Blue Badge Investigator

Junior Role £40k - 45k Full time, 40 hours per week, including some evening and weekend working Must have previous experience and a full UK driving license Role Purpose *To detect, investigate and evidence the misuse of Blue Badges through proactive intelligence-led on-street patrols, enquiries, badge inspection and seizure, and formal criminal investigation. *To prepare complete, accurate and legally compliant evidential case files to the standard required for prosecution, and to give evidence in court where required. *To work alongside Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) as a routine part of frontline operations, strengthening the link between on-street activity, intelligence and investigation, and to be deployed on core CEO duties where operationally required. Job Description 1.Undertake proactive, intelligence-led on-street patrols, alone and alongside CEOs, to identify suspected Blue Badge misuse, including use of a badge by a person other than the holder, use of a lost, stolen, cancelled, expired or altered badge, and use of a forged or counterfeit badge. 2.Inspect Blue Badges in accordance with the powers conferred by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013) and the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) Regulations 2000, and retain badges where lawful and appropriate, issuing the required receipts and maintaining a full audit trail of seized badges. 3.Conduct on-street enquiries with drivers, badge holders and witnesses in a professional, courteous and legally compliant manner, ensuring that any questioning of suspects is conducted in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and its Codes of Practice. 4.Carry out all necessary investigative activity to establish whether an offence has been committed, including DVLA and Blue Badge register enquiries, written correspondence with suspects and witnesses, obtaining and reviewing CCTV and body-worn video, checks with the issuing authority, and liaison with the Metropolitan Police, other local authorities and internal Council teams. 5.Plan, conduct and record interviews under caution in accordance with PACE Code C and Code E, using Council interview facilities, and correctly administer the caution, rights and entitlements of suspects at every stage. 6.Obtain and draft witness statements compliant with section 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967, and record all evidence and investigative decisions contemporaneously in pocket notebook and electronic case-management records. 7.Compile complete electronic case files and evidence bundles to prosecution standard, including a summary of evidence, statements, exhibit list, interview record, disclosure schedules of used and unused material, and a clear explanation of the offence and the evidence supporting each element of it. 8.Comply with the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA) and its Code of Practice in relation to the recording, retention and revelation of material obtained during an investigation, and with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) where any directed surveillance is proposed. 9.Submit completed case files electronically to the Senior Blue Badge Investigator for quality review and sign-off, and promptly complete any further enquiries requested by the Senior Investigator, Parking Services or Legal Services. 10.Ensure all investigations are completed within statutory time limits, including the six-month limit for summary offences under section 127 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, and maintain accurate records of the progress and outcome of every case. 11.Attend Magistrates' Court and other courts and tribunals to give evidence, produce exhibits and support the Council's legal representatives, and personally serve summonses and other documents where required. 12.Receive, assess and act upon intelligence, referrals and complaints from CEOs, members of the public, Council teams and partner agencies, recording and grading intelligence in accordance with agreed procedures. 13.Where required, undertake core CEO duties including the issue of Penalty Charge Notices in accordance with the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the Council's enforcement policies, and maintain the competencies necessary to do so. 14.Support CEOs in recognising and reporting suspected misuse, sharing knowledge on badge security features, common fraud indicators and the correct handling of badges on-street. 15.Handle personal and sensitive data lawfully and securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, and treat all information relating to badge holders, disability and criminal investigations in the strictest confidence. 16.Treat all members of the public, including genuine badge holders and disabled people, with dignity, respect and sensitivity, recognising that the purpose of enforcement is to protect the scheme for those who depend on it. 17.Contribute to the preparation of performance information, including hours deployed, badges inspected, badges retained, investigations opened and files submitted, and attend team briefings and case reviews as required. If this Blue badge investigator role is of interest to you then please send your updated CV today. Please call Carly on if you require further information. **We also offer a £100 referral voucher, if you can referrer us a candidate who we can successfully place in this role