Trading standards officer

Trading standards officers act on behalf of consumers and businesses to advise on and enforce laws that govern the way goods and services are bought, sold and hired

As a trading standards officer (TSO), you'll advise on consumer law and investigate complaints. You'll typically work for local councils, but you can also be employed in the private sector.

You will be involved in preventing, detecting and prosecuting offences and will need to liaise with agencies including the police, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Citizens Advice, trade organisations and legal professionals.

Areas of work vary but may include:

• agriculture
• animal welfare
• commercial fraud
• consumer safety
• counterfeiting
• credit and loans
• pricing
• product labelling
• underage selling
• weights and measures.

Responsibilities

The work you carry out will depend on whether you're involved in all aspects of trading standards work, or whether you specialise in a particular area. In general, you'll need to:

• visit trading premises, such as pubs, petrol stations, shops, factories and markets, in order to carry out routine checks or to respond to a complaint
• carry out checks on things such as weighing machines and food labels in shops, beer and spirit measures in pubs and transport of livestock to market
• deal with traders selling faulty goods
• identify potential hazards, such as unsafe electrical goods or unroadworthy vehicles
• check that advertisements and labels accurately describe the properties of the products
• take samples for laboratory analysis
• offer business advice to help traders comply with legislation
• investigate suspected offences, sometimes undercover and with the police or other agencies
• present evidence at court in criminal proceedings
• give legal advice to members of the public about their consumer rights
• keep up to date with new legislation, new cases and guidance procedures
• educate consumers and businesses, which may involve giving talks to schools, businesses and various consumer and vulnerable adult groups
• write reports, statements, letters, articles and consultation documents and keep accurate records.

Salary

• Salaries for trainee TSOs within local government typically start around £25,000.
• Once fully trained, you can earn £35,000 to £42,000, depending on your experience.
• For senior TSOs salaries typically range from £43,000 to £60,000, depending on location. Experienced senior TSO managers can earn in excess of this.

Salaries within the private sector may be higher.

Salaries vary depending on a range of factors including the type of work (e.g. local council or contract work), your experience and qualifications, and location.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work 37 hours per week. This may occasionally include some unsocial hours in order to visit premises such as nightclubs and weekend markets. Flexi-time systems often operate.

Part-time and job-share work is usually available. Career breaks are possible, particularly in larger local authorities, although you will need to keep up to date with changing legislation.

What to expect

• You'll essentially be office-based but will have to spend a considerable amount of time travelling for site and trader visits, court appearances and attendance at events to raise awareness.
• Protective clothing may be required when visiting building sites, for example. Smart dress is required for court visits.
• You may work alone within defined local authority boundaries, but you could also work in a team and with other authorities, primarily the police force.
• Opportunities exist in local authorities throughout the UK.
• With significant experience you may work on a self-employed basis offering consultancy services to large companies.

Qualifications

You can become a TSO with a degree in any subject. Related degrees such as law, or any subject that has elements or modules on consumer protection, may be particularly helpful.

It's also possible to enter the career without a degree as long as you have a good standard of education. Postgraduate qualifications are not needed.

Typically you'll start out as a trainee where you'll combine study with paid employment to complete a range of professional qualifications offered by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). There are three levels of training:

• Trading Standards Practitioner Certificate (TSPC)
• Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma (TSPD)
• Trading Standards Advanced Practitioner (TSAP)

The level of training you'll complete will depend on your existing qualifications and experience, as well as the needs of your employer.

This area of work is attractive to career changers looking for a move into trading standards.

In some cases, for example if you have contact with children and/or vulnerable adults, you'll need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check (England and Wales) or equivalent check in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to talk to people from many different backgrounds
• competent analytical and investigative skills and keen observation
• determination and resilience, particularly when dealing with traders who may become hostile
• attention to detail when investigating potential issues
• the ability to organise and manage projects
• the ability to work both as part of a team and on your own initiative
• competence in using IT and dealing with statistics for record keeping
• tact and diplomacy when dealing with investigations
• the ability to work well under pressure and to remain calm in stressful situations
• an understanding of the implications of regulation on businesses when enforcing the law.

A full driving licence and access to a car is usually required.

Work experience

Previous experience in related areas such as legal, retail or advice work is useful. You'll be dealing with the general public quite a lot, so experience that demonstrates your people skills is helpful.

Local authorities may offer work experience and may have opportunities within their trading standards teams. This will provide a valuable insight into the work carried out and the skills required for the job. Contact individual councils for details.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Local authorities are one of the main employers of TSOs. This includes local, regional and county councils (or the Trading Standards Service in Northern Ireland).

The trading standards service is often located in larger departments within local government, such as community protection, environmental health and the chief executive's office. Because of this, the designated responsibilities of TSOs differ from department to department, as does the budget allocation and management structure.

Examples of opportunities outside the trading standards service include licensing management for local authorities and quality/consumer law advisers for supermarkets, national retail outlets and manufacturers.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) - Job opportunities
• Local Government Jobs
• local council websites - see Find Your Local Council for a list.

A small number of specialist agencies, such as Kenyon Block Consultants, recruit experienced TSOs, primarily for contract work.

Professional development

Once qualified, you'll need to keep up to date with changes to the profession and you're encouraged to take part in the CTSI Continuous Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) scheme. Relevant activities can include:

• attendance at conferences, seminars and training events
• conducting research
• undertaking work shadowing
• reading industry publications such as the Journal of Trading Standards.

Members of the CTSI with the appropriate qualifications and experience can apply for chartered trading standards practitioner (CTSP) status.

Career prospects

Following training, you will gain experience working as a trading standards officer (TSO). With experience, you may be able to move into a senior TSO role with day-to-day responsibility for a team of officers. Typical activities will include ensuring they work in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations and overseeing the investigation of complaints.

There may be opportunities to specialise in a particular area of trading standards work, such as weights and measures, particularly if you're working in a large local authority.

There are some roles available at more senior levels such as section head or team leader, divisional officer or manager, or chief or principal TSO. It may be necessary to relocate in order to reach the higher grades and levels of responsibility.

Career development can also include moving into a general management position in a larger local government department.

You may wish to move into the private sector where opportunities exist in areas such as retail and manufacturing, advising on consumer law or quality control.

With the right combination of knowledge, qualifications and experience, it may be possible to become a consultant, running your own business or advising large companies. As an experienced TSO, you could obtain contract work via specialist employment agencies.

There may be some opportunities to work abroad.