Scores on the Doors

The Agency's Strategic Plan 2005–2010 aims to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness by 20%. Seeing a rating 'up front' enables consumers to make informed choices about whether to use that particular food outlet.

More people are requesting inspection reports from their local authority under the Freedom of Information Act. So, the scheme builds on that growing public awareness, and on the Agency's commitment to transparent working and openness.

How often are businesses inspected?
Businesses are checked by enforcement officers from the local authority's environmental health inspection team. The interval between inspections depends on how much of a risk to health there is judged to be.

Local authorities also have a responsibility to investigate any food complaints passed on to them by consumers.

Their aim is to give the Agency the evidence it needs for any future recommendations for one preferred scheme nationwide. The Agency will be making a recommendation about a national scheme at its Board meeting in March 2008.

For more information about the purpose of these pilot schemes, and how they were developed, see the FSA Board meeting paper from 21 September 2006.

Most London local authorities, six cities in the Midlands, five authorities in Scotland, one authority in Wales and two District Councils in Northern Ireland, and eight authorities in other parts of England will be operating schemes sponsored by the Agency. There are also a number of other schemes in operation which are being taken into account as part of the evaluation.

To get a broad consistency between local authorities, the following 'principles' were jointly adopted by the FSA and Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS). These are a framework for the development of new Scores on the Doors schemes and the operation of existing schemes:

• Businesses and consumers should be consulted on the details of the scheme before it is launched.
• Local authorities should bear in mind that schemes are generally based on food hygiene and safety procedures, structure and confidence in management elements of the Code of Practice.
• Scoring systems should be open, transparent and simple to understand, and accurately reflect the standards of compliance within the business.
• Clear explanation of scoring schemes and associated bandings should be provided to members of the public.
• Every effort should be made to ensure scoring within a particular scheme is as consistent as possible.
• A mechanism should be put in place to inform businesses about the relevant complaints procedures.
• Local authorities should actively seek to obtain business co-operation in displaying score certificates on the premises.
• There should be an ongoing commitment to keep the public informed about the general outcomes of the scheme.
• Discussions with software providers should include the need for flexibility, and the extent to which any scheme proposed or operated now could be amended to fit in with a national scheme at a later date.

The Agency suggests that attention to these overarching principles maintains credibility of new schemes without compromising the existing pilots or pre-empting the outcome of evaluation.

The Agency is also providing training on how to apply its Code of Practice food hygiene inspection rating scheme to each of the pilot authorities.

The Agency's evaluation is examining a number key factors, including: the impact of the pilots on hygiene standards, business compliance with food hygiene legislation, consumer behaviour, local authority compliance costs, consistency between authorities, and the level of business co-operation.

The Agency is working in partnership with a number of local authorities, including some that are not running Agency-sponsored pilots, to develop a robust evidence base on which to make its recommendation.

During the summer of 2007, a series of workshops were held for local authorities to discuss the scores on the doors evaluation and progress with individual schemes. A summary report of discussions can be found at the link below. The Agency is very grateful to all the authorities who participated in the workshops.

In Autumn 2007 a series of consumer focus groups were held across the UK by Continental Research as part of their ongoing evaluation of scores on the doors schemes. A series of slides detailing their findings can be found at the link below. The full consumer report, which will also take into account the results of exit interviews and hall tests, is due in early 2008.

Some local authorities are worried that publication of scores on a website could lead to court action. However, the Agency is advised that this is legal, even where the proprietor's name is mentioned when identifying premises only. However, local authorities may wish to obtain separate legal advice on this issue.

The scheme is also believed to be consistent with Freedom of Information legislation. The Information Commissioner has ruled in favour of disclosing inspection information where local authorities have been challenged for withholding it.

But can you be sure this approach will work?
Schemes similar to Scores on the Doors operate in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe. One scheme in the USA reported an increase in compliance with food hygiene regulations and in consumer protection (a 20% reduction in foodborne disease-related visits to hospital).

Who can I contact for more information?
In England:
Philip Flaherty
tel: 020 7276 8445
email: Philip.Flaherty@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Scotland:
Pauline Wilkinson
tel: 01224 285140
email: pauline.wilkinson@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Wales:
Rob Wilkins
tel: 02920 678957
email: Rob.Wilkins@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

In Northern Ireland:
Trevor Williamson
tel: 02890 417713
email: Trevor.Williamson@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk