Aberdeen Audit Report (Year 1) (Closed)
Thursday 19 June 2003
25 - 26 March 2002
Executive summary
The Authority's Strengths
The Authority is providing a good level of food law enforcement overall. The Service is able to demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement to achieve compliance with The Standard.
Staff - Knowledgeable, competent and motivated at all levels.
Documented Procedures - Internal documented procedures are generally comprehensive and provide sufficient information on the Authority¿s systems to be of practical use. These procedures will allow effective monitoring of enforcement activities to ensure appropriate and effective enforcement.
The Authority has put in place the necessary arrangements and has a solid base of effective performance upon which to build and progress toward full compliance with The Standard.
Service Plan - The Authority has produced a Service Plan for 2002/2003, which
meets the requirements of The Standard.
Authorisation and Training - From the files checked it appears that staff are correctly authorised and arrangements are in place for staff training. Comprehensive records of Officer¿s qualifications and training are kept.
Food Hygiene Inspections - From the files checked it appears that premises are inspected at the minimum frequency required by the Food Safety Act Code of Practice No. 9: Food Hygiene Inspections. All inspections appear consistent. The files relating to those premises that require to be licensed as a Butcher are particularly detailed.
Advice to Business - It is evident that the Authority is providing comprehensive information and advice to local businesses.
Food Premises Database - A check on the accuracy of the database showed that 15 out of 15 businesses randomly selected had been entered.
Food Hazard Warnings - A documented procedure for responding to Food Hazard Warnings has been produced.
Key Areas for Improvement
Reports - In some instances reports following inspections were issued a considerable time after the inspection. Timescales for works/action were generally not specified on reports.
Internal Monitoring - The Authority have produced a documented internal monitoring procedure to verify its conformance with The Standard. This requires to be fully implemented.
Food and Feedingstuffs Safety and Standards Promotion - The Authority do not carry out promotional activity in accordance with The Standard.