Content

9.1

The members of the Environmental Services and
Regulation Policy Committee considered a report of the Executive
Director Neighbourhood Services containing a Service Plan setting
out a programme of inspection of food businesses for each year as
required by the Food Standards Agency.

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY:
That the Environmental Services and Regulation
Policy Committee;

 

a)   
Notes the successful reduction in the hygiene and
allergen inspection backlog since the last report.

b)   
Notes the introduction of a new Food Standards
Delivery Model and the increase in Food Standards interventions
this requires.

c)   
Acknowledges that resource within the Standards team
cannot complete the FSA food standards programme
however:

·    
A risk-based approach is being taken and efforts are
being made to increase our capacity in this team.

·    
Our approach has and will continue to reduce the
inherent high risk to customers with food allergies as per item
1.

d)   
Approves the Service Plan including the risk-based
food programme proposals in the attached report concerning Food
Safety and Standards.

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

SCC should publish an annual food plan covering
Standards and Hygiene work, and that plan is attached. This report
and the attached plan set out the legislative and contextual
background to how we will deliver a risk-based inspection programme
in 25/26, making best use of resources to protect public health and
the interests of the residents and businesses of
Sheffield.

 

 

9.3.2

Whilst some risks remain and are highlighted, there
has been considerable progress in reducing hygiene and allergen
visit backlogs since the last report evidenced by the FSA’s
reduced frequency of monitoring

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Delivery of Food Hygiene interventions is now on a
stable footing so no significant change was considered to this
aspect of the work.

 

 

9.4.2

In relation to food standards we considered a range
of options to deal with the backlog.

1.   
Rebuild capacity in our food standards team to meet
the requirements of the food law code of practice. This would
require significant investment and would require training up
officers due to the national shortage of qualified staff, so would
not make a significant difference in the period covered by the
plan.

2.   
Repopulate our existing structure. This will still
be significantly below the resource needed to deliver the required
food standards interventions and requires qualified staff which are
in short supply. It is unclear whether this would continue to be
acceptable to the FSA or prompt their intervention.

3.   
Resource the food standards team in line with
comparable cities within the region which is a lower level than 1.
This would include doubling the staff resource, but as option 1
this would not achieve benefits within the period of the plan due
to the national shortage of staff.

4.   
Divert some resource from food hygiene and backfill.
This would require significant input to upskill them to be
competent to do the work and may impact on food hygiene
intervention delivery.

5.   
Recruit an additional TSO/EHO on a temporary basis
until the officers in training are competent to carry out food
standards work, if qualified officers can be found given the
national shortage.

 

The officer conclusion is that option 4 is the most
viable and most beneficial for the period of the plan and supports
us to discharge our statutory duties as effectively as possible,
using means that are most appropriate to the circumstances. It will
not address the situation in the longer term but will mitigate the
high risks until we fully understand the implications of the FSDM
and until new TS staff complete their food training. It does
require backfill though to maintain performance on food hygiene
visits, sothe service will work through
the options for this during the year however in the short term this
will not impact on the plan presented.