Environmental Health Practitioner Apprentice
Gravesham Borough Council
Kent (DA12 1AU)
Closes in 16 days (Monday 31 August 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 14 August 2026
Contents
Summary
We are looking for a positive and motivated individual, with a ‘can-do’ attitude and excellent communication skills to join our busy Environmental Protection Team. Duties include: assisting officers with investigations, inspections, regulatory enforcement visits, audits, and service requests, undertaking tasks as directed.
- Wage
-
£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Following the first year of the apprenticeship, the salary will reflect the national minimum wage for age.
- Training course
- Environmental health practitioner (integrated degree) (level 6)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday.
Shift times to be confirmed.
Unpaid lunch break.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 7 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
Through experiential learning and training the successful candidate will learn about, and become competent in investigating and regulating, a range of environmental protection functions in a local authority setting, including:
- Statutory nuisance and anti-social behaviour complaints, e.g., noise, bonfires, artificial lighting, odours, etc.
- Air quality and smoke control
- Animal activities licensing, animal control & stray dog services
- Waste accumulations
- Pest control
- Drainage
- Filthy and verminous properties
- Unauthorised encampments
- Environmental Permitting
- Environmental considerations linked to planning and licensing applications
The candidate will enjoy a varied and interesting, but sometimes also challenging, workload. Working both in and out of the office, the candidate will initially focus on supporting the work of the team but progress towards managing their own caseload as their knowledge, skills, and experiences progress too.
Working alongside our Food and Safety Team, the successful candidate will also have access to other core environmental health areas, such as food safety, private water supplies, infectious disease control, skin piercing and health and safety, as well as those carried out by the council’s Private Sector Housing Team.
Daily duties:
- Assist officers with investigations, inspections, regulatory enforcement visits, audits, and service requests, undertaking tasks as directed
- To create and maintain written and/or computer records that are accurate, timely and in line with procedures
- To make records whilst on site and provide feedback to officers on key observations
- Communicate effectively on the phone/face to face/in writing with all customers, colleagues, and stakeholders (i.e., the public, local businesses/traders, council officers, etc.) on relevant areas of work
- Assist in the preparation of case files, reports, correspondence, animal activities licences and preparation of data analysis
- As experience is gained, to lead on the above, to carry and manage own caseload of reactive and pre-programmed work.
- Attend and participate in tutorials, meetings and other training as required for the apprenticeships, personal development or service need. Record information and feedback as directed
- Successful complete each academic section of the course as specified by the course tutors
- Assist with any other duties commensurate with the post as directed
- To follow corporate policies, procedures and legal responsibilities
- To be aware of and exercise personal and corporate responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act and other related matters
Where you'll work
Civic Centre
Windmill Street
Gravesend
Kent
DA12 1AU
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
- Level 6 (BsC Hons) Environmental Practitioner Degree
- Day release at University Centre Weston
- Off the job training
- Work based learning assessment
- Block release in year 1
- BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Health/BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4/C or equivalent)
- maths (grade 4/C or equivalent)
A Level in:
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
- Team working
- Polite and keen to learn
- Practically minded
- Outstanding work ethic
- Excellent timekeeping
- Adapt to different situations
- Empathy and integrity
Other requirements
- You are required to have your English and Maths GCSE's at grade A-C/9-4 or equivalent. You also need a minimum of 80 UCAS points from level 3 qualifications (or equivalent) with at least one science related subject.
- The position involves regular visits to other workplaces, residents’ homes, premises with animals in them being outside in inclement weather in urban and rural environments.
- The successful candidate will need a full driving licence, unrestricted access to a suitable vehicle with suitable business class insurance and be physically able to undertake such visits.
About this employer
Gravesham Borough Council provides a range of services to over 106,000 people and 4,000 businesses. The Borough of Gravesham, situated in the Northwest corner of Kent, covers 25,000 acres of the most varied countryside in south east England. Bordered by the River Thames to the north, it is at the heart of Thames Gateway and has a significant role to play in the regeneration of a major government growth area. Gravesham Borough Council is committed to delivering to the community and working with us means you are part of delivering the level of growth and improvement our community needs and deserves.
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
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Possible future prospects include opportunities for career progression within the Council and continued professional development/ qualification training with the CIEH in pursuance of becoming a:
- Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner
- Registered Environmental Health Practitioner
- Registered Food Safety Practitioner
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Apprenticeships Team
Apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000048357.
Apply now
Closes in 16 days (Monday 31 August 2026 at 11:59pm)