Devon County Council

Speak Out

Please tell us your views on our services. For consumer and general comments, please complete our confidential comments on service delivery form. If you have been visited by an Officer from the Trading Standards Service and wish to comment on that visit, please complete the form on the Enforcement Concordat page.

This feedback is welcomed and investigated on an individual basis.  We respond quickly and thoroughly to each one.  Last year all complaints and comments on our service were responded to within the corporate time limit of 10 working days.

From January to October 2007 to  we received a total of 16 formal complaints  about our service delivery.  Although this number has more than halved compared with three years ago, it was found that many of these still centre on an incorrect assumption that we offer a resolution service for consumers seeking redress under civil law.  Further research showed that approximately half of our consumer customers fell into the above category.  We have published an Advice Policy that clarifies what we can and cannot do for you.

Follow up research shows that customers who have complained about us are happy with the complaint procedure and how their complaint was dealt with even if the result was not what they wished.

About Us 

Our Vision: To contribute fully towards a high quality of life for everyone in Devon by driving the creation of a secure, sustainable and healthy trading environment.

Our Mission: To fulfil those statutory obligations of the local authority that form part of the national regulatory framework, to protect consumers and to maintain a fair and equitable trading environment in which local businesses can thrive. To do so in partnership with other agencies and stakeholders in a way that not only adds value to the services provided but also directly supports corporate priorities and benefits local communities.

The Trading Standards Service helps to maintain an environment in which local businesses can compete on equal terms and we seek to ensure that the safety and economic interests of consumers are not compromised by unfair or illegal trading practices.

We use a range of techniques, including educating both consumers and traders on their rights and obligations and, where necessary, intervene directly to ensure practices are improved.

In an agricultural community such as Devon, a key role of the Trading Standards Service and specifically the Animal Health Operations Unit, is the enforcement of legislation designed to protect animal welfare and prevent or contain the spread of disease.

The Service also fulfills a number of the statutory obligations of the local authority and carries out certain enforcement responsibilities. In any issue relating to the enforcement of legislation our officers will always consider our Enforcement Policy when deciding what action to take.

Devon’s Trading Standards Service is a signatory of the national Enforcement Concordat which sets out what business and others being regulated can expect from our enforcement staff. It commits us to good enforcement policies and procedures.

To find out how Devon implements the national Enforcement Concordat and what you can expect if an Officer calls on you, you can view our Enforcement Concordat.

Some Specific Duties

Quality and Quantity

• Weights and Measures

We ensure that (where required) goods are marked with and delivered to the correct quantity.  We check the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment – from pub to petrol station.

• Food Quality

We keep a close watch on all food throughout its production. We ensure that it is of an acceptable quality, that it is correctly labelled and that any descriptions – for example "organic" or "GM Free" – are correctly applied.  We complete an annual Food and Agricultural Feedstuffs Sampling Policy to help us meet our Food Standards Agency targets.

• Agriculture

We check the quality, safety and labelling of animal feeds and fertilisers. Farmers are also required to register with us if they mix animal feed for their own use and it incorporates vitamins and minerals (see below). If the feed incorporates medicines then they should register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

• Quality Assurance

We give advice on legislation and on quality assurance procedures to businesses. We adhere to the Home Authority Principle which gives priority to local businesses seeking our assistance. This helps safeguard the quality of the end-product to you, the consumer.

Animal Health and Welfare 

We are the enforcement authority for farm animal welfare and for disease prevention on farms, during transportation and at markets. We check all of the markets in Devon for this purpose and also undertake spot checks on farms and livestock vehicles.

We provide an animal health and welfare advice line for farmers on:-

01392 382895

Farmers can also contact us through this website.

We are responsible along with other agencies including DEFRA, Her Majesties Customs and Excise and the Police for enforcing the legal control measures to prevent Rabies entering the UK. In addition, should any farm animal disease be confirmed within the UK and or in Devon we have contingencies in place to work with the above agencies and other organisations to eradicate it.

Most livestock currently moves from place to place under the controls of a General Licence. Notification of movements must be made to the local authority where the destination premises is located, for instance if a Devon farmer buys sheep from Yorkshire, then they must inform us when the sheep arrive on their livestock holding in Devon. (Notification of Cattle movement must be made to the British Cattle Movement Society).

We investigate breaches of the General Licence and other disease and welfare issues.

Our Animal Health Team handled 4673 requests for advice and assistance from the farming community in the twelve months up to 31/3/2007.

 

Licensing (and Registration)

We have the following licensing or registration responsibilities:-

Animal Licences and Registration

Information on the General Licence can be obtained from the DEFRA website.

The movement of Pigs OUT of livestock markets can only be made under individual movement licences available from our Animal Health Officers at Devon’s Markets.

Farmers must register with us if they mix animal feed for their own use and it incorporates vitamins and minerals. For more information and an application form contact us.

Non Animal Licences

Explosives (including fireworks)

Businesses keeping explosives, including fireworks, must register with us. Approximately 420 premises in Devon are registered to keep explosives this includes everything from detonators for car air bags to black powder for battle re-enactments. Of these about 250 are traders selling fireworks. New applicants will be entered on the register from the date of application. All registrations expire on 31st August each year, so September and October are busy months for us as we process applications for re-registration.

In addition we also licence a small number of premises which have larger mixed explosives stores.

Apply for registration and/or a licence

Poisons

At any one time there are around 130 businesses in Devon registered with the Trading Standards Service to sell certain non-medicinal poisons.

The register is updated annually on 30th April.

Information on registration or to obtain an application form.

Petroleum

Devon’s Trading Standards Service issues licences to store petrol to all the individuals and companies that run our filling stations and garages.

These licenses are renewed annually. Licence renewals and any notifications of changes to licences.

Advice and Information for Consumers and Businesses

• Trading Standards Advice Unit

We provide a telephone service that handles over 11,000 enquiries a year from consumers and approximately 1500 enquiries from businesses. We will advise you on how you can best pursue your legal rights and we advise businesses on issues of criminal law.

• Leaflets

We produce and distribute a variety of consumer and business information leaflets and can supply them in a number of languages or print sizes for the visually impaired. Many of our consumer advice and business advice leaflets are available to read on this website.

• Events

Each year we undertake various initiatives with the consumer and businesses in mind, from consumer conferences to pushchair MOT tests. We organise displays at events such as Devon County Show and give a number of talks to consumer organisations and business groups. We also provide some training opportunities for local businesses.

• Protecting Your Interests

The service runs a number of projects designed to protect and promote the interests of consumers in Devon. One of these is the Consumer Watch Scheme. This scheme asks you to act as our 'eyes and ears' in the community. For more information on the Consumer Watch Scheme, please click on the logo below.

Product Safety

Goods that are sold or hired must be safe. There are detailed safety requirements for many products such as toys, furniture and electrical goods. We will advise businesses on their legal obligations to help them get things right first time. We make spot checks at manufacturing, wholesale and retail premises and we also buy goods and services so that we can identify potential dangers and stop their supply.

Fair Trading

• Description

We make sure that descriptions are true and accurate for all goods and services – from car mileage readings to holiday brochures. We will advise local businesses on their advertising and promotional material prior to publication.

• Counterfeiting

Every year we seize large quantities of pirate goods including videos, audio-tapes, perfumes and sportswear. Counterfeit goods are often of inferior quality and, if they are faulty, you are unlikely to be able to obtain a refund.

• Credit and Hire

We check advertisements and agreements for compliance with the legislation.

• Prices

We ensure that (where required) goods and services have their prices clearly displayed and that special offers and reductions are genuine.

Targets and Performance

We continue to use inspection as a means of supporting businesses with advice and assistance and protecting consumers from unfair trading practices. Key inspection targets and achievements are shown below.

 

		Consumer Satisfaction	Business Satisfaction	All High Risk Premises Inspected	Medium Risk Food Premises Inspected	Critical Control Points Livestock
2006 - 07	Total Target Achieved	n/a *75% *87%	n/a *75% *92%	281 100% 100%	1964 25% 52%	571 100% 100%
2005 - 06	Total Target Achieved	n/a *75% *89%	n/a *75% *90%	310 100% 100%	2415 50% 58%	744 100% 100%
2004 - 05	Total Target Achieved			377 100% 98%	2300 50% 45%	687 100% 100%
2003 - 04	Total Target Achieved			494 100% 100%	1926 50% 48%	366 100% 100%

*These are Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) figures which have only been measured in this format since 2005.

 

Key Priorities for the Trading Standards Service in 2007/08

 To carry out a range of initiatives in the following six areas. Each of these areas will be covered by an annual Action Plan:-

 1.    Local Business Support: including CustomerFirst (an assured trader scheme designed to promote the highest standards of trading in Devon), a new Code of Practice for Car Boot Sale organisers and Local Business Partnerships

 2.     ScamWise: focussing on the problems of doorstep crimes and mass scams

3.       Healthy and Local Food: which will include various measures designed to encourage healthy eating and promote local food sources.

4.       Local Business and the Environment: which, in particular, will incorporate measures looking at minimising the packaging on products and at energy efficiency labelling.

5.        Age Restricted Products: enforcement, advice and educational measures across a range of age restricted products such as alcohol, tobacco, solvents and knives.

 6.      Service Delivery and Improvement: supporting continuous improvement in the quality and delivery of Devon’s Trading Standards Service functions.

  

Other Targets

We also aim to:

• Answer all published telephone lines within 5 rings

• Return all voicemail and answer-phone messages within one working day*
(*This does not apply where the recording provides an alternative number for important messages).

• Respond to all enquiries within 5 working days either with a full answer or details of what is being done and by whom. If you wish we will then keep you informed of our progress at a frequency to be agreed.

	2006-07	2005-06	2004-05	2003-04
Response times for complaints and requests for service (days)	5	5	5	5
% responses within target times	98.2	99	98.9	99.7

 

Other Facts and Figures

In the twelve months up to 31/3/2007 we handled 7492 enquiries from Devon businesses, including 4673 requests for advice and assistance from the farming community.

Consultation and what you told us

We try to shape our service to reflect the needs of the people who live and operate businesses in Devon. We target those trade sectors that generate most complaints each year and we invite comment on our service delivery in a variety of ways including engagement with consumer representatives (Consumer Watch Scheme) and businesses (Local Business Partnerships). We welcome all feedback and queries on the way our services are delivered and will take account of your suggestions in future planning. For example our CustomerFirst project was developed following a suggestion from a butcher in Barnstaple that there should be some form of recognition for businesses who are striving to ensure that they are complying with Trading Standards Legislation.  See more about this project on our CustomerFirst pages.

Please contact us.

What We Cost

The total annual cost of our Service to the people of Devon in 2005/06 was £3.12 per head of population compared with and English Counties Trading Standards average cost per person of £3.28, (published CIPFA figures for 2005/06 – total net expenditure including capital charges).  

Satisfied with our Service?

All visits from our officers to trade premises result in a hand written report of findings being left at the premises. Included is a satisfaction questionnaire and traders have the opportunity to comment on the standard of service provided. Results for the year 2006/2007 were positive with 92% expressing satisfaction with their visit.

Our advice centre is monitored for quality on a monthly basis via a questionnaire sent to our users. Results and comments are generally very good with 87% of users finding the advisors polite and 92% helpful in April 2006 – March 2007 report. Overall, 90% were 'satisfied' with the service.

The main area of concern is public perception of the role of trading standards. One quarter of callers believe that we will pursue all complaints on their behalf. Whilst we will investigate infringements of criminal consumer law, our role in respect of civil law breaches is to advise consumers of their legal rights and obligations and inform you of any action you can take, to assist you to resolve any dispute yourself. To find out more about what we can and cannot do for you, see this extract from our Advice Policy.

Copyright © Devon County Council Trading Standards Service 2002
Disclaimer | last updated 30th October 2007