective approach to specific cases and wider non-compliance issues and promoting a clear understanding of outcomes.
• Be an active member of any enforcement case conferences, which may include convening and leading discussions on the appropriate actions to be taken by all parties to ensure APHA can deliver operational requirements to prevent disease spread or safeguard animal welfare.
• Be an active participant and APHA point of contact for enforcement investigations in partnership with local authorities and other stakeholders. This may include gathering evidence, provision of witnesses statements and interviewing suspects in accordance with legislative frameworks.
• Adhere to disclosure requirements and evidential thresholds to prepare reports, productions and evidence for court. Support operational partners to prepare case reports to the required standards for referral to the procurator fiscal (PF) and on occasion submit cases and liaise directly with the PF.
• Safeguard APHA by ensuring that all investigations are carried out in accordance with legislative requirements including all aspects of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act (RIPSA), Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) and evidential continuity.
• Participate in meetings to raise awareness of the impact of non-compliance on delivery of the Scottish Government’s policies and help deliver plans and procedures to mitigate associated risks. Advise key colleagues, policy customers, operational partners and stakeholder organisations on regulation, compliance, and enforcement issues.
• Support the continuing development of the APHA Compliance and Enforcement strategy.
• Consider targeted enforcement campaigns across APHA in conjunction with policy customers and enforcement partners, to address highlighted areas of risk e.g. non-compliance with TB control measures.
• Budget responsibilities will be for work related travel and subsistence.