Corporate Aims

1. Maximising life opportunities

Provision of consumer advice service.

Educational projects including Lifesmart Educational Package for Schools and Junior Citizen Competition.

2. Stewardship of the environment

Environmental safety projects (e.g. petroleum and explosives).

Work on asbestos surveys and testing.

Landfill site monitoring.

Legionella and microbiological work.

Campaigns regarding environmentally friendly consumer packaging.

Animal welfare and movement monitoring.

3. Achieving economic prosperity

Ensuring fair trade within Hampshire.

Buy with confidence scheme.

Providing support and advice on best practices to Hampshire businesses.

4. Building strong and safety communities

Food and product safety projects.

Community focused projects including

protecting the vulnerable (door step sales and `Safe and Sound' booklet for the elderly; electric blanket testing; checking safety of child car seats).

5. Improving services

Externally accredited quality management systems (meeting standards BS EN ISO/IEC 17025, EN 45004 and BS ISO 9001 as appropriate to specific service). Investors in People. Community Legal Services Quality Mark for Telephone Services achieved by Advice Service. Participation in various South East Trading Standards Authorities (SETSA) inter-authority peer auditing (e.g. quality systems, NAWI, Food Standards, Enforcement Concordat).

6. Developing councillors and staff

Various mechanisms exist for consulting with staff. (EFQM)

Staff skills and competency system developed. Achieved IIP status. (EFQM)

Skilled and knowledgeable staff (Staff Focus Groups)

Key Strategies

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Where are we now

Actions for Improvement

Corporate

Aims

Options

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1. Vision

· Informed and confident consumers

1, 3, 4, 5

Options 2 and 3

Well established service planning process in place. (Comparison)

High level of satisfaction of consumers using the service (Citizen's Panel)

Hampshire's high level of food sampling is seen as `excellent' by Food Standards Agency. (Challenge)

Good examples of innovation: Buy with Confidence Scheme; Lifesmart; Door step sales book. (Comparison; Challenge)

Range and effectiveness of Trading Standards projects and service delivery methods compare well against other leading authorities Comparison)

Strong support for Advice, Business Support, Community and Education Services - seen as essential not discretionary services. (Challenge)

Service plans and priorities have not incorporated feedback from consultation with stakeholders/customers. (Comparison; EFQM)

Low level of awareness of Trading Standards Service (Citizen's Panel 2002 - 41% not aware of service. However, this is an improvement of 12% compared to 2000 Citizens Panel)

Better promotion of web-site needed. (Challenge)

Advisory service not used by 16-24 age group. (Citizens Panel; Challenge)

Implement consultation strategy as part of service planning cycle. Build feedback into service planning cycle and setting priorities for projects.

Raise public awareness of the Trading Standards Service generally and web-site.

Develop advice and information services to reach young people (16-24 age group).

Develop Lifesmart Educational Package to key stage two (8 to 11 year olds).

Further develop projects focusing on the `vulnerable' in society.

Key Strategies

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Where are we now

Actions for Improvement

Corporate

Aims

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· Support for business and target rogue traders

3, 4, 5

Option 3

High level of satisfaction of Hampshire businesses (Miller Associate Survey)

Buy with Confidence Scheme.

Strong links with Home Authority companies.

Enforcement policy in place.

Reactive approach to dealing with consumer enquiries uses majority of resources. (Comparison)

Consider change to intelligence-led enforcement to better target priority areas.

· Service accessibility and responsive-ness

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Option 2

Businesses found Trading Standards `approachable and helpful' (Miller Associate Survey)

Services demonstrate effective and timely responsiveness to external drivers for change, e.g. legislation, Government requirements. (EFQM)

Projects focusing on vulnerable groups (Door step sales, Buy with Confidence scheme). (Comparison)

Consumers have expressed difficulty in accessing telephone advice service. (Advice Survey)

Limited work carried out in regard to identifying `hard to reach' groups. (EFQM; Equalities Assessment)

Monitor performance of new Q-Call Software for Advice Service.

Develop means for communicating with `hard to reach' groups.

Key Strategies

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Actions for Improvement

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Aims

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· Working with others

1, 3, 4, 5

Options 2 and 4

Services seen as `leading light' and `national experts' by Government departments (Challenge)

Hampshire-Kent Scientific Service Partnership seen as good example (Challenge; EFQM)

Several effective partnerships in place (e.g. SETSA, Consumer Support Network, Age Concern, Social Services) (EFQM)

No mechanisms exist to review and enhance partnership working. (EFQM; Compete)

Partnership working with other private laboratories has not been explored beyond subcontracting. (Challenge, Compete)

Develop and enhance partnership working for all services.

In particular, investigate potential for working with private laboratories in regard to Public Analyst and other laboratory work.

· Access to the best Public Analyst and scientific services to meet County Council requirements.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Option 4

Scientific Service priorities based on customer needs. (Challenge; Consultation)

Service valued by customers for its impartiality, quality of reports and professionalism of scientific advice (Challenge)

Proven competitiveness through holding 25+ appointments as Public Analyst. (Compete)

Support for retention of in-house laboratory. (Challenge)

Laboratory needs to speed up delivery times and provide balanced portfolio of tests. (Challenge)

Retain in-house Scientific Service and review portfolio of tests, concentrating on areas of expertise.

Improve delivery times to meet customer requirements.

Develop more arrangements for partnership working as proposed above.

Key Strategies

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Where are we now

Actions for Improvement

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Aims

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2. Finance / Efficiency

5

Options 2, 3 and 4

Trading Standards service costs £2.23 per head of population and is within the lowest quartile (National average for English counties is £2.51). (Comparison)

Hampshire carries out inspections of 90% of its high risk premises - County National Average is 41%.

Planned service objectives (financial and non-financial) are consistently achieved. (EFQM)

Hampshire has a high level of food sampling. (Challenge; Comparison)

Scientific Service's delivery times no longer meet customer needs. (Customer Review; Staff Focus Groups)

Systems and procedures could be further streamlined to improve efficiency. (EFQM)

Reduce food sampling budget by 10% (releasing £30,000 p.a.) but maintain level of food sampling.

Improve in-house Scientific Service delivery times.

Streamline systems and procedures to speed delivery and improve efficiency.

3. Innovation and Performance Standards

5, 6

Options 2 and 4

Range and effectiveness of Trading Standards projects and service delivery methods compare well against other leading authorities and private organisations (Comparison)

Consistently favourable outcomes from external assessments carried out by UKAS, BSI, Community Legal Services, Food Standards Agency, peer reviews by other local authorities (Staff Focus Groups)

Prior to Best Value Review, limited benchmarking carried out against other authorities/organisations. (EFQM)

Limited use made of performance measures and a more systematic approach is needed. (EFQM)

Innovation and creativity essential to service development - need for more staff involvement. (EFQM)

Incorporate benchmarking into service planning cycle.

Develop a more systematic approach to performance management and use of performance indicators (e.g. as part of National Performance Framework requirements)

Continue use of EFQM self assessment to monitor improvement.

Key Strategies

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Actions for Improvement

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Aims

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3. Innovation and Performance Standards continued ....

Consistently good results from external proficiency trials (Staff Focus Groups)

Develop mechanisms for staff involvement in generating creativity/innovation.

Retain in-house Scientific Service and review portfolio of tests, concentrating on areas of expertise.

4. Sustainability

2, 5

Options 2 and 5

Reviewed and included as part of the P,B&R Sustainable Development Action Plan.

Acquisition of environment friendly Weighbridge Test Unit.

Flexible working arrangements. (Staff focus groups; Equalities Assessment)

See also e-Government proposals.

Develop more flexible working practices.

5. Equalities

1, 2, 4, 5, 6

Options 2, 5 and 6

PB&R Action Plan, regularly monitored and revised.

PDR staff survey and staff focus groups held.

Staff training in equalities issues, eg race awareness, Languageline.

New corporate systems to be implemented (SAP Recruitment Module) that will provide staff profile data and improved recruitment monitoring.

Local equalities action plan compiled from Equalities Assessment.

Relatively low staff awareness from PDR Survey (45% aware of equalities issues).

Equalities issues not yet included in consultation with stakeholders (users, non-users customers).

Hard to reach groups not yet reviewed.

Potential for more positive action in regard to minority groups in recruitment process.

Implement Local Equalities Action Plan arising from Equalities Assessment Report.

Key Strategies

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Aims

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6. E-Government

2, 5

Options 2 and 5

Well developed web-site.

Improvements are being implemented for Advice Service Call Handling system - new Q-call software installation.

Electronic reporting to some Scientific Service customers.

IT development/action plan in place.

Low awareness of web-site among Hampshire Businesses and the public (although number of hits are steadily increasing).

Increase awareness of web-site.

Develop use of e-government for facilitating partnership working.

Improve electronic document control systems. Gradually replace paper systems where appropriate.

7. Crime and Disorder

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Options 2, 3 and 5

Buy with Confidence (BWC) scheme to promote good business and marginalise cowboy traders. Linked to Age Concern to signpost reliable tradesmen.

Officer working on new HCC duty to enforce law under-age sale of alcohol - liaising with Police Licensing Officers.

Safe and Sound booklet produced advising elderly and vulnerable on doorstep scams.

12,000 copies distributed via: wide variety of agencies. including 1500 delivered direct to the housebound.

Limited staff resources to keep up with demand to expand BWC scheme plus carry out re-audits on existing members. Temp 6 month secondment to assist.

Limited resources to enforce new duty to prevent sale of alcohol to under-age. New 12 temp post created to assist with this work.

Also limited resources (0.5 FTE) to progress the New Milton Doorstep Scheme, which could be rolled out across the county.

See Option 3 and proposal for new full-time officer to work on projects relating to the vulnerable in society.

See Option 3 and proposal for new full-time officer to work on projects relating to the vulnerable in society.

Key Strategies

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Where are we now

Actions for Improvement

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7. Crime and Disorder continued ...

Contact with all Community Safety Partnerships to advise on Trading Standards Role.

Links with the Police relating to Community Safety and Distraction Burglary Conference

New Milton Doorstep scheme developed in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch and Police.

Enforcement of Trading Standards law in relation to criminal activities eg car related crime; counterfeiting; copyright and trade marks; misleading prices and credit; unfair trading.