Environment_Protection

Guidance notes for persons holding an EU/EEA qualification in environmental health and who wish to apply for the certificate of registration of the Environmental Health Registration Board Introduction The qualification required by government and local authority employers for undertaking environmental health enforcement duties in the UK as an Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) is the Certificate of Registration of the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB). The Certificate of Registration is granted to those persons who have been awarded a BSc(Hons) or MSc from a course accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, who have successfully completed 48 weeks assessed, practical training including 24 weeks in a UK Local Authority and have successfully completed the CIEH professional examinations. Broadly speaking, certain EU/EEA qualifications do have comparable rigour and content to the Chartered Institute’s accredited degree courses. However, UK requirements encompass knowledge of the technology of the built environment, occupational health and safety and the inspection of meat, fish, poultry and other foods; areas which do not always fall into the province of the environmental health officer in other Member States. If your previous training or professional experience has not covered these areas in some depth, compensatory measures may be necessary. Before a Certificate of Registration can be awarded to EU/EEA qualified EHP’s it is necessary for the Chartered Institute to determine whether the EU/EEA course is comparable to the CIEH Core Curriculum. This will involve a formal assessment of an applicant’s qualifications and a determination, in the light of this assessment, whether further compensatory measures are required to address any shortfalls in the applicant’s knowledge and expertise. The purpose of this guidance is to clearly set out:  What information should be included with an application for a Certificate of Registration from the EHRB;  How the Institute will assess the application and identify what compensatory measures, if any, are required. Application for registration – submission to complete application and fee The onus is upon the applicant to obtain and supply all relevant information including a detailed syllabus of the course they have completed. Applicants may wish, before obtaining these documents from the university or college from which they gained their qualification to contact the CIEH to determine whether the documents have already been provided by previous applicants. If this is the case, further documents may not be required. The application for registration with the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) should include the following:  Completion of CIEH registration form for EU/EEA applicants;  Evidence of length & level of studies undertaken to qualify as an EHP;  Full details of Environmental Health qualification(s) degree/diploma certificate and curriculum; including copy of  Full details of practical training undertaken during or after the course, including where and when undertaken, content/subject areas, role of trainee and length of training;  Full details of professional experience since qualification including where and when undertaken, content/subject areas, role undertaken and length of professional experience to date;  Details of membership of any relevant professional body/organisation;  Details of other qualifications including copy of degree/diploma certificate;  Initial application fee of £100.00 (One Hundred Pounds). Formal assessment of applicant’s qualifications “In November 1997 the Institute published the CIEH Core Curriculum which covers all the compulsory areas of knowledge in the Core Curriculum and which will therefore serve as a benchmark. We will assess your application in relation to the professional activities covered, learning outcomes and the areas of knowledge and skill required to effectively carry out all the aspects of Environmental Health work included in the Core curriculum. The areas of academic study included in the Core Curriculum which have a practical bearing on the ability to carry out professional work are set out below. CIEH Core Curriculum Holistic Areas Knowledge and Skills Strategy/Policy Development Holistic Framework The Constitution & Local Government Administration Legal System Administrative Systems & Procedures Inspection Techniques Investigative Techniques Compliance Strategies Interpersonal Skills & Professional Conduct Organisational Management Pest and Vector Control Impacts on Human Health: Biological Agents Hazardous Substances Physical Stressors Epidemiology Build Environment Risk Assessment/Risk Management Problem Solving/Decision Making Health Promotion Business & Commercial Awareness Technical Knowledge Applicable in Specialist Areas Environmental Protection Food Safety & Standards Port Health Housing Occupational Health & Safety Public Health Environmental health is an area with a variety of different treatments in different Countries. It may be that the work you have been undertaking elsewhere does not correspond sufficiently to the profession of Environmental Health Practitioner in the UK, in which case we will not be able to accept your application under Directive 2005/36/EC, which relates to mutual recognition of qualifications for the same profession. If your studies and experience have not covered at least 60% of the topics set out above and specifically within the specialist areas it is unlikely that we will be able to accept your application. However, we do not want to be unreasonable, and if you are in any doubt you may like to ring Nick Bannister on 0207 827 5905 in order to discuss your case before you make a formal application. Your application will be assessed in accordance with the procedures set out in Directive 2005/36/EC. This Directive is implemented in the UK by The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2007. Further information can be obtained from the Europe Open for Professions website which explains the mutual recognition procedures. www.europeopen.org.uk If the matters covered by your education and training show any substantial differences from our Core Curriculum, we will then look at the nature and length of your professional experience to see how far these differences may have been made up after qualification. If, after we have taken your experience into account, any significant differences remain then you must satisfy us that you have made up the shortfall, either by undertaking a period of adaptation or by sitting an aptitude test, at your choice. A further administrative fee of £200 may be payable if compensatory measures are necessary, to cover the cost of setting and marking an individual examination paper or monitoring and assessing a period of adaptation. We will draw up a list of the theoretical and/or practical subjects not covered by your education, training and experience which are essential to the practice of Environmental Health in the UK. Assessment of compensatory measures If an applicant’s qualifications are assessed as being basically equivalent to a CIEH accredited BSc or MSc course then he/she will be eligible for assessment under the procedures. If compensatory measures are required by the CIEH before the issue of a Certificate of Registration with EHRB then the CIEH will draw up a list of the theoretical and/or practical subjects not covered by the education, training and experience of the applicant which are essential to the practice of Environmental Health in the UK. The list will be used to determine what will be included in either the adaptation period or aptitude test, depending on the choice of the applicant. Aptitude Test The aptitude test will assess the applicant’s ability to pursue the profession of an EHP in the UK. The purpose of the aptitude test is to ensure the initial competence of EU/EEA applicant’s for registration with EHRB and will be set and assessed at a level appropriate for newly qualified EHPs. The aptitude test will maintain equivalence with newly qualified EHPs in the UK. The aptitude test may consist of up to 4 elements: written examinations, a risk audit, a meat inspection examination, and an interview. The elements that the applicant will be tested on will depend on the outcome of assessment and will relate directly to the subjects not previously covered adequately by their education, training and experience. (i) Written Examination This may consist of up to 6 papers, depending on the outcome of assessment, and will be designed to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge in areas of previously identified shortfall. One paper may relate to the legal system, environmental health legislation and its application in the UK. The other papers may relate to each of the main environmental health function as appropriate: Health & Safety Food Environmental Protection Housing; and Public Health Each paper will last one hour and five minutes. (ii) Risk Audit paper The risk audit is an exercise which is intended to be a test of practical skills that would be needed to undertake a risk assessment on site. (iii) Meat Inspection This will consist of a practical examination to assess the candidate’s ability to inspect meat at the point of slaughter (iv) Interview The interview is an assessment of a candidate’s technical/legal knowledge and its application and will be focussed on areas of previously identified shortfall. The interview will last between 30 and 45 minutes. Adaptation Period The adaptation period will involve acquiring the required knowledge and skills by practicing the profession for a period of supervised practice under their employer. Both the length and nature of the adaptation period will be determined by the theoretical and/or practical subjects not covered by the education, training and experience of the applicant, which are essential to the practice of Environmental Health in the UK. The adaptation period will be linked to the completion of a work experience log. The subject areas to be covered in the work experience log will have been identified during the assessment. The work experience log will closely follow the CIEH Practical Training Logbook. The bespoke work experience log will be complemented by a final assessment interview. The CIEH will appoint an assessor who will advise on and assess the adaptation period. This will be achieved through discussion with the applicant as well as the more formal assessment of the work experience log. On satisfactory completion of the compensatory measures – either the adaptation period or the aptitude test – the EHRB would be requested to issue a Certificate of Registration. Where the assessment of the compensatory measures undertaken by the applicant is determined to be unsatisfactory by the CIEH then the applicant may either make a further application for re-assessment or consider making an appeal against the decision. Any application for re-assessment would need to be accompanied by the appropriate fee of £200.00 (Two Hundred Pounds). Appeal Procedure Every applicant will be informed of their right to Appeal and will be given details of the CIEH appeal procedure. Further Information Please telephone the Education Unit at the CIEH on 020 7827 5816, alternatively write to: Education Unit CIEH Chadwick Court 15 Hatfields London SE1 8DJ