Agenda item

The Buckinghamshire County Council and Surrey County Council Joint Trading Standards Service Committee is asked to note the performance of the service since its inception in April 2015. The information provided covers performance against the six high level agreed indicators and in relation to the Service budget.

The Joint Committee is also asked to agree the Performance Indicators about which it wishes to receive information in the year 2016/17 and to endorse the revised joint service budget, with addition of an extra marginal efficiency saving of 1.5% per year over and above the previously agreed efficiency savings for the Joint Service.

Declarations of Interest:

None

Witnesses:

Steve Ruddy, Head of Trading Standards,

Amanda Poole, Assistant Head of Trading Standards,

Yvonne Rees, Strategic Director for Customers and Communities Surrey County Council

Phil Dart, Service Director, Localities and Community Safety

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Assistant Head of Trading Standards introduced the item and highlighted that the report recommended performance indicators for 2016/17 remain the same as they were in the previous year due to the fact that the process of establishing the Joint Service was still being finalised.

2.    It was noted that both Primary Authority Partnerships (PAP) and Checkatrade Partnerships continued to develop well. A question was raised regarding whether work had been undertaken to link PAP schemes with the fire services; officers responded by stating that a formal partnership with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) already existed. A partnership had not been established with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) but that an event was being planned in an effort to create a partnership with BFRS as well as with other relevant agencies such as Environmental Health.

3.    Members were informed that the Service had established a relationship with Bridgend County Borough Council in Wales around providing advice to companies in Wales and was in the process of seeking out a partner authority in Scotland.

4.    Officers were asked how the Joint Service was collaborating with district and borough Joint Enforcement Teams (JET). Members stated that a representative from Trading Standards sat on the JET Board and that the hope was to become more closely involved with JET in areas such as intelligence sharing. The Head of Trading Standards advised Members that it would not be possible to delegate Trading Standards officers to become part of the JET programme.

5.    Officers indicated that the intention was for the Service to improve on its performance against targets from the previous year.  Members commented that the format of the KPIs in the report made it challenging to get an accurate picture of how Trading Standards was performing as it did not specify what the targets were that the Service was aiming for. The Committee requested that a report be brought to the next Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards Joint Board meeting which demonstrates the KPIs and the targets that the Service is aiming to achieve

6.    Officers advised the Committee that private sector companies had started to move into the PAP arena and that at of these companies had secured an endorsement from the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards (CTSI). Members requested that a report be brought to the next Joint Committee meeting outlining how the Services can effectively compete in the PAP sector with private companies.

7.    The Committee agreed that a letter would be sent to volunteers who had worked with Trading Standards in Buckinghamshire and Surrey thanking them for their work with the Service.

RESOLVED:

The Buckinghamshire and Surrey Joint Trading Standards Service:

i.      noted the Service’s performance from 1 April 2015;

ii.     agreed the Performance Indicators for 2016/17;

iii.    agreed the revised joint service budget to include an additional 1.5%marginal efficiency saving over and above the previously agreed efficiency savings.

Actions/further information to be provided:

1. The Head of Trading Standards and Assistant Head of Trading Standards to provide an update for the Service Director, Localities and Safer Communities, Buckinghamshire County Council on Trading Standards PAP links with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies for upcoming event at Buckinghamshire County Council;  
2.  Physical targets to be drafted and presented by the Head of Trading Standards and Assistant Head of Trading Standards at the next meeting of the Buckinghamshire and Surrey Joint Trading Standards Service Board;  
3. Send private sector PAP website details to Committee members;
4. The Head of Trading Standards and Assistant Head of Trading Standards to identify how the Joint Trading Standards Service can compete effectively with private organisations and provide paper at the next Buckinghamshire and Surrey Joint Trading Standards Service Board meeting;
5. Draft a thank you letter to Trading Standards volunteers for signature by Committee members.