Apprentice Trading Standards Officer

Following comprehensive training, your primary role will be to take a leading role in tackling illicit tobacco and vapes, co-ordinating and organising operational work including liaison with partners,
gathering and analysing local Intelligence, leading operational work in this field, dealing with evidence gathering and disposal, publicising the work and collating quarterly data on what’s been
delivered In addition to this, you will initially assist senior officers with operational work including investigations, inspections, projects and other interventions as directed to determine compliance
with legislation, including taking part in national, regional and local initiatives and enforcement activities This will give you the knowledge and experience you need to ultimately start to carry your own investigation case load and run your own projects You will also be asked to support wider service activities and work as needed, and to participate in the Duty system, monitoring incoming complaints and dealing with them in accordance with our protocols Much of what we do requires a level of research to inform our work, for instance as part of investigatory project work, and it will therefore be necessary for you to conduct research from time to time For some areas of your work you will need to make test purchases or take samples and arrange for their testing in accordance with legislative requirements and statutory guidance For the majority of businesses we deal with, when we find a breach of legislation, we issue advice and guidance to help them put things right, which can be in a range of formats. As such this will also be an integral part of the role For more serious issues it is likely to be necessary for you to issue statutory notices and warning letters to non-compliant businesses, and conduct criminal interviews, prepare legal reports for our lawyers in preparation for legal action Trading Standards works with a wide range of partners, and it will be really important in this role to develop and maintain effective partnership working arrangements with a range of services and
agencies both within and outside of the council in the areas you are involved in in order to help facilitate the best possible outcome Accurate record keeping and attention to detail is essential to comply with service, as well as legal, requirements, so this will be an important element of the role Intelligence is fundamental to the Service and you will play a part in supporting this through Intelligence gathering, analysis and recording on our Intelligence database In addition to the training and examinations you’ll be required to participate in to achieve your Level 6 Apprenticeship, you will also attend external training in other areas of the service where
this would benefit your role, and occasionally you will be required to travel to training outside the authority which may include an overnight stay Whilst you will be provided with one day a week study time, it will be necessary to do several hours study a week in your own time as part of your Apprenticeship You will also be expected to co-author your training and development plan, and to seek out opportunities to shadow and assist officers to increase your experience of our work across the service and meet the requirements of your apprenticeship On occasion you will be required to work outside of normal office hours (weekends and evenings) as necessary to maximise the effectiveness of service delivery

Training:
Trading standards professional Level 6 (Degree with honours) Apprenticeship Standard

Training Outcome:
To be a qualified Trading Standards Officer

Employer Description:
Peterborough City Council was formed as a unitary authority in 1998, having previously been part of Cambridgeshire County Council. As a unitary authority, the council has both the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. Our values: We are committed to putting people first. Everyone matters. We are a values-led organisation. There are six values that we strive to achieve across all our work - with colleagues, partners and our communities: Transparent - we keep our promises Collaborative - we create and maintain a supportive environment Inclusive - we recognise and value diversity Respectful - we respect all people and communities Innovative - we are bold and courageous Integrity - we are open and honest

Working Hours :
Hybrid working plus operational work across Peterborough & Cambridgeshire.

Skills:
Communication skills,IT skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Problem solving skills,Presentation skills,Analytical skills,Team working,Initiative,Project planning skills