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16
Student Public Health Inspectors
Since amalgamation, Westminster has proved the value of the fully comprehensive and systematic
training scheme provided within the Department for its complement of students. The overall
supervision of the four-year studentship of accepted pupils to ensure that experience gained is
balanced in all aspects of the work, and that it is, as far as possible, co-ordinated with the programme
of lectures and practical visits of instruction arranged by the Technical Colleges, remains the
responsibility of a senior inspector. Three who completed their studies during the year passed the
qualifying examination. Two were referred back for further training in specific subjects and were
successful in the December examination. A further three students were appointed during the year,
bringing the total still in training to twelve.
Technical Assistants
Prior to the amalgamation of the London Boroughs in 1965, Westminster, St. Marylebone and
Paddington had employed technical assistants as a supplement to their establishment of public health
inspectors to assist them with their work in various ways. In general terms they were essentially
enquiry officers, as in principle they still are, although naturally their usefulness and capacity is
relative to the experience they acquire.
It has been found that the value of the technical assistant to the particular inspector or to the
section within which he works is greater if he remains more or less permanently attached to that
section. Changes are therefore kept to a minimum although it has been accepted that each technical
assistant may progress in salary subject to his proven ability indicating that he can undertake work
of more responsibility.
The establishment of technical assistants to the public health inspectors in Westminster has been
increased to the present figure of 28. It was realised and accepted that the ever increasing scope of
the public health inspectors' work, its highly technical nature, and its potential legal involvement,
make it more necessary than ever to ensure that the services of public health inspectors are utilised
to the best advantage. As far as possible they concentrate on duties which require their full
professional skills. The appointment of assistants, without previous training, experience or
qualifications, must not be regarded as alternatives to inspectors, but none the less the assistants
have a valuable part to play in the environmental health scene, subject to discretion being used in
their deployment. It is recognised that there is no substitute for the skill and judgement of the fully
qualified officer.
District Inspection
The district public health inspectors work in three groups under the day to day control of three
Area Inspectors of senior grading. As has been said earlier, their work has suffered as a result of the
depletion in strength occasioned by the priority needs of the North Westminster Project team and
the essential duties of the Food Section.
A comprehensive study of the full range of the public health inspectors' duties in district and
specialist sections was undertaken by the Chief Public Health Inspector during the year, to assess
future departmental needs bearing in mind the implications of recent legislation and measures which
it is anticipated will shortly be effected.
Dwelling Houses
General inspection of dwelling houses arising from complaints and for routine purposes, as
distinct from duties under the Housing Acts and other specialised functions dealt with later in this
Report, are undertaken by the district public health inspectors. An analysis of reasons for initial
inspections of dwelling houses is given in Table 7, page 67, and an analysis of 2,613 (2,327) nuisances
and unsatisfactory conditions found and remedied appears in Table 8, page 67.
Notices
Seven hundred and twenty eight (646) informal notices and 528 (629) statutory notices were
served in 1970, to secure the abatement of nuisances. In addition, 15 (35) notices were served
under the Clean Air Act, 1956.
An analysis of statutory notices served is given in Table 10, page 68.