Food Hygene in the City Transformed.

Traders in Wolverhampton have praised the council’s food hygiene team following a major transformation of the service.
Councillor Phil Bateman added " This information is good news, it means that people can purchase at these places confident in the standards of food being sold."

Wolverhampton City Council’s food safety service has been redesigned with the primary focus on working better together with businesses to maintain or improve standards.

This work was undertaken as part of the authority’s participation in Systems Thinking, which looks to make services more efficient.

A review of the food service, which included consulting with the trade, looked at the traditional inspection process and the relationship between officers and business owners.

Among the findings from this review was that, traditionally, food operators found inspections intimidating and resulted in them either clamming up or giving false answers.

But the service has been remodelled with an emphasis being placed on supporting traders and working with them to meet necessary requirements, rather than focusing on contraventions.

Other aspects of the new look service include improved communication and contact with traders, a reduction in administrative tasks that add no value to food operators and giving credit for those businesses that improve.

The service will also be moving away from the existing ‘Scores on the Doors’ rating system towards a scheme that better rewards food businesses for making improvements.

Officers have also stopped wearing the white coat and hat uniform when going on site visits.

And this new way of working has found favour with food business owners across the city.

Muhammed Ali Akbar, Manager at The Baburchi Restaurant, in Woodend Road, Wednesfield, said: “We now have better relations with the Environmental Health Officers.

“The new way means that the officers get to see what we do as we do it and our staff find the visits easier as they don’t feel as under pressure as they did before.

“Staff don’t feel that they are going to be scrutinised. We want to be told what is wrong and work together to address any problems. By working closer with the officers it feels like we are being advised what to do and not ordered to do something”.

Soreen Ali, Kurdistan Nan Shop, Sweetman Street, Whitmore Reans, said: “The new approach makes me understand the importance of things.

“It has helped to improve my business. I was able to open up and talk to the officers. When they used to come, I used to think they were going to close the business. Now they come to the business to help us.”

Mr John Whitten, from Whitten and Sons Butchers, Upper Green, Tettenhall, said: “The new way is a much better system than before.

“The officers have changed what they wear and it feels a lot less formal, less austere. It no longer feels like they are coming to take me away.

“The officers spend more time having a conversation with me rather than checking reams of paperwork. It is more practical and therefore much better to understand.”

Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for City Services, said: “I am delighted that traders have embraced the transformed food hygiene service.

“We have always been committed to ensure that businesses comply with all requirements and serve up safe food for their customers and this will remain a priority.

“But we have listened to traders and looked at ways in which we can improve our service by working alongside them to ensure we have prosperous, quality food outlets across the city while continuing to meet our duty of care to their customers.