Trading Standards Officer

**What's involved with this role**:
**Ref number**: Powys RQ1390080**

Assist the Trading Standards Service in providing the full range of its functions in accordance with relevant objectives, policies and procedures. The role is to conduct interventions at premises in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Investigate and report on breaches of relevant Trading Standards legislation in accordance with the Council’s Enforcement Policy and to ensure that such cases are dealt with in a timely and professional manner. Prepare the necessary case material for legal proceedings, attend and where necessary give evidence in Magistrates or Crown Court, before Justices of the Peace, Tribunals, and other forms of hearings where necessary.
- Plan, manage and conduct inspections of trade premises and businesses under the full range of legislative requirements undertaken by the Trading Standards Service. This may involve working outside normal office hours, to ensure compliance with relevant legal standards and good practice. Businesses are risk assessed using intelligence led criteria risk ratings to ensure that premises posing the greatest risk are prioritised accordingly.
- In order to aid regeneration in Powys, to provide advice and assistance to businesses in a professional and comprehensive manner to ensure maximum compliance across national and international boundaries by adopting the Home and Primary Authority principles.
- Investigate consumer complaints and advise complainants of their rights and responsibilities under the civil and criminal law to contribute to an informed and educated local community.
- Liaise and work with partners (including outside contractors) and other organisations, on a local, national or international level as necessary. To participate in such groups as developed by the Service, which enable the flexible, creative and challenging delivery of the Trading Standards Service.
- Support, motivate and train officers of the Service (including students) and where necessary supervise such officers to enable them to effectively carry out their duties and when necessary, deputise for the Senior Trading Standards Officer in their absence.
- Undertake the duties required by legislation to be performed by a Weights and Measures Inspector in order to assist the Council in meeting its statutory obligations. To adopt the role of authorised food officers under the Food Safety Act and associated legislation.
- Manage and act as a lead officer for the Service in nominated specialist areas, including monitoring the relevant budget and producing project work, action plans and reporting performance in a timely manner.
- Deal with consumers, businesses and members of staff in a polite and courteous manner in adherence with the customer care principles of the Council.
- Ensure that the Trading Standards Service complies with the requirements of Approved Body Status for classes of weighing and measuring equipment for which we are approved by the National Measurement Office where needed.

**Qualifications**:

- Diploma In Trading Standards (or equivalent)
- Be qualified to enforce Food Safety Legislation
- Be qualified to perform the duties of a Weights and Measures Inspector

**Knowledge**:

- Thorough understanding of statutory and regulatory controls undertaken by TS service
- Understanding of the legal system in the UK, to allow thorough investigation, analysis of offences and production of comprehensive reports
- Be aware of the current challenges facing the TS service in the UK

**Experience**:

- Will have experience of working in a TS environment for a period of 12 months
- Proven record of working with consumers and businesses to resolve disputes/secure compliance

**Skills & Abilities**:

- Excellent communication and negotiation skills and an ability to influence outcomes, with reasoning, persuasion and tact.
- Will have excellent interpersonal skills
- The ability to engage with and relate to key partners and stakeholders, other public sector bodies and private organisations in a way that benefits the Service and delivers results.
- Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines and in stressful situations
- Ability to manage a diverse workload and heavy demands whilst adhering to tight timescales.
- Ability to exhibit empathy when dealing with distressed consumers and business personnel
- Be a good communicator both orally and in writing

**To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would ask that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, not as a PDF.**

**If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension, you will be working at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than umbrella pay terms. We do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs U