Completed Focus Areas

This page provides detail on review areas “in focus” that have now been completed.

• Adult Care Homes (launched 15 November 2012)
• Coastal Investments & Projects (launched 19 July 2012)
• Fire (launched 17 July 2012)
• Pubs (launched 3 July 2012)
• Volunteer Events (launched 21 May 2012)
• The Chemicals Sector (launched 8 May 2012)
• Small Businesses in Food Manufacturing (launched 1 May 2012)

 

 

Improving Enforcement in Adult Care Homes

In this review, we asked anyone involved or interested in the adult care home sector to let us know their views and experiences on how current enforcement of regulation in this sector is working. This formed part of an initiative to drive up standards and enable providers to achieve the highest standards of care, while removing confusing bureaucratic requirements that divert carers from meeting the needs of residents.

Up until 18 January 2013, anyone involved or interested in the adult care home sector was invited to provide examples of how current enforcement of regulation could be improved to remove counterproductive burdens on staff and managers so that they can focus on achieving the highest standards of care and better protect residents, without being weighed down by confusing bureaucratic requirements.  We also asked for suggestions on how regulators could better help people comply and to highlight where regulation is working well, so that good practice could be extended and replicated across the sector.

We asked for your comments on topics such as:

• the extent to which compliance and enforcement activity in adult care homes is: targeted at the areas of greatest risk; proportionate to the risks it seeks to mitigate; consistent; transparent; and accountable;
• the advice you have been given on how to comply with the law, whether from local or national Government, from regulators or from non-Government sources, such as trade associations
• the extent of overlaps, gaps and coordination between different regulatory regimes affecting care homes;
• the requirements placed on providers by the commissioners of care services, and how these link to other regulatory requirements;
• whether providers are being subjected to unnecessary pressures and costs by third parties.

We invited people to tell us where things are working well and for examples of good practice which others should copy.

Read more about the scope of this review.

Coastal Investments and Projects

We asked you for your views and experiences of regulatory activity by national and local regulators arising in connection with investments and projects on the coast.

Our main focus was on any barriers to growth arising when projects are affected by both land and sea-based regulation. The kinds of issues we were interesting in hearing from you about included, but were not limited to:

• on-shore regulatory activity related to off-shore renewable energy generation infrastructure;
• port and estuary development, including dredging;
• the interaction between nature conservation regimes and coastal projects.

We were also interested to learn about examples of effective, tailored and easy to understand guidance and advice for businesses involved in development on the coast, and good regulatory delivery that is risk-based, focused on achieving compliance and supporting business growth.  We were also very interested to hear of any examples of issues encountered where third parties are encouraging companies to undertake unnecessary compliance activity, for example where regulation does not actually require something to be done, but companies are led to believe it does.

To see the full scope, including those areas out of scope of this review, please click here.

 

Fire

We asked you to put your views and experiences of working with fire safety officers and local fire and rescue authorities who visit premises to ensure compliance with the Fire Safety Order. We were also interested to find out where companies received advice on fire safety compliance

We particularly wanted to hear about issues faced by small and medium-sized businesses, (i.e. those with 250 or fewer employees).

We were interested in hearing your comments on topics such as:

• How and where you access information about fire safety issues, your legal obligations, and how to comply with the law;
• What information you need, and how you would prefer to access advice and guidance on fire safety matters;
• Activity undertaken by fire and rescue authorities to support you with business compliance;
• The interaction your business has with fire and rescue authorities on the business premises;
• Any ‘knock-on effects’ arising from compliance with fire safety legislation – for example, where action to meet fire safety regulations leads to additional requirements to meet other sets of regulations.

You can read more about the scope of this particular review here.

 

Pubs

We asked you to put your views and experiences of working with national regulators or local authorities in relation to the day-to-day running of pubs. We were particularly interested in hearing from people who take part in running a community-managed pub, or who have tried to rescue a pub at risk of closure or conversion to another use.

Regulators who are responsible for ensuring pubs comply with the law include the Food Standards Agency, local environmental health or trading standards officers, and licensing authorities, amongst others.

We wanted comments on topics such as:

• advice you have been given on how to comply with the law, whether from local or national Government, from regulators, from Police or from non-Government sources, such as trade associations
• how regulators arrange and carry out inspections of location or equipment, or other visits to the premises
• experiences of the enforcement of the rules about: the sale of food and alcohol on the premises, including licensing requirements; catering and food preparation; health and safety; and weights and measures
• whether your local Council has a policy that (directly or indirectly) preserves pubs from change of use applications, and how policy on change operates in your area
• how you responded in any cases where you felt that your treatment by those enforcing regulations may have been unfair or that you may have been asked to carry out activities that were unnecessary for regulatory compliance
•  enforcement proceedings taken against individuals or organisations in the event of perceived or actual failure to comply with regulations (we cannot consider comments on specific cases unless all proceedings have finished – but we can consider general evidence in relation to enforcement proceedings)

We were also interested in whether you think any of these compliance or advice activities might be better delivered by others, such as trade associations or other businesses; whether there is scope for better coordination between the regulators who currently enforce the law or any issues where third parties are encouraging pubs to undertake compliance activity which is not necessary to comply with the law

 You can read more about the scope of this particular review here.

Volunteer Events

We looked at regulatory activity at local or national level that affects volunteer-based events e.g. bring and buy sales, street parties.  We wanted to hear about experiences of organising or running local, volunteer-based events that have brought you into contact with regulatory authorities and gathered evidence and views from a wide range of people with direct experience of organising volunteer events, such as: -

• preparing and selling  foods (e.g. cake-bakes to raise funds for school PTAs);
• sale of second-hand goods (e.g. jumble-sales, bring-and-buy sales)
• raffles
• sponsored events (e.g. fun-runs, three-peaks challenge)
• staging of performances involving sale of tickets to raise money, such as choral events, plays, poetry-readings (but not including copyright issues)
• Street parties

Examples of the kinds of areas we were interested in hearing about included:

• any really good guidance or best practice you might have come across in setting up or running events
• whether you had wanted to do something locally but didn’t because you worried you might be breaking the rules and regulations
• what sort of advice would help you run an event without worrying about whether it meets e.g. health and safety rules?
• if you already organise a volunteer event, do you get useful help, and if so where from, or do you keep quiet and hope no one knows?
• advice you were given on how to comply with the law, whether from local or national Government or from non-Government sources, such as insurance companies
• inspections of locations, equipment or preparations before events, in order to satisfy regulatory authorities or others of compliance with the law
• requirements to make formal applications, or provide information, in order to obtain necessary permission to hold events
• requirements to attend courses / obtain particular qualifications / fill in forms, or take out insurance
• enforcement proceedings taken against individuals or organisations in the event of perceived or actual failure to comply with regulations (we cannot consider comments on specific cases unless all proceedings have finished – but we can consider general evidence in relation to enforcement proceedings)

You can read more about the scope of this particular review here.

 

The Chemicals sector

We looked specifically at the implementation and enforcement of the COMAH regulations – Control of Major Accident Hazards.

We visited companies, talked to trade associations and asked you to put your views and experiences of working with national regulators or local authorities on this web-site. Regulators who are responsible for ensuring chemicals manufacturing and storage businesses meet the requirements of the legislation include the Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency, and local authorities.

We sought your views – positive or negative – on the way regulators:

• give you advice on complying with the law under the COMAH regulations;
• arrange and carry out inspections of locations or equipment;
• require you to make formal applications, or provide information, in order to obtain necessary permits;
• apply any requirements to attend courses / obtain particular qualifications;
• apply emergency planning requirements;
• take enforcement proceedings against individuals or businesses in the event of failure to comply with regulations (while we cannot consider comments on specific cases, we can consider general evidence in relation to enforcement proceedings)

We were also interested to hear from you on whether you thought any of these compliance or advice activities might be better delivered by others, such as trade associations or other businesses; or whether there was scope for better coordination between the regulators who currently enforce the law. We also sought examples of good practice where you thought things were working well.

You can read more about the scope of this particular review here.

Small Businesses in Food Manufacturing

We asked for your views and experiences to help improve the way regulators work with small scale food manufacturers. You can read more about the scope of this particular review here.

We visited companies, spoke to trade associations and asked you to put your views and experiences of working with national regulators or local authorities on this web-site. Regulators who are responsible for ensuring food manufacturing businesses comply with the law include for example the Food Standards Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, and local environmental health or trading standards officers, amongst others.

We wanted your views – positive or negative – on the way regulators:

• give you advice on the law relating to food manufacturing;
• arrange and carry out inspections of locations or equipment;
• require you to make formal applications, or provide information, in order to obtain necessary permits to engage in food manufacturing business;
• requirements to attend courses / obtain particular qualifications;
• take enforcement proceedings against individuals or businesses in the event of failure to comply with regulations (while we cannot consider comments on specific cases, we can consider general evidence in relation to enforcement proceedings)

We also considered  whether any of these activities might be better delivered by others, such as trade associations or other businesses; or whether there is scope for better coordination between regulators who currently enforce the law. We would also really like to hear where you think things are working well and of examples of good practice which you think others should copy.

 

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