Environmental Health Apprentice

North Somerset Council

North Somerset (BS23 1UJ)

Closes on Friday 5 June 2026

Posted on 9 April 2026

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Contents

Summary

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic individual who is keen to build a career as an Environmental Health Practitioner, with a particular interest in housing. This is a varied and engaging role where no two days are the same, involving the inspection of homes across North Somerset for a wide range of purposes.

Wage

£22,324 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Environmental health practitioner (integrated degree) (level 6)
Hours
Monday to Friday. Flexible working scheme available.

37 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

4 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Job Overview:

  • Carry out a range of different types of housing inspections to support other officers on the teams
  • Investigate complaints about housing conditions
  • Keep accurate records
  • Talk to a range of customers and stakeholders to help improve the homes of people who live in North Somerset
  • Manage a caseload

Specific Duties: 

Professional Advice, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Provide specialist, professional and technical environmental health advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders, including residents, businesses, property owners, government agencies and partners
  • Communicate and influence effectively with diverse stakeholders through written and verbal communication, presentations, advice, mediation, negotiation and persuasion
  • Negotiate with and influence stakeholders on a range of environmental health matters
  • Identify, evaluate and communicate environmental health risks and appropriate risk management solutions
  • Handle private and sensitive information in accordance with data protection requirements

Inspection, Investigation and Compliance

  • Plan, undertake and lead inspections, audits and investigations across a wide range of environmental health areas
  • Examine and assess compliance with relevant conditions, legislation and standards
  • Carry out sampling and collect evidence for monitoring, investigations and enforcement purposes in line with current guidance and legislation
  • Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with relevant legislation, guidance and codes of practice

Licensing, Enforcement and Legal Processes

  • Evaluate applications and issue relevant licences and permits (e.g. HMOs and caravan sites)
  • Appraise, implement and communicate appropriate interventions, including enforcement actions
  • Produce accurate records and reports, including the collection and handling of evidence for potential legal proceedings

Legislation and Regulatory Practice

Interpret and apply a broad range of environmental health legislation, including the Environment Act, Environmental Protection Act, Health and Safety at Work Act, Food Safety Act, Housing Act, Public Health Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, data protection and anti-social behaviour legislation 

Analysis, Decision-Making and Problem Solving

  • Use research, analytical and problem-solving techniques to address environmental health issues through creative and critical thinking
  • Critically evaluate and analyse evidence and information
  • Formulate sound judgements and decisions based on evidence and professional knowledge (e.g. the impact of poor housing conditions on health)
  • Exercise initiative, discretion and independent decision-making within the scope of the role

Teamwork, Leadership and Work Management

  • Work collaboratively as part of multi-disciplinary and multi-organisational teams to achieve positive outcomes
  • Lead activities relating to environmental health matters where required
  • Plan, organise and prioritise workload effectively to meet deadlines

Public Health and Community Engagement

  • Participate in health promotion activities in key environmental health areas (e.g. smoking, obesity, food safety, shisha use)
  • Manage challenging and occasionally confrontational situations in a professional and effective manner

Administration and IT

Use standard IT systems for word processing, report writing, and data input and analysis

Where you'll work

Town Hall
Walliscote Grove Road
Weston-super-Mare
North Somerset
BS23 1UJ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Training course

Environmental health practitioner (integrated degree) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Provide specialist, professional and technical environmental health advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders such as residents, businesses, property owners, government agencies and partners
  • Plan, undertake and lead inspections, audits and other forms of investigations across the breadth of environmental health matters
  • Evaluate applications and grant relevant licences and permits eg. environmental permits, HMOs, caravan sites, skin piercing, tattooists etc
  • Negotiate with and influence a range of stakeholders in relation to a range of environmental health matters
  • Identify, evaluate and communicate environmental health risks and risk management solutions to a range of stakeholders
  • Ensure all activities are undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation, guidance and codes of practice
  • Infer and apply a range of legislation related to environmental health, eg. the Environment Act, Environmental Protection Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act, Food Safety Act, Housing Act, Public Health Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, data protection legislation, anti-social behaviour legislation etc
  • Employ a range of research, analytical and problem-solving techniques to resolve environmental health issues through creative and critical thinking, devising practical solutions and applying problem solving strategies
  • Critically evaluate and analyse evidence and information
  • Formulate judgements and decisions based on the evidence available and applied knowledge eg. on acceptable levels of pollution emissions, water data, acceptable levels of noise etc
  • Manage objective measurement and analysis of scientific information to determine the appropriate course of action eg. noise measurement, air emissions etc
  • Appraise, implement and communicate relevant interventions eg. enforcement actions
  • Produce accurate records and reports and where appropriate, recommend interventions, including the collection and handling of evidence with a view towards legal proceedings
  • Assess and deal effectively with difficult and confrontational situations
  • Participate in health promotional activities in high priority environmental health areas eg. shisha, smoking, obesity, food safety etc
  • Implement effective decision making, exercising discretion, initiative and independence within the scope of own role
  • Communicate and influence effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders including spoken and written communication skills, presentation skills, giving advice and guidance / mediating / negotiating and persuading, handling private and sensitive information (eg. data protection)
  • Use a range of standard IT packages to undertake for example, word processing activities, produce reports and input / analyse data
  • Work as part of a multi-disciplinary and/or multi-organisational team and collaborate to achieve successful outcomes
  • Lead activities relating to environmental health matters
  • Carry out sampling and collect evidence for monitoring, investigations and/or enforcement purposes in accordance with legislation and current guidance
  • Examine and assess compliance with conditions
  • Plan, organise and prioritise workload to meet deadlines
  • Provide specialist, professional and technical environmental health advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders such as residents, businesses, property owners, government agencies and partners
  • Plan, undertake and lead inspections, audits and other forms of investigations across the breadth of environmental health matters
  • Evaluate applications and grant relevant licences and permits eg. environmental permits, HMOs, caravan sites, skin piercing, tattooists etc
  • Negotiate with and influence a range of stakeholders in relation to a range of environmental health matters
  • Identify, evaluate and communicate environmental health risks and risk management solutions to a range of stakeholders
  • Ensure all activities are undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation, guidance and codes of practice
  • Infer and apply a range of legislation related to environmental health, eg. the Environment Act, Environmental Protection Act, the Health and Safety at Work Act, Food Safety Act, Housing Act, Public Health Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, data protection legislation, anti-social behaviour legislation etc
  • Employ a range of research, analytical and problem-solving techniques to resolve environmental health issues through creative and critical thinking, devising practical solutions and applying problem solving strategies
  • Critically evaluate and analyse evidence and information
  • Formulate judgements and decisions based on the evidence available and applied knowledge eg. on acceptable levels of pollution emissions, water data, acceptable levels of noise etc
  • Manage objective measurement and analysis of scientific information to determine the appropriate course of action eg. noise measurement, air emissions etc
  • Appraise, implement and communicate relevant interventions eg. enforcement actions
  • Produce accurate records and reports and where appropriate, recommend interventions, including the collection and handling of evidence with a view towards legal proceedings
  • Assess and deal effectively with difficult and confrontational situations
  • Participate in health promotional activities in high priority environmental health areas eg. shisha, smoking, obesity, food safety etc
  • Implement effective decision making, exercising discretion, initiative and independence within the scope of own role
  • Communicate and influence effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders including spoken and written communication skills, presentation skills, giving advice and guidance / mediating / negotiating and persuading, handling private and sensitive information (eg. data protection)
  • Use a range of standard IT packages to undertake for example, word processing activities, produce reports and input / analyse data
  • Work as part of a multi-disciplinary and/or multi-organisational team and collaborate to achieve successful outcomes
  • Lead activities relating to environmental health matters
  • Carry out sampling and collect evidence for monitoring, investigations and/or enforcement purposes in accordance with legislation and current guidance
  • Examine and assess compliance with conditions
  • Plan, organise and prioritise workload to meet deadlines

Training schedule

You will be pursuing a Level 6 Apprenticeship Standard in Environmental Health through Weston College.
As part of this program, you will attend Weston College once a week for workshops.
An assessor will conduct on-site observations to evaluate your progress, as well as support you in college throughout your apprenticeship.
At the conclusion of your program, your qualification will be assessed through an End Point Assessment.

More training information

On days when there are no classes taught at the university, you will undertake work in the Private Housing Service, building on the taught knowledge of the degree to develop the practical skills of an Environmental Health Practitioner. This will cover all aspects of environmental health.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • (or equivalent) English (grade 4/C or above)
  • (or equivalent) Maths (grade 4/C or above)

A Level in:

(or Level 3 qualification) (grade CCC or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience

Other requirements

Please have a valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide an alternative, suitable method of travel.

Relevant experience or prior learning may also be considered as an alternative for entry requirements but would be subject to agreement with the university.

About this employer

North Somerset Council is an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our services matter to people and they are at the heart of the local community. We provide support to vulnerable adults and children whilst maximising their independence, and we protect and improve the environment to make it a thriving and sustainable place to live, work and visit. The position will be located within the Private Sector Housing Team.  The team deals with a wide range of duties, including the delivery of licensing of houses in multiple occupation and caravan sites and improving housing conditions. Your role will involve assisting team members on inspections, along with project work. You will be expected to work from the Town Hall initially, but opportunities for remote working as you develop your experience will be available. Across the 4 years, opportunities will be given to gain experience in all areas of the profession.

https://n-somerset.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

  • Competitive salary
  • Generous holiday allowance (up to 34 days per year)
  • Average salary pension scheme
  • Flexible Working
  • Access to the Cycle 2 Work Cycle Plus scheme 

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Possible employment after the completion of the apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Naomi Judge

Naomi.Judge@Weston.ac.uk

01934411437

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000025471.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 5 June 2026