Who we are
“Providing confidence in public health outcomes through excellence, collaboration and innovation, bringing environmental health into a new age”.
Kernow has been at the forefront of Environmental Health for over 27 years. With 50+ Environmental Health Officers across metro, regional and rural Councils plus a large Immunisation team and support staff, our staff have significant expertise and are respected leaders in the field.
We are a family focused business and are proud of the fact that many of our staff have been with us over an extended period of time with a number approaching or exceeding ten years.
Kernow has long standing relationships with many Councils across Australia through the delivery of contracted services – both long and short term.
It is a dynamic and fast paced environment at Kernow – we are working at the cutting edge of technology in the Environmental Health space. All our staff use mobile technology to support their work in the field such as The Noise App. Our information management system, RIAMS (Regulatory Information and Management System), is at the heart of technological change in Environmental Health and Immunisation and is used by Councils throughout Australia.
Kernow takes a best practice approach to everything we do, both operationally, and in respect of our culture and our staff. We are invested in the development of our staff and provide opportunities, both operationally and through various projects, to develop and progress.
Diversity of work and opportunities
It is the diversity of work and opportunities that are the key differences when you work at Kernow.
Whilst our staff are generally based in one location, throughout the year there are opportunities for our staff to work in different environments (metro, rural), undertake short term secondments in different locations, participate in internal Kernow projects (local and overseas) and drive training development opportunities.
But even day to day, there is more diversity of work.
Our environment is challenging and simulating because our operations include both metro and rural councils which means Kernow EHOs can extend their knowledge and seek opportunities for learning beyond the local council in which they are based.
Rural environments enable EHOs to deal with a wide range of issues, for example onsite wastewater management, private water supplies, caravan parks and rural industries and nuisance issues such as broiler farm odour complaints! Whereas our metro councils offer a diversity of food related activities as well as nuisance, public health and tobacco issues to name just a few.
The key is that our teams collaborate regularly to share knowledge and training ensuring that our EHOs can leverage off the experiences of both rural and metro based officers.
Our People and our Culture
We know that what sets us apart is our people and our culture. As a family run business we listen to our staff and take a genuine interest in their development and career progression. A testament to this is the number of long term employees within Kernow and the career progression of our staff.
Because we are a family business, we also understand that flexibility is important and many of our staff work under flexible arrangements. We also take pride in our diversity and take the opportunity to celebrate it throughout the year.
Making time for social activities is also a very important part of our culture at Kernow. Our Kulture Klub, made up of representatives from each of our sites and portfolios, plays a key role in arranging social gatherings and team building sessions throughout the year.
Socialising is a major part of what makes Kernow a strong, vibrant and connected organisation. The Kulture Klub also produces the monthly newslett er, Kernow Konnect, to keep staff informed of all the new information, happenings and upcoming events around Kernow.
Boost Program
Making sure our staff are set up for success is crucial to our success– that is why all new graduate recruits and new staff undergo a structured induction and training program. For graduates, recently graduated and international EHOs, our training is more comprehensive and includes on-the-job training for all aspects of EHO practice plus access to formal learning through RIAMS and mentoring through the Kernow Mentoring Program.
Staff Development and Career Progression
We invest in our people because it makes business sense.
Kernow staff have opportunities to develop and grow. Leveraging off the opportunities that exist from servicing a variety of clients as well as internal projects helps ensure our staff are appropriately skilled and kept up to date with latest trends and issues.
In addition, Kernow has a structured Development Program for all permanent staff. This is a comprehensive program which aims to ensure staff reach their potential and career aspirations. Activities within the Development Program include access to external training, project and secondment opportunities as well as tailored development as part of succession planning.
As a result, we offer genuine opportunities for career progression, read some of our employee profiles to learn more.
