Licensing Officer

As a Licensing Officer you will be part of a friendly and busy team processing various licence applications and providing helpful advice and assistance to customers, MPs, elected members and professional services.

Leeds City Council isone of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody ourcouncil values andambitions .

About you

As a Licensing Officer, you will bring to the role:

• Work as a member of a busy and exciting service;
• Uphold the reputation of the service in providing expert licensing advice and assistance;
• Carry out licensing functions in accordance with legislation and statutory timescales;
• Apply expert specialist licensing knowledge; and
• Work in partnership with a variety of professional bodies.

About the role

Leeds has a thriving leisure and night-time economy.The licensing regime helps to reduce and prevent unwanted public nuisance, promote the prevention of crime and disorder, protect children from harm and make licensed venues safe. The application process allows residents to have their say, and similarly for partner agencies to request special measures.Being involved in the licensing process you will help to make Leeds a safe place to live, work and visit.

The work is varied dealing with different forms of businesses and premises from large scale events to pubs, bars, cafés, takeaways, betting shops, casinos, charitable and local community events. Every day brings something new and different.

The role is integral to our Liaison and Enforcement Team who visit venues daily to ensure licence compliance. The role also supports the policy work of the service. Regularly liaison shall be held with other services such as the Environmental Protection Team, Planning Services and West Yorkshire Police, etc.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement, plus statutory holidays;
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions;
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements, subject to service requirements;
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities; and
• a range ofstaff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further.

How to apply

Please complete the online application form, upload your CV and complete a personal statement of no more than 500 words.

Please check your information carefully and ensure all sections are complete before submitting your application.

For further advice and guidance, please clickhere .

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Matthew Nelson, Principal Licensing Officer on , or .

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

Job Description

Job Purpose

Entertainment Licensing deals with the administration and enforcement of various licensing regimes. These include the Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, plus other licences and registrations, including sex establishments, charity collections, civil ceremony approvals and the performance of hypnotism.

The service handles approximately 2,700 licences in total, averaging approximately 90 new applications per month. In addition, the service receives on average 1,900 Temporary Event Notices and 450 Personal Licence applications per year.

You will form part of a busy team processing applications, dealing with enquiries and providing assistance to a host of customers, including MPs, elected members and professional services.The successful candidate will also be responsible for convening and assisting Sub Committee hearings and providing support throughout the service.

Responsibilities

As a Licensing Officer within the Entertainment Licensing, you will:

• Work within a team of Licensing Officers and closely liaise with the service's Liaison & Enforcement Team;
• Be assigned postcode areas for which you will act as the Case Officer for a variety of licence applications;
• Ensure that applications are received, processed and issued in accordance with the relevant legislation and statutory timescales;
• Certain applications may attract representations, and in such instances you will liaise with the applicant and other interested parties, serve a notice of hearing on all parties, compile a comprehensive report for consideration by the Licensing Sub Committee and ensure all information is collated and served before the hearing date. There will also be a requirement to attend hearings as necessary to present reports or to assist the presenting officer;
• Have daily engagement with the licence trade, blue light services, professional agencies, MPs, elected members and members of the public, providing your expert knowledge and specialist licensing advice via written and verbal communications, including e-mail, phone and face to face;
• Use specialist software for inputting and maintaining licence records. Leeds is one of the few authorities to implement its own intuitive online application service;
• Contribute to the high standards of the service providing excellent customer and partner support.
• Attend to additional case work on behalf of fellow colleagues as and when required; and
• The duties outlined are not an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

GCSEQualificationsorequivalentinMathematics and English is an essential requirement of this post.

BIIAB Level 2 National Certificate for Licensing Practitioners or equivalent is a desirable requirement of this post.

• Knowledge of the following licensing functions:
• Licensing Act 2003
• Gambling Act 2005
• Charity, Street and House to House Collections;
• Experience of managing licence applications or similar processes;
• A knowledge and understanding of computer systems such as Microsoft Office, the internet and database software;
• Experience of co-ordinating work within set deadlines and working under own initiative;
• Experience of producing concise and comprehensive correspondence, reports and guidance;
• Experience in the research and application of legislation and guidance;
• Experience of working in an office environment; and
• To have professional skills for providing an excellent customer service.

Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering theBest City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon;
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies;
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee's responsibility under Health and Safety Policies;
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities;
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade;
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities;
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures;
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person; and
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential behavioural and other characteristics.

Desirable Requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post.

• Experience for processing applications under the Licensing Act 2003 is desirable.

Candidates are not required to meet the desirable requirement, however it may be used to distinguish between candidates.