STUDY

This module will explore wider National Systems within which Environmental Health is embedded. You will be introduced to the Role of Central Government in law making; how the “golden thread” of delegated responsibility works its way through Local Government considering constitutional documents, authorised officers and legal challenge; the various structures of Local Government including 2 tier and unitary will be considered as well as the role of MPs and Councilors. You will develop an understanding of the politics of local Government and the place of Environmental Health in it. It will introduce the importance of data and performance monitoring with examples form English Housing Survey and Population Health management.

The module will also cover Health Structures and alignment between Health and Public Health strategies.  There will be an introduction to other Regulatory Services including Trading Standards, the Health and Safety Executive, Police, Fire Service and Border Force.

You will be introduced to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and Codes of Practice and covert surveillance Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. You will also learn about the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and relevant consumer protection law. 

You will be instructed in completing witness statements and serving legal notices including in how to verify identities of culpable parties. Learning how to gather evidence effectively, how to interview under caution and how to prepare a case bundle for legal proceedings. 

This module establishes baseline knowledge in mathematics and science for everyone undertaking the degree along with practical applications of the theory within environmental health.

An understanding of the law is fundamental to Environmental Health practice.  You will explore the structure and functions of the English legal system, including the processes by which laws are created by legislative bodies and subsequently interpreted by the courts.  Furthermore, you will develop the skills to read and apply the law in addition to understanding the relevance of the law to Environmental Health practice. You will be introduced to some of the specific branches of environmental health law, including food safety, occupational health & safety, environmental protection and housing, providing them with the foundations to study these subjects in more depth in year 2.

You will learn about housing construction and understand the importance of recognising what normal looks like in this context, to then being able to explore building pathology. You will learn how to carry out a housing inspection, the digital and practical tools available to facilitate measuring and recording data. The module will introduce the key standards involved in assessing the quality of residential accommodation including Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), Decent Homes Standard, standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), Damp and Mould causes and effects and indoor air quality. 

You will begin to develop skills to turn a housing defect report into a schedule of remediation. As part of the module you will produce an inspection report of a residential property, a deficiency schedule and a remediation schedule.  

The module considers the origins, and the environmental and health outcomes, of pollutants which contaminate the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. Environmental noise nuisance and acoustics are also included in this module. The content of the module will require familiarization with the law and the legal processes which are designed to control pollution, as well as the scientific nature of the pollutants themselves and their potential impact on health and the environment

This module provides an in-depth understanding of food safety principles, microbiological and chemical contamination risks, and effective control measures in food production, processing, and service settings. It aligns with Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) professional standards and industry best practices. 

You will develop the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to assess and manage food contamination hazards, comply with legal requirements, and contribute to public health protection. A key focus of the module is understanding the multiple pathways through which contaminants enter the food chain, including primary production, processing, storage, transportation, and retail environments. This includes contamination from biological sources (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemical contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, toxins), and physical hazards (e.g., glass, plastic, foreign materials). 

The module incorporates practical, case-based, and work-based learning approaches, ensuring you gain hands-on experience in identifying and controlling food safety hazards in real-world environments. The module is particularly relevant for those pursuing careers in environmental health, food safety enforcement, food industry compliance, and regulatory bodies.

You will learn about occupational health and safety, how health and safety law applies in workplaces and who has a duty under health and safety law in relation to work activities.  You will learn about effective risk management in a variety of workplaces and develop knowledge and understanding of national guidance for health and safety regulation to enable them to determine reasonably practicable risk controls. You will learn about how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) directs the regulation of health and safety in the Local Authority enforced sector including evidence based priorities for targeted interventions. You will learn how health and safety culture affects exposure to risk and strategies to improve health and safety culture. Learning how to effectively investigate, inspect and audit work activities to enable them to determine non-compliance and use nationally agreed models to determine appropriate enforcement to secure compliance. 

Housing 

Building on the knowledge gained through modules 4 & 5 and workplace experiences, you will learn to competently carry out HHSRS assessments and develop understanding of how to determine the most appropriate course of action in resolving housing deficiencies using the available legal tools.  Using the skills developed in module 4 you will use these skills to draft and then scrutinise legal notices produced by other students from workplace examples, with reference to case law and best practice guidelines. You will carry out an HMO inspection and produce a full report siting the Licensing requirements and HMO management regulations. This module will also look at Empty Homes, Disabled Facilities Grants, other discretionary grants to support Housing Improvement. 

Environmental Protection

Based on the knowledge gained in module 6 (Environmental Protection) you will learn a range of interventions, and how to determine the appropriate course of action to achieve desired outcomes.  

This module equips you with the practical skills and knowledge required to conduct food and health and safety inspections and audits in a professional capacity. You will learn how to assess premises, identify hygiene and safety violations, and apply enforcement procedures in line with UK regulations. 

In relation to food safety the module aligns with Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) standards and provides you with an understanding of inspection techniques, food law enforcement, and the responsibilities of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs). You will undertake a hands-on 3-day practical food inspection course approved by the CIEH to qualify in food inspection, assessing if food is fit for consumption, identifying hazards, ensuring controls are in place and that legislation is being met. This will cover red meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, nuts, pulses fruits and vegetables. Hazards, controls, identification, interventions and most appropriate course of action.

The module explores practical strategies for tackling disease and preventing ill health, including health promotion programmes and approaches to health protection in response to emerging challenges

This module gives you the opportunity to identify and maximize their strengths and prepares them to compete in the job market. It will allow you to fully understand the career pathways open to you and the professional requirements of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Using a case study approach the module will seek to summate your learning and integrate this with professional experiences. The module seeks to provide employability skills such as CV writing, writing personal statements against job specifications in job applications and preparations for job interviews. The module will cover the five Environmental Health practice disciplines and will provide the opportunity to apply knowledge to practice with given case studies.

The End Point Assessment is a core requirement for the Environmental Health Practitioner Degree Apprentices and carries the final 20 credits of the degree programme. The EPA comprises a written examination and a Professional Discussion.  The formats of which are outlines in the End Point Assessment Plan for the standard.

This module will explore wider National Systems within which Environmental Health is embedded. You will be introduced to the Role of Central Government in law making; how the “golden thread” of delegated responsibility works its way through Local Government considering constitutional documents, authorised officers and legal challenge; the various structures of Local Government including 2 tier and unitary will be considered as well as the role of MPs and Councilors. You will develop an understanding of the politics of local Government and the place of Environmental Health in it. It will introduce the importance of data and performance monitoring with examples form English Housing Survey and Population Health management.

The module will also cover Health Structures and alignment between Health and Public Health strategies.  There will be an introduction to other Regulatory Services including Trading Standards, the Health and Safety Executive, Police, Fire Service and Border Force.

You will be introduced to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and Codes of Practice and covert surveillance Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. You will also learn about the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and relevant consumer protection law. 

You will be instructed in completing witness statements and serving legal notices including in how to verify identities of culpable parties. Learning how to gather evidence effectively, how to interview under caution and how to prepare a case bundle for legal proceedings. 

This module establishes baseline knowledge in mathematics and science for everyone undertaking the degree along with practical applications of the theory within environmental health.

An understanding of the law is fundamental to Environmental Health practice.  You will explore the structure and functions of the English legal system, including the processes by which laws are created by legislative bodies and subsequently interpreted by the courts.  Furthermore, you will develop the skills to read and apply the law in addition to understanding the relevance of the law to Environmental Health practice. You will be introduced to some of the specific branches of environmental health law, including food safety, occupational health & safety, environmental protection and housing, providing them with the foundations to study these subjects in more depth in year 2.

You will learn about housing construction and understand the importance of recognising what normal looks like in this context, to then being able to explore building pathology. You will learn how to carry out a housing inspection, the digital and practical tools available to facilitate measuring and recording data. The module will introduce the key standards involved in assessing the quality of residential accommodation including Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), Decent Homes Standard, standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), Damp and Mould causes and effects and indoor air quality. 

You will begin to develop skills to turn a housing defect report into a schedule of remediation. As part of the module you will produce an inspection report of a residential property, a deficiency schedule and a remediation schedule.

The module considers the origins, and the environmental and health outcomes, of pollutants which contaminate the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. Environmental noise nuisance and acoustics are also included in this module. The content of the module will require familiarization with the law and the legal processes which are designed to control pollution, as well as the scientific nature of the pollutants themselves and their potential impact on health and the environment

This module provides an in-depth understanding of food safety principles, microbiological and chemical contamination risks, and effective control measures in food production, processing, and service settings. It aligns with Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) professional standards and industry best practices. 

You will develop the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to assess and manage food contamination hazards, comply with legal requirements, and contribute to public health protection. A key focus of the module is understanding the multiple pathways through which contaminants enter the food chain, including primary production, processing, storage, transportation, and retail environments. This includes contamination from biological sources (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemical contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, toxins), and physical hazards (e.g., glass, plastic, foreign materials). 

The module incorporates practical, case-based, and work-based learning approaches, ensuring you gain hands-on experience in identifying and controlling food safety hazards in real-world environments. The module is particularly relevant for those pursuing careers in environmental health, food safety enforcement, food industry compliance, and regulatory bodies.

You will learn about occupational health and safety, how health and safety law applies in workplaces and who has a duty under health and safety law in relation to work activities.  You will learn about effective risk management in a variety of workplaces and develop knowledge and understanding of national guidance for health and safety regulation to enable them to determine reasonably practicable risk controls. You will learn about how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) directs the regulation of health and safety in the Local Authority enforced sector including evidence based priorities for targeted interventions. You will learn how health and safety culture affects exposure to risk and strategies to improve health and safety culture. Learning how to effectively investigate, inspect and audit work activities to enable them to determine non-compliance and use nationally agreed models to determine appropriate enforcement to secure compliance. 

Housing 

Building on the knowledge gained through modules 4 & 5 and workplace experiences, you will learn to competently carry out HHSRS assessments and develop understanding of how to determine the most appropriate course of action in resolving housing deficiencies using the available legal tools.  Using the skills developed in module 4 you will use these skills to draft and then scrutinise legal notices produced by other students from workplace examples, with reference to case law and best practice guidelines. You will carry out an HMO inspection and produce a full report siting the Licensing requirements and HMO management regulations. This module will also look at Empty Homes, Disabled Facilities Grants, other discretionary grants to support Housing Improvement. 

Environmental Protection

Based on the knowledge gained in module 6 (Environmental Protection) you will learn a range of interventions, and how to determine the appropriate course of action to achieve desired outcomes.

This module equips you with the practical skills and knowledge required to conduct food and health and safety inspections and audits in a professional capacity. You will learn how to assess premises, identify hygiene and safety violations, and apply enforcement procedures in line with UK regulations. 

In relation to food safety the module aligns with Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) standards and provides you with an understanding of inspection techniques, food law enforcement, and the responsibilities of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs). You will undertake a hands-on 3-day practical food inspection course approved by the CIEH to qualify in food inspection, assessing if food is fit for consumption, identifying hazards, ensuring controls are in place and that legislation is being met. This will cover red meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, nuts, pulses fruits and vegetables. Hazards, controls, identification, interventions and most appropriate course of action.

The module explores practical strategies for tackling disease and preventing ill health, including health promotion programmes and approaches to health protection in response to emerging challenges

This module gives you the opportunity to identify and maximize their strengths and prepares them to compete in the job market. It will allow you to fully understand the career pathways open to you and the professional requirements of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Using a case study approach the module will seek to summate your learning and integrate this with professional experiences. The module seeks to provide employability skills such as CV writing, writing personal statements against job specifications in job applications and preparations for job interviews. The module will cover the five Environmental Health practice disciplines and will provide the opportunity to apply knowledge to practice with given case studies.

The End Point Assessment is a core requirement for the Environmental Health Practitioner Degree Apprentices and carries the final 20 credits of the degree programme. The EPA comprises a written examination and a Professional Discussion.  The formats of which are outlines in the End Point Assessment Plan for the standard.