Chorley Borough Council

The council had a draft Food Service Plan for 2008/2009 which was due to be submitted for member approval. This was broadly in line with the Agency’s Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement, although it did not cover some aspects of the guidance. Future service planning could benefit from including these to ensure they are in accordance with official guidance.

The service had effective arrangements in place for ensuring that the food database was up-to-date and that information relating to inspections and other food law enforcement activities was accurate. There were also effective systems for database back-up and to manage access. The database system needed to be reconfigured to consistently add 'the additional score of 22' as appropriate to individual premises catering for vulnerable groups, to ensure correct risk rating of relevant premises in accordance with the risk rating scheme in the Food Law Code of Practice.

File and database records checks confirmed that the authority had implemented an effective food premises inspection programme and inspections across all risk categories were being carried out at the minimum frequencies and within the time frames specified in the Food Law Code of Practice. Approved establishments had been correctly re-approved in accordance with current EU hygiene regulations.

The authority had a procedure for the authorisation of officers based upon a competency assessment which was recorded in a clear and comprehensive competency matrix. However, the associated schedule of authorisation did not reflect the ability, qualifications, experience and responsibilities of individual officers as set out in the competency matrix.

There was evidence of comprehensive quantitative and qualitative internal monitoring across all food law enforcement activities. The internal monitoring procedures and arrangements required further development to ensure that the frequency, responsibilities and approaches to internal monitoring were more clearly defined.