Agenda item

Cabinet received the Food and Health and Safety Service Business Plan that detailed how the food and health and safety enforcement services were to be delivered within Buckinghamshire Council for the period 2022/24.  The Service Plan was divided into the issues covered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Framework Agreement and the key priorities identified by the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Strategy Document. The Service Plan and Enforcement Policies were appended to the agenda.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had set out a timetable (Recovery Roadmap) to bring local authorities back on track with their inspection programmes following a cessation of the inspection programme during the pandemic.  The Council had been able to achieve the current milestones in inspecting our category A, B and non-compliant C and D businesses and was able to get a rolling start on the inspection of the compliant Cs as well as triage 927 new businesses. However, the Service had experienced a continual increase in the number of new food business registrations which, together with other work, meant that the final milestone of all compliant C businesses inspected by the end of March 2023 might not be achieved.  The FSA had identified this as an area of concern for the authority. This would continue to be the team’s focus for 2022/24.

Whilst an annual plan was expected by the FSA, on this occasion due to the above issues the first plan for Buckinghamshire Council covered a period of two years. At this point last year the Council had still been under restrictive arrangements and the focus had been heavily aimed towards the regulatory response to Covid-19.  In addition to the FSA Recovery Plan, as part of an ongoing programme of service transformation, improved and more efficient and effective ways of working and delivering the service were being explored. These would include the inspection processes, schemes of delegation and procedures for the assessment of officer competency and authorisation, streamlining the export health certificate process and the harmonisation of sampling equipment and calibration of thermometers.

The Service actively participates in the Primary Authority Partnership scheme, with seven established partnerships and two new partnerships formed in 2022. The primary authority acted as a point of contact and advice for food businesses that had a number of outlets nationally and local authorities who inspected them. This was a paid for service.  There had also been a noticeable decline in hygiene standards which had resulted in an increase in enforcement action and revisits. There had also been an increase in requests for FHRS re-inspections as businesses moved to a more online presence.

The Health and Safety Executive had set out a 10-year strategic plan ‘Protecting People and Places’ which set out its key objectives and national priorities. In 2022/24 the Council would identify projects aimed to raise health and safety awareness and improve standards in a particular sector or topic. It was likely that these would focus on workplace transport in warehouses and distribution centres following a number of reported accidents this year and gas safety in catering establishments.

In 2021, the Environmental Health Service took on the responsibility for the issue of the General Safety Certificate for the Designated Sports Ground at Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. In addition, the team had also taken on the administration of the registration for skin piercing establishments and operators and as part of this, would look to harmonise the registration process and fees from legacy areas and adopt a single set of byelaws covering safe and hygienic arrangements for skin piercing.

Both policies reflected the principles set out in the Regulators’ Code issued by the Office of Product Safety and Standards. The key principles were to support growth, engage with businesses, have a transparent and risk-based approach to activities, share information between regulators and provide clear information and advice to businesses. The Regulators’ Code applied to local authority regulatory services such as: environmental health, licensing, housing standards, planning enforcement, building control and revenues and benefits. A corporate enforcement policy had been developed and the policies have been drafted in accordance with this overarching policy.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the joint Food and Health and Safety Service Business Plan (at Appendix 1) be APPROVED.

(2)               That the Food Policy (at Appendix 2) and the Health and Safety Enforcement Policy (at Appendix 3) be APPROVED.

Cabinet received the Food and Health and Safety Service Business Plan that detailed how the food and health and safety enforcement services were to be delivered within Buckinghamshire Council for the period 2022/24.  The Service Plan was divided into the issues covered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Framework Agreement and the key priorities identified by the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Strategy Document. The Service Plan and Enforcement Policies were appended to the agenda.

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had set out a timetable (Recovery Roadmap) to bring local authorities back on track with their inspection programmes following a cessation of the inspection programme during the pandemic.  The Council had been able to achieve the current milestones in inspecting our category A, B and non-compliant C and D businesses and was able to get a rolling start on the inspection of the compliant Cs as well as triage 927 new businesses. However, the Service had experienced a continual increase in the number of new food business registrations which, together with other work, meant that the final milestone of all compliant C businesses inspected by the end of March 2023 might not be achieved.  The FSA had identified this as an area of concern for the authority. This would continue to be the team’s focus for 2022/24.

Whilst an annual plan was expected by the FSA, on this occasion due to the above issues the first plan for Buckinghamshire Council covered a period of two years. At this point last year the Council had still been under restrictive arrangements and the focus had been heavily aimed towards the regulatory response to Covid-19.  In addition to the FSA Recovery Plan, as part of an ongoing programme of service transformation, improved and more efficient and effective ways of working and delivering the service were being explored. These would include the inspection processes, schemes of delegation and procedures for the assessment of officer competency and authorisation, streamlining the export health certificate process and the harmonisation of sampling equipment and calibration of thermometers.

The Service actively participates in the Primary Authority Partnership scheme, with seven established partnerships and two new partnerships formed in 2022. The primary authority acted as a point of contact and advice for food businesses that had a number of outlets nationally and local authorities who inspected them. This was a paid for service.  There had also been a noticeable decline in hygiene standards which had resulted in an increase in enforcement action and revisits. There had also been an increase in requests for FHRS re-inspections as businesses moved to a more online presence.

The Health and Safety Executive had set out a 10-year strategic plan ‘Protecting People and Places’ which set out its key objectives and national priorities. In 2022/24 the Council would identify projects aimed to raise health and safety awareness and improve standards in a particular sector or topic. It was likely that these would focus on workplace transport in warehouses and distribution centres following a number of reported accidents this year and gas safety in catering establishments.

In 2021, the Environmental Health Service took on the responsibility for the issue of the General Safety Certificate for the Designated Sports Ground at Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. In addition, the team had also taken on the administration of the registration for skin piercing establishments and operators and as part of this, would look to harmonise the registration process and fees from legacy areas and adopt a single set of byelaws covering safe and hygienic arrangements for skin piercing.

Both policies reflected the principles set out in the Regulators’ Code issued by the Office of Product Safety and Standards. The key principles were to support growth, engage with businesses, have a transparent and risk-based approach to activities, share information between regulators and provide clear information and advice to businesses. The Regulators’ Code applied to local authority regulatory services such as: environmental health, licensing, housing standards, planning enforcement, building control and revenues and benefits. A corporate enforcement policy had been developed and the policies have been drafted in accordance with this overarching policy.

During discussion the following points were made:-

·       It was recognised that the team had struggled because of the demands of the pandemic  and the pressure had also been put on the service because of other work such as the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

·       There was concern that there had been a decline in hygiene standards and a question was raised as to the reasons for this. Whilst there had been a gap in interventions, the team was now on top of the highest risk businesses, Category A and B business were inspected every six months and Category C’s were inspected every 18 months. One of the reasons for the decline was the cost of living crisis where businesses may have to cut corners which could mean money was not spent on general maintenance of equipment or structure, staff were not being trained in hygiene practices or for cleaning staff or cleaning regimes. Also in some businesses, inexperienced staff have been brought in to manage a business who did not necessarily have a formal catering background or knowledge of food safety management. 

·       82% of businesses in Buckinghamshire were still rated good or very good (national average figure was 79.1%). Buckinghamshire had 4,500 businesses.

·       In answer to a question reassurance was given that priority was given to those businesses not yet inspected rather than those businesses who had requested a re-inspection to improve their rating.

·       Residents could check food ratings at https://ratings.food.gov.uk/ before making a booking or purchasing food to ensure that businesses have a rating of 3 or above.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That the joint Food and Health and Safety Service Business Plan (at Appendix 1) be APPROVED.

(2)               That the Food Policy (at Appendix 2) and the Health and Safety Enforcement Policy (at Appendix 3) be APPROVED.