Environmental Health (business regulation) – service standards

What to expect when we visit your business

The purpose of an inspection or visit to a business initiated by the service, is to check compliance with environmental health or licensing law. If an inspection service is delivered well, it can be helpful and practical in assisting your business to comply with the law, without placing unnecessary burdens on a business. We understand that the majority of businesses based in Leicestershire are honest, legitimate enterprises that operate within the law.

We are committed to working with compliant businesses to assure economic growth and to encourage non-compliant business to understand and meet regulatory requirements.

What you can expect of us

In all our dealings with businesses you are entitled to expect our staff to:

• Follow our general service standards
• Identify themselves by name and produce identification if requested
• Provide a contact point for any further dealings
• Give clear and simple advice
• Where equipment or documents are detained or seized, provide you with a list of those items
• Confirm advice in writing on request, explaining why action is required and the timescale for completion
• Consider and minimise the impact of the visit on your staff and customers
• Clearly distinguish between what you must do to comply with the law and what is recommended as best practice
• Minimise the cost of compliance by requiring proportionate, risk based action
• Provide you with a reasonable time to comply (unless immediate action is necessary) to remove a risk to public health or risk of serious injury
• Notify you if the matter is to be reported for legal proceedings
• Advise you of the procedure for making a complaint
• Maintain confidentiality (subject to exchange of information in accordance with data sharing protocols)

Having your say - complaints, compliments and comments etc.

If you feel that you have not received the standard of service you expect, you may contact us to make a complaint or discuss your concerns or you may want to let us know we are doing a good job. More information on how to make a complaint or compliment can be found here - Complaints, Compliments and Comments etc.

Regulators’ code

The Environmental Health service is delivered following the principles and objectives of the statutory Code of Practice for Regulators (PDF Document, 0.14 Mb) made under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006.

All of our enforcement activities are risk based and proportionate.

All of our officers are competent.

An intelligence led approach is adopted to ensure that we target those businesses that pose the greatest risk or are more likely to be failing to comply with the law. We visit food establishments in accordance with the national food law code of practice and other workplaces in accordance with national code and priority planning guidance produced by the Health & Safety Executive

Enforcement action

Enforcement action will only be considered where it is appropriate and proportionate. All enforcement decisions will be made in accordance with our General Enforcement Policy (PDF Document, 0.53 Mb) and Food Law Enforcement Policy (PDF Document, 0.27 Mb) and Health and Safety Law Enforcement Policy (PDF Document, 0.29 Mb)