Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/146

Contact: Richard Webb, Acting Head of Trading Standards and Community Safety Tel: (01865) 815791

Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CMDSSC5).

The report sets out a draft policy for Oxfordshire Trading Standards detailing how the Service will decide the most appropriate response to enforcement complaints and enquiries from consumers, businesses and other customers or agencies. A decision is required on whether the Trading Standards Service should formally adopt this policy.

The Service has adopted an 'intelligence-led' approach to enforcement, focussing resources on those issues of high detriment to either an individual, a business or a community. It does not have the capacity or resources to investigate every complaint it receives.

Complaints are graded into 4 categories:

Grade 1- Same day response (Approximately 6% of all complaints).

This grading is reserved for the most urgent enforcement matters including:

- Where immediate intervention is required to prevent further loss or harm, e.g. a 'one day sale' is taking place.

- Product safety risks could result in injury or harm to consumers.

- Vulnerable consumers are at at risk of exploitation.

Grade 2- Scheduled response (Approximately 35% of all complaints).

Complaints fall into this category when they are not as serious or urgent as a grade 1 complaint but the subject matter of the complaint falls into a service or county priority area or is of sufficient potential impact to warrant further investigation.

Grade 3- Referral to another agency.

The most effective course of action to resolve the complaint is a referral to another agency for action, e.g. the business is outside of Oxfordshire, or the issue is best dealt with by the Trading Standards Service local to the business's Head Office, for example,  a food labelling query.

Grade 4- Intelligence only.

The complaint issue is logged, and used as background information to track any trends or more general issues with either a specific business, product or trade sector.

Complaints originating from consumers or businesses are graded in the same way.

By adopting the Policy, we can ensure all complaints are graded in a consistent manner, and those presenting the most significant potential risk are investigation as a priority and the most vulnerable consumers are protected.

The Cabinet Member for Safer & Stronger Communities is RECOMMENDED to approve the Complaints Prioritisation Policy as set out in Annex 1 for use by the Trading Standards Service.

To approve the Complaints Prioritisation Policy in Annex 1 for use by the Trading Standards Service.