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ROLE TITLE: TRADING STANDARDS OFFICER / SENIOR TRADING OFFICER
DEPARTMENT: PLACE
REPORTS TO: TRADING STANDARDS TEAM MANAGER
GRADE: SO1-PO4
______________________________________________________________________________
ROLE DESCRIPTION
To protect the health, safety and welfare of residents, businesses, visitors and employees in
Hammersmith and Fulham; working with businesses to help them comply with their legal duties.
Providing assistance, advice and using available statutory powers to carry out enforcement to
keep people safe and to maintain professional and legal standards. Achieving your full potential in
delivering high quality services, supporting our P1 critical services, ensuring that the Council
discharges their statutory obligations with respect to:
a) Protecting the health/safety/welfare/wellbeing of residents, children and consumers, from
illegal business activities in the borough, to ensure a fair and equitable trading environment.
b) Providing expert advice in relation the safety and legitimacy of consumer products and
services; to prevent death or personal injury and illegal trading and unfair business practices.
c) Participating in local, regional and national partnerships, where it is conducive to the overall
aims and objectives of the Council and maximises resources from intel-led activities/projects.
ABOUT THE ROLE
• Providing high quality, sound, timely and accurate professional/technical advice, guidance
and information about any work matter, to customers, colleagues, members of the public,
Elected Members (Councillors), Senior Managers, solicitors, architects, surveyors and other
professionals in a clear format that is understandable and appropriate.
• Delivering, as directed, a range of services in accordance with legislation, codes of
practice, corporate policies, local systems, policies and guidance and good professional
practice. This will include but is not limited to: inspections, projects, audits/surveys,
alternative enforcement activities, publicity, attending committee and other meetings,
processing applications, visits, investigating complaints and service requests, sampling,
monitoring, gathering evidence, making test purchases, carrying out PACE interviews,
taking statements, preparing reports and briefing notes for committees, Elected Members
and managers and determining the appropriate course of action.
• Properly handling evidence, records and data to ensure that confidentiality, continuity,
evidence integrity, data quality, data protection and the requirements for team intel are
observed.
• Preparing legal cases, reports and evidence for Court, Tribunals, Committees, or other
Statutory Hearings.
• Minimising any adverse impact on businesses, consumers, residents or others who might
be affected by any enforcement or regulatory action taken.
• Conducting investigations and other enforcement work in accordance with any statutory legal
processes, guidance and Codes of Practice required e.g. Police and Criminal Evidence Act
(PACE).
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• Appearing and giving evidence as a witness at Court, Tribunals or other Statutory Hearings.
• Undertaking consistent, proportionate, targeted, accountable and transparent enforcement
action, in accordance with best practice advice and guidance and enforcement policies, to
resolve any identified non-compliances. This may include seizing goods, prohibitions,
closures, preparing and serving statutory and fixed penalty or other penalty, information or
improvement notices, warrants, simple cautions, prosecution and other legal documents or
sanctions.
• To have a working knowledge of CPRs, BPRs, CRA, Lettings, underage sales, pricing,
credit, safety and other consumer protection legislation sufficient to carry out the duties of
the post.
• To regularly submit IDB intelligence reports for all relevant areas of trading standards work.
Team Working and Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) [Application of (EDI): Inclusive
Services]
• Raising any workplace concerns expediently, in line with agreed council policy or
processes.
• Working with minimal supervision, from different locations and at different times of the
day/week; as agreed, in line with service requirements, contributing to team Business
Plans.
• Taking responsibility for managing your workload to help with your personal/team
wellbeing, personal resilience and work life balance; by booking leave and recording
working hours.
• Constructively taking part in meetings, training, seminars and other events designed to
improve communication; which may include regional/national events with outside agencies.
• Achieving personal appraisal and team targets, as agreed by your line manager. Carrying
out duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Council’s customer care standards.
Service Delivery and Service Improvement [Application of (EDI): Inclusive Services]
• Using IT systems, as directed to enable performance and management information and
data to be provided/extracted; as appropriate action to ensure continuous service
improvements.
• Ensuring that team correspondence/enquiries are processed speedily, in agreed time limits.
• Responding to requests for information virtually, in person, on the phone and in writing.
• Dealing sensitively/courteously with residents, customers, businesses, members of the
public, etc.
• Liaising with Councillors, local residents, businesses, regulatory and other Council teams,
teams and law enforcement partners, as appropriate.
• Processing/reconciling credit card and other payments.
• To be pro-active in identifying improvements to systems. To be flexible in ways of working
and adapt, as required, to meet new demands and technologies to improve service
delivery.
• Identifying opportunities for additional grant/external funding or other external income
streams; thinking both creatively and commercially.
Policy, Governance, Assurance and Risk Management
• Escalating issues which have the potential to cause physical, financial and technological
harm, death or reputational risk, so that appropriate action can be taken to minimise the
risks.
• Developing and working in accordance with local policies and using relevant governance
structures for decision making, as appropriate, to help provide assurances about legal and
procedural compliance. Making professional decisions, where you are duly authorised and
competent to do so.
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• Undertaking any other duties, appropriate to the grade as directed by Senior Managers or
Elected Members; deputising, as appropriate, for your Line Manager or colleague(s).
ABOUT YOU
Knowledge & Skills:
• Diploma in Trading Standards (DTS)/Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards
(DCATS).
• Enforcement and Regulation: Good/expert working knowledge of the ‘team specific’
relevant laws, powers, codes of practice, guidance, policies to deliver on the team’s
statutory duties and support the council’s priorities.
• Legal Process: Good/expert working knowledge of ‘general legal process’ - relevant
powers, laws, codes of practice, guidance, policies to achieve successful outcomes in any
team enforcement actions.
• Professional Awareness: Knowledge of current/topical regional/national issues and
implications for the profession.
• Local Authority Governance and Processes: Knowledge and/or experience of this for
consistency n work process and decision making.
• Team and Partnership Working: Ability to and/or experience of working as part of a team
and with partners, key stakeholders and community groups.
• Service Delivery, Improvement and Communication: Good organisational and written
and oral communication skills, using IT software and database programs, as appropriate.
Providing high standards of customer care, professional officer conduct and ideas for
service improvement.
Other Selection Criteria (essential or desirable)
• An enhanced DBS check is required for council officers who visit residents’ homes or work
regularly with children.
• Driving licence (desirable)
COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS CAREER GRADE CRITERIA (To be applied and assessed in
line with the Career Progression Scheme for Environmental Health and Regulatory Services
application process)
Career
Grade
Experience Professional Duties
SO1 Successful completion
of the Regulatory
Compliance Officer
Apprenticeship or
equivalent
Appropriate CTSI
training modules
completed
• Experience of working in a regulatory environment.
• Over 12 months experience of managing own
caseload, relevant to the statutory duties of the
team.
• Undertakes responsibilities of an Evidence Officer.
• Leads on key priority areas as designated.
• Drafting of team project plans, within agreed
deadlines and delivering projects, according to
specification.
SO2 Successful completion
of the Level 6 Trading
Standards
• Regularly leads in enforcement activities within the
team.
• Assists with FOI requests and VIP complaints.