South Staffordshire

Monday 11 November 2002

2-4 July 2002

South Staffordshire District Council was providing an effective food law enforcement service with an appropriate balance of advisory and enforcement action.

The Authority was carrying out investigative work particularly well and was consistently assessing businesses' compliance with the law and keeping comprehensive, accurate records of actions taken.

There was evidence that the Authority was complying with the requirements of the Standard in many areas and had already begun to attend to issues raised during the audit. However documentation of effective internal monitoring of the work of the food team is needed to verify full compliance with the Standard.

The Authority’s Strengths:

Records – The recording of relevant information on general inspections, food sampling and complaint investigations was consistent and thorough and was carried out in a manner which provided information for subsequent inspectors and enabled appropriate enforcement decisions to be taken.

Investigative Work – The investigation of complaints and the follow-up to borderline and unsatisfactory samples were particularly thorough and appropriate action was taken in line with documented procedures, in all cases examined.

Licensing of Butchers’ Shops – The process of licensing butchers premises had been well implemented with comprehensive assessments of operations at businesses, the maintenance of detailed records and the issuing of licences in a timely manner.

Investigations of Outbreaks and Food Related Infectious Disease – Investigations were carried out in a comprehensive and timely manner and detailed records were maintained. Following a major outbreak detailed analysis of the findings was carried out, a full report produced and recommendations made as a result.

Key Areas for Improvement:

Records of Internal Monitoring – Records of all qualitative monitoring of enforcement activity need to be established to demonstrate conformance with the Standard and with the Authority’s own policies and procedures.