Description The Service & Team: The Fair Trading Team within Regulatory Services, plays an important role in protecting communities and vulnerable residents. The team specialises in areas such as; doorstep crime, consumer fraud & scams, illegal tobacco, non-compliant vapes, age restricted sales, motor trade, and estate & letting agency. The team has a strong focus on investigation and enforcement but also provides support and advice to businesses in complying with their legal obligations. The team works closely with the other Trading Standards team (Quality Standards & Animal Health), along with other Public Protection services (Environmental Health, Licensing, Business Regulatory Support) and partner agencies (Police, HMRC) to ensure high standards of compliance across Cornwall. The Role: Are you looking to kickstart your career in Trading Standards? As part of the Government's Smoke-Free Generation policy, we are able to offer a fully funded apprenticeship, focused on tackling issues surrounding illegal tobacco and non-compliant vape products. This Level 6 apprenticeship will provide you with the training and development needed to become a fully qualified Trading Standards Practitioner. In addition to your core focus, you'll gain exposure to various aspects of Trading Standards, including; food standards, product safety, animal health, and weights & measures. Day-to-day, the role will involve a wide range of activities: Inspection of business premises for product compliance Dealing with consumer complaints Test purchasing of goods Entering and developing intelligence to support investigations Taking witness statements for use in prosecution cases Compiling reports Attending entry warrants Giving legal advice on consumer protection legislation to businesses Over the course of the 3 year programme you will be supervised and mentored throughout the apprenticeship to build your knowledge and experience. As your skills and confidence grow, you'll have the opportunity to lead casework and projects. You'll work across all aspects of Trading Standards to meet the apprenticeship requirements. This is a public/customer-facing role, where the statutory English language requirement for public sector workers applies. This position will be subject to a basic criminal record disclosure check. Working Pattern: The role will consist of 37 hours per week. You will be expected to work normal office hours, Monday to Friday. There is a flexi-time system in place to provide some flexibility on working hours. On rare occasions you may be required to work on an evening or weekend in order to support a specific event or enforcement activity. As part of the apprenticeship requirements, you will be expected to spend at least 20% of your time (equivalent of one day per week) dedicated to study or training. The role does offer hybrid working opportunities, although you will be expected to work from the office regularly to gain experience from others. Regular travel to other areas of the county is involved and you will be expected to attend training and development events across the UK. What you’ll need to succeed: You’ll need the ability and desire to learn, and the capacity to understand, interpret and enforce complex legislation. You’ll also need to have strong communication and customer service skills, high attention to detail, and great organisational skills. Perseverance, patience, the awareness to quickly read situations, and the ability to remain calm in difficult circumstances are all desirable qualities. A Level 3 qualification (or equivalent level of knowledge and experience) is desirable as a minimum. If you are waiting to receive results, then the expected grades can be taken into account. Candidates must be new to the profession and have no prior associated qualifications (e.g. Regulatory Compliance Officer or CTSI Stage 1). Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert What you’ll get in return: Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met. Our core employee rewards and benefits include: · a competitive salary. · a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions · a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave. · A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme · Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services. Additional Information: Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role The full role profile is attached here We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview. For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact Gary Webster 01872 322222 or gary.webstercornwall.gov.uk Application Process Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process. Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact careerscornwall.gov.uk if you have any queries or require assistance with your application. Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.