Housing Standards Enforcement Officer (Trainee)
Bolton Council
- Expired
Grade: Grade A scp 2 £24,413 to scp 3 £24796 Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process. If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application The Role Over the course of this three-year entry-level role, you will gain two qualifications, including a level 4 apprenticeship, and see your salary rise as you progress. Too many people live in substandard rented homes that are taking a toll on their health and happiness. Housing standards officers hold unique legal powers to conduct property checks and tackle this. As a trainee you will develop all the skills you need to help people to live in better quality rented homes. Working alongside experienced enforcement professionals, you will learn how to inspect and assess properties for hazards, advise landlords on their legal responsibilities and, ultimately, take legal action and prosecute the worst offending property owners. During your role, you will work towards achieving a Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship, followed by a Level 5 Diploma endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, nationally recognised qualifications for these in-demand professionals. About You You will be open to meeting people from across a range of different backgrounds and visiting them in their homes to conduct assessments, which are central elements of the role. Whether you are at the start of your career or considering a career change, you will have good communications skills, literacy and numeracy, and an eagerness to improve bad housing. More information about the criteria for candidates can be found in the job description / role profile. About Us Bolton is a great place to work. We are a welcoming organisation that wants to contribute to a place where people feel active, connected and prosperous. We are passionate about improving the outcomes and experience of Bolton people. We want Bolton to be a vibrant place built on strong cohesive communities, successful businesses and healthy, engaged residents. As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition, we offer a generous annual leave allowance, flexible work opportunities, access to a Pension Scheme, as well as a range of employee wellbeing and support services. Our Values are really important to us, read all about them below, along with all our great staff benefits, the job description/person specification for the role and the important legal bits, and our Top Tips too. Ready to apply? Then please click Apply and upload your anonymised CV and supporting statement discussing your relevant skills and experience and explain how you believe they make you a strong fit for this role. Within Greater Manchester, local authorities have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers, carers, and ex-military personnel. Please see greater.jobs for further information before you apply. This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification. This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation that has signed the commitment, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits. Please see the home page of greater.jobs for more information. For more information about working for Bolton Council, please see greater.jobs; for advice and support with your application, contact recruitment@bolton.gov.uk Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. Employment could affect your benefits, find out more here. Turn2us Benefits Calculator.
Contract: 3 years Fixed Term
We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.
Bolton Council is looking to recruit a trainee to kickstart their career in enforcement against poor housing and bad landlords.
The ideal candidates will be passionate about helping people and enthusiastic to learn the technical and people skills enforcement officers need, from assessing and diagnosing property hazards to being assertive and having difficult conversations.
This is your opportunity to join us at an exciting time as we have strong ambitions for the borough.Supporting Documents
↗ Documents for Right to Work
↗ Privacy Notice
↗ Staff Benefits
↗ Our Values & Behaviours
↗ Top Tips
↗ Job Description & Person Specification
Location
Castleton Street, Tonge Moor, Bolton, BL2 2JW, United Kingdom
Job ID
2389
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
Local authorities across Greater Manchester are proud to be part of a shared commitment to widening access to employment and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
These commitments span a number of long‑standing schemes and initiatives designed to open doors, remove barriers and ensure all applicants feel valued and respected throughout their employment journey.
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future
Explore easy‑to‑use tools that help you understand your take‑home pay and how different employment situations may affect the financial support available to you and your household.
Calculate Your Take‑Home Pay
Use this salary calculator to estimate your net pay after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.
Estimate your Income Tax for the current year (Gov.uk)
Check Your Benefits Entitlement
See how changes in employment, hours or salary may affect your benefits and household income.
Turn2us Benefits Calculator
Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice
