Agenda item

Briefing on the recent engagement between Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) was provided. It was recapped that following the last engagement with the Agency which took place in Autumn 2023, 5 additional posts were created for the food safety service within WRS, two Senior Technical Officers and three Regulatory Compliance Officers.

At the recent meeting, on 23rd October 2025, with the Director of WRS, the WRS Food Safety lead officer, and the Community Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager, the Agency (FSA) identified the need for WRS to further increase resource level within the food safety service to ensure full alignment and compliance with the statutory Code of Practice under section 40 of the Food Safety Act 1990. In response, a revised action plan would be drafted to provide a detailed outline of how WRS would move towards full alignment, which would need to be submitted by mid-December. The WRS was required to comply with the Agency’s advice.

The Director of WRS stated that this decision on the part of the Agency (FSA) would have implications in particular in the increased inspections regime for lower risk premises rated D and E. The WRS would reorganise the team to deal with the increased demands placed by the Agency (FSA) by recreating the split between specific teams for commercial and environmental areas of environmental health. The Director of WRS explained that prior to consolidation of WRS, in 2009-10, there were 22.3 full-time equivalent dedicated food safety officers working across the six districts in Worcestershire. Members were reassured that despite the expectation to increase resources, the WRS would not be increasing staffing resources up to that level.

Disappointment was expressed with the Agency’s (FSA) decision, particularly in light of the significant improvement in food safety visit output by WRS in the last year. It was noted that variation to the budget paper would be brought to the next meeting of WRS Board in February 2026. Appendix A provided a purely illustrative indication of the additional costs which could be faced by partner authorities as a result of the need to increase staffing in food safety. A question was asked whether WRS could utilise its financial reserves to cover this additional cost. The Director of WRS responded that this would be discussed with the Section 151 Officers from each partner authority.

Inspection timescales within the Code of Practice were discussed. It was explained that the Code was prescriptive in regard to timescales within which inspections were required for each risk category of premises, with risk A premises having to be inspected at least once every 6 months, risk B every 12 months, risk C every 18 months, risk D every 2 years, risk E every 3 years.

It was noted that only around 5 per cent of registered food businesses in Worcestershire were non-compliant when inspected and required follow-up visits. Businesses generally upheld high standards of food safety and hygiene across Worcestershire with only 1 to 2 businesses being required to close each year as a result of significant levels of non-compliance that presented an imminent risk to health. It was explained that the service would direct most focus to those businesses scoring less than three out of five on the food hygiene rating.

Members queried whether WRS could train its own food safety inspectors through apprenticeships. It was explained that this was being actively looked at. The Director of WRS explained that the Government was putting forward money to help recruitment of trainee planning officers, also that there was currently Department of Health funding available to sponsor a number of apprentices within Trading Standards, and that the County Council’s Trading Standards service, which WRS manages under contract, currently had one apprentice in the service.

In relation to Environmental Health apprentices, the Director highlighted the limited availability of Level 6 Environmental Health apprentice courses, which left the traditional university degree in Environmental Health as the main one, however this qualification offered a wide range of other potential career options for graduates. Finally, the Director said that there was one apprentice post currently on the WRS establishment, within the Licensing team, and that the Team Managers were considering the most appropriate route to filling this.

It was asked whether multi-agency inspections were undertaken at premises to identify issues other than food safety such as modern slavery. It was responded that there was strong multi-agency working within Worcestershire and WRS worked with the County’s Trading Standards, Police, Fire Service, Immigration Service as and when required.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.