North Norfolk District Council

The authority had produced a Commercial Team Work Plan and an Environmental Health Service Business Plan for 2009/2010, which were broadly in line with the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement. The plans made reference to the relatively large number of approved establishments in the area and the demand this placed on the available resources.

It was evident that an effective document control system had been implemented by the authority. However, some documented policies and procedures required review, to reflect changes to legislation and centrally issued guidance. It was confirmed that the authority had already planned to carry out the reviews.

The authority had developed and implemented a documented procedure for the authorisation of officers. Records were maintained on an authorisation matrix, which set out the specific legal powers under which each officer was authorised. These confirmed that officers had generally been correctly authorised in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice. It was noted that copies of officer training records, were not maintained by the authority and an officer training programme had not been documented. Individual officers however, provided auditors with evidence of past training, relevant to approved establishment inspections. There is also a need to develop and implement a system by which officers’ identified training needs could be more clearly linked to individual officer qualification and competency requirements, and their level of authorisation.

Audit checks confirmed that the database contained accurate records of approved establishments in the area. A documented procedure for routine verification of food premises database accuracy was however recommended.

The authority had a relatively large number of establishments subject to approval requirements, and had developed appropriate procedures for approval and inspection of such establishments. However, it was not possible to establish from records if premises had been re-assessed, and where appropriate, re-approved under current hygiene regulations. In some cases, there were insufficient records on files to establish if premises required approval, or complied with the requirements for full approval.

Inspections of approved establishments since January 2006 had generally been undertaken at the minimum frequency specified in the Food Law Code of Practice. However it was noted in some cases that inspection findings were not recorded in sufficient detail, on inspection forms and aide-memoires. It was therefore not always possible to establish the extent to which food business compliance with relevant legislation, including HACCP provisions had been assessed.

The audit included a joint visit to an approved meat products establishment in the district. The 'reality' visit confirmed that the authority was effectively carrying out its official controls responsibilities at the establishment, and had developed a supportive working relationship with the food business operator. Some areas for improvement to facilities were suggested, which the food business operator (FBO) undertook to implement.

Records of complaints in relation to approved establishments confirmed in all the cases that appropriate investigations had taken place, and adequate records were maintained on the database.

The authority had developed and implemented a food sampling policy and a sampling procedure. The sampling policy needed to be reviewed and further developed to reflect recent changes to food hygiene legislation and centrally issued guidance. Records reviewed by auditors confirmed that in all cases unsatisfactory samples had been appropriately investigated, in accordance with the authority’s procedures and official guidance.

An enforcement policy had been developed and implemented by the authority in collaboration with three other local regulatory bodies. Linked to this were documented procedures covering most of the available enforcement options, including those relevant to approved establishments.

Audit checks confirmed that the authority was carrying out detailed performance monitoring of progress against its performance targets in relation to the quantitative aspects of routine food law enforcement activities and on-going food safety projects. Although the authority had embarked on a process of reviewing and expanding its internal monitoring procedures, it needed to ensure that qualitative aspects of all food law enforcement activities, including, approval and inspection of approved establishments were considered and included in the development of new and existing procedures.