FSA 22-12-23 Performance and Resources report quarter 2 2022/23
Executive summary of our quarter 2 2022/23 performance
The FSA has gone through some significant challenges since the start of 2022/23 including work to deliver the Retained EU Law Bill, the Precision Breeding Bill; the development of the Borders Target Operating Model and dealing with uncertainty on wider public finances.
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Notwithstanding those challenges, as highlighted by our key metrics, our achievements during Q2 include:
’Doing the day job’
We achieved our Q2 meat food business audit target of 90%. Of the 91% audits completed, all ‘Improvement necessary’ and ‘Urgent improvement necessary’ premises were audited during the period at the required frequency.
Most LAs are in compliance with the LA Recovery Plan. Many LAs are now completing planned inspections of the low risk categories emphasising how the system is closer to aligning with Food Law Code of Practice expectations, particularly for retailers, restaurants and caterers where, inspections are near pre-pandemic levels.
There has been a drop in Full Time Equivalent (FTE) officers allocated to posts. The gap between allocated and filled posts is larger than pre-pandemic levels, primarily due to lack of suitably qualified people available for LAs to employ. Across local food liaison groups LAs are reporting significant difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff.
This highlights the importance of our review of the food hygiene delivery model, in the ABC Programme, to introduce a more targeted approach to interventions; a more flexible approach for methods to undertake official controls and who can undertake these.
‘Evolving our own capability and capacity’
Our senior leaders have identified a series of essential changes to our workplan that will create capacity to deliver the additional demands, without compromising our statutory duties. We have also agreed a set of goals and objectives for our three year corporate plan which will be brought to the Board for approval in Q4 2022/23.
Meat food business compliance
91% full meat audit completion. (9% points higher than quarter 1)
Recognition and use of FHRS
- 89% awareness of FHRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- 88% recognition of the FHRS sticker
- 41% checked the food hygiene rating of a food business
Local Authority performance and FSA oversight
42,000 unrated businesses at 30 September 2022 (6,800 less than quarter 1 end)
Local Authority performance
- 94.5% interventions achieved at category-B rated establishments for hygiene as at 30 September 2022 (target of 100% by 30 June 2022)
- 84.2% interventions achieved at category C-rated establishments for hygiene and less than broadly compliant as at 30 September 2022 (target of 100%)
- 0 LA escalated through the escalation process
Workforce diversity and inclusion
(data is correct as at 30/09/2022)
- 7.7% disability representation (0.1% decrease point from March 2021)
- 5% LGB+ representation (0.3% increase points from March 2021)
- 45.5% representation of women (4% increase points from March 2021)
- 11.3% ethnic minority representation (0.7% decrease points from March 2021)
Resources (variance)
- £3.8 million (2.6% favourable variance) 2022/23 total underspend year to date
- including £1.8 million overspend of Westminster RDEL (1.6% adverse variance)