Introduction
Cervantes, a great Spanish writer, said - "You are king by your
own fireside, as much as any monarch on his throne." A place to
live is one of life's basic needs and most of us like to make our
homes as comfortable as possible. But for many people this cannot
always be achieved, usually because they cannot afford it. And
helping these people at the lower end of the housing scale is
perhaps the best thing about the job that the technical officer
does: improving the quality of sub-standard accommodation. At times
this might mean using enforcement procedures under housing
legislation to get the right result.
Work Environment
The work base is the office: liaising with colleagues, planning,
writing and studying reports. But often it takes place on site, at
houses of multiple occupation where safety standards are being
contravened and at building works with dirt, noise and bad weather.
The officers wear smart clothing and protective hats but carry with
them, whether they are standing or climbing stairs, a digitape,
electric tester and damp meter. They work just over 36 hours
per week, but this does not involve anti-social hours or
shifts.
Daily Activities
Much of the officer's time is spent visiting houses where there
are problems - which might mean having to confront uncooperative
landlords - inspecting work in progress or assisting landlords with
grant applications in order to bring every home up to safety
standards. There is also the chance to work on special projects
alongside environmental health officers; for example to set up and
implement control schemes with a timetable and deadlines for
housing improvement. Officers have daily contact with other council
services like housing and social services and a wide range of
customers where they can use their own initiative as well as work
within a team. The job can be very satisfying and offers a
variety of challenges. On the positive side, many clients welcome
what the housing staff can do to improve housing conditions. People
who are in a vulnerable situation rely on them to help solve their
problems. They can have a major impact on the quality of life of
the community.
Skills & Interests
To do the job well you would need to be:
- good with figures;
- confident;
- able to get on with people from different ethnic backgrounds
and social and educational status.
Though the 'people factor' is perhaps the most important, it
would also be helpful if you had:
- practical ability;
- an attention to detail;
- a caring nature;
- project management ability;
- an interest in housing.
Entry Requirements
For this post, or training leading to it, you would typically need
an HND in Building or closely related qualification. Previous
experience in regeneration or housing standards, for example, is
useful and sometimes essential. There is no mandatory
requirement for continuing professional development.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
This is a narrow field of work and people sometimes have to move
departments or councils to get promotion, or gain a higher
qualification, though there are worthwhile opportunities for
sideways moves that offer more chances of advancement.
Further Information & Services
Asset Skills www.assetskills.org
Chartered Institute of Building www.ciob.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health www.cieh.org
Chartered Institute of Housing www.cih.org
Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health www.iosh.co.uk
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or
in your local library, careers office or school careers
library.
Careers Wales have produced a Spotlight article on careers
in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths): https://www.careerswales.com/en/spotlight-on-stem/