Joint Food and Safety Service Business Plan 2022 to 2024

Our action plan consists of 8 tasks:

Responsibility: All

Monitoring: Monthly review

• team leaders to identify those food businesses that require to be inspected and to programme them in to meet the various milestones of the recovery roadmap
• all newly registered businesses triaged on receipt of registration and assigned either as low or high risk in terms of the nature of the business
• inspectors to prioritise the inspection of high-risk new businesses
• inspectors to regularly review the existing outstanding inspections allocated to them and prioritise the inspections in line with the recovery roadmap milestones
• inspectors to regularly review the inspection programme for those businesses that have previously been inspected and now become due

Milestone targets achieved:

• all establishments rated category B have received an intervention by end June 2022
• all establishments rated category C and less than broadly compliant have received an intervention by end September 2022
• all establishments rated category D and less than broadly compliant have received an intervention by end December 2022
• all establishments rated category C and broadly compliant or better have received an intervention by end March 2023
• all high risk new businesses to have received an intervention soon after having been triaged

This task is part of the harmonisation of activities from legacy areas.

Responsibility: EHM, TL, EH officers

Monitoring: Monthly review against project plan

Target: March 2024

Identify procedures required by the FSA Food Law – Code of Practice in relation to:

• approval of food businesses
• food business database
• food incidents and alerts
• authorisation
• internal monitoring
• corporate complaints
• food complaints
• sampling
• official food controls and activities
• enforcement
• outbreaks and food related infectious diseases
• information
• registration of food businesses
• conflict of interest

Identify policies required by the FSA Food Law – Code of Practice in relation to:

• sampling
• enforcement
• complaints

Identify programmes and plans required by the FSA Food Law – Code of Practice in relation to:

• contingencies
• service plan
• interventions
• sampling
• training
• alternative enforcement strategy

We will also:

• devise a project plan over the next 2-year period to review and harmonise the identified policies, procedures and programmes
• implement the project plan
• identify where service delivery can be improved and streamlined, as part of the implementation

• project plan developed and implemented
• more efficient, effective and streamlined service delivery
• procedures and policies reviewed in light of changes
• existing services maintained to a high standard

This applies to both food safety and health and safety.

Responsibility: All

Monitoring: Monitoring of food and health and safety complaints/enquiries and liaison with other local authorities

Target: Ongoing

• actively manage existing Primary Authority Partnerships
• in discussion with the particular business, develop the Primary Authority Partnership in line with government guidance
• participate in the Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards PA Schemes

• continued management of existing partnerships
• successful development and smooth implementation of new Primary Authority Partnership

Responsibility: EHM, TL, EH officers

Monitoring: Monthly review

Target: December 2022

• review the legacy processes for the registration of skin piercing businesses and operators
• review website information and consolidate within the new Buckinghamshire
• council website, including online application forms and guidance
• review application forms and certificates, amend as necessary and re-brand
• harmonise application and registration process to provide most efficient means of processing and completing applications and provide training for staff on new procedure
• amend back-office database systems as necessary
• review fees and charges and take to Licensing Committee for approval
• inform existing businesses and operators of changes to fees, procedure and model byelaws
• review position of legacy authorities in relation to adoption of model byelaws, report to Licensing Committee and implement process for adoption

• continued management of existing partnerships
• successful development and smooth implementation of new Primary Authority Partnership
• new procedures in place
• website updated and online application forms and payment available
• back-office systems amended
• new fees and charges agreed and implemented
• new consolidated byelaws adopted and publicised

Responsibility: EHM, TL, EH officers, SAG members

Monitoring: Monthly review

Target: August 2022

• review the legacy processes for the notification of public events that require to be notified to the Safety Advisory Group
• review website information and consolidate within the new Buckinghamshire Council website, including online notification forms and guidance
• harmonise notification process to provide most efficient means of processing and provide training for staff on new procedure
• utilise MS Teams channels for the efficient dissemination of notifications and accompanying documentation to SAG members and maintain an events calendar that is accessible to relevant parties
• amend back-office database systems as necessary
• review the SAG meeting process to provide an efficient means of discussing events of concern

• new procedures in place
• website updated and online notifications and guidance available
• MS Teams channel created and populated with relevant information. SAG members given permissions and notified of new method of accessing information
• SAG meetings effectively run

Responsibility: TL, EH officers

Monitoring: Quarterly review against project plan. Quarterly review of website information to ensure it's still current

Target: December 2022

• identify ways in which the websites can be better used to provide information and guidance for businesses and to improve service delivery
• identify ways in which the websites can supplement mobile/remote working to provide more efficient and effective work practices
• to review the content of the legacy websites and amend, remove or add new information as necessary in light of changes in legislation, government guidance and council changes

• websites enhanced – improved and readily accessible guidance and information available for businesses
• officers able to use website to improve their interaction with businesses and to enhance remote working
• the relevant sections of the websites are up to date, relevant and readily accessible

Responsibility: EH officers

Monitoring: Review meeting at end of project period. Briefing note provided on successes and lessons learned for future projects

Target: March 2023

• in line with the HSE Strategy and guidance, identify and deliver an appropriate intervention project
• work to include development of website information and targeted visits in collaboration with the HSE representative where appropriate

• identified project delivered according to the project plan
• businesses increasingly aware of the priority topic areas and implementing recommendations

Responsibility: EH officers, Trading Standing officers

Monitoring: Review meeting at end of project period. Briefing note provided on successes and lessons learned for future projects

Target: March 2024

• as a joint working project, identify areas of work across the retail and catering sectors where additional business advice and guidance is required
• undertake enforcement action against businesses who have shown blatant disregard for the law or pose a significant risk to health
• review website information and update as necessary

• identified project delivered according to the project plan
• businesses increasingly aware of the requirements regarding the provision of allergen information and implementing recommendations