Whether you are running a business, an employee or a member of the public, we are committed to providing you with an efficient, courteous and helpful service. Our environmental health service standards advise how we aim to do that and what standards we will meet.
We deliver services in several areas, including:
- contaminated land
- food safety
- health and safety
- licensing
- permitted processes
- private-sector housing
- public health
- statutory nuisance
How we deliver our services
We make a fundamental contribution to the maintenance and improvement of public health, quality of life and wellbeing. Our aims are to:
- protect the public, businesses and the environment from harm
- support the local economy to grow and prosper
We determine our activities by assessing the needs of local people and our business community, and considering the risks that require addressing. We do this through:
- engaging with landlords through landlord forums and the steering group
- seeking the views of the taxi trade through the Taxi Trade Forum
We will be introducing a customer feedback system. In this way we ensure our resources are targeted appropriately, in the light of these local needs and of national priorities.
We are committed to being transparent in our activities. We measure what is important and we publish a range of information about our performance data so that you can see how we are doing. This is available in the operational plan.
We carry out all our activities in a way that supports those we regulate to comply and grow. We:
- ensure that information, guidance and advice is available to help you to meet legal requirements
- carry out inspections and other activities to check compliance with legal requirements, and we target these checks where we believe they are most needed
- deal proportionately with breaches of the law as set out in our Enforcement Policy, including taking firm enforcement action when necessary
- provide a range of services to businesses, including pest control, registration of food businesses, issue of licenses, advice to landlords, food business mentoring service
Our services will be delivered in accordance with the requirements of the Regulators’ Code and our enforcement policy.
Working with you
In all your dealings with us you can expect, and will receive, an efficient and professional service. Our officers will:
- be courteous and polite
- always identify themselves by name in dealings with you, and provide you with contact details
- seek to gain an understanding of how your business operates
- provide details of how to discuss any concerns you may have
- agree timescales, expectations and preferred methods of communication with you
- ensure that you are kept informed of progress on any outstanding issues
We recognise that your business will receive advice and inspections from other organisations, and we will do our best to work with them to ensure that you receive the best service.
Helping you to get it right
We want to work with you to help your business be compliant and successful and it is important to us that you feel able to come to us for advice when you need it. We won’t take enforcement action just because you tell us that you have a problem.
We make information and guidance on meeting legal requirements available via our website.
- Food safety and health and safety guidance
- Private-sector housing
- Statutory nuisance including noise
- Licensing including premises and taxis
Where you need advice that is tailored to your particular needs and circumstances we will:
- discuss with you what is required to achieve compliance
- provide advice that supports compliance and that can be relied on
- provide clear advice that can be easily understood and implemented
- distinguish legal requirements from suggested good practice
- ensure that any verbal advice you receive is confirmed in writing if requested
- acknowledge good practice and compliance
We support and will promote arrangements for effective liaison with other authorities and enforcement bodies through schemes such as the primary, home and originating authorities.
Inspections and other compliance visits
We monitor and support compliance in a number of different ways including through inspections, sampling visits, test purchases, advisory visits and complaint investigations.
These visits will always be based on an assessment of risk – we won’t visit without a reason.
We will give you notice that we intend to visit unless we have specific reason to believe that an unannounced visit is more appropriate.
When we visit you our officers will:
- explain the reason and purpose of the visit
- carry their identification card at all times, and present it on request when visiting your premises, and have contact details to verifiy who they are, if necessary
- exercise discretion in front of your customers and staff
- have regard to your approach to compliance, and use this information to inform future interactions with you
- provide information, guidance and advice to support you in meeting your statutory obligations, if required
- provide a written record of the visit
Responding to non-compliance
Where we identify any failure to meet legal obligations, we will respond proportionately, taking account of the circumstances, in line with our enforcement policy.
We deal proportionately with breaches of the law as set out in our enforcement policy, including taking firm enforcement action when necessary.
Where we require you to take action to remedy any failings we will:
- explain the nature of the non-compliance
- discuss what is required to achieve compliance, taking into account your circumstances
- clearly explain any advice, actions required or decisions that we have taken
- agree timescales that are acceptable to both you and us, in relation to any actions required
- provide in writing details of how to appeal against any advice provided, actions required or decisions taken, including any statutory rights to appeal
- explain what will happen next
- keep in touch with you, where required, until the matter is resolved
Requests for our services
We clearly explain the services that we offer, including details of any fees and charges that apply.
In responding to requests for our services, including requests for advice and complaints about breaches of the law, we will:
- acknowledge your request within three working days
- tell you when you can expect a substantive response
- seek to fully understand the nature of your request
- explain what we may or may not be able to do, so that you know what to expect
- keep you informed of progress throughout our involvement
- inform you of the outcome as appropriate
Please be aware that our officers will exercise their judgment to determine whether a more prompt response is required.
Our team
We have a dedicated team of officers who have the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to deliver the services provided. We have arrangements in place to ensure the ongoing professional competency of all officers.
Where specialist knowledge is required in an area outside of our expertise we have arrangements in place, with both neighbouring authorities and other regulatory organisations, to call on additional resources as necessary.
Working with others
We work closely with other council services and our aim is to provide a streamlined service to you.
We are part of a much wider regulatory system in the Cambridge city area. We have good working relationships with other regulators such as planning, building control, antisocial behaviour, public realm, police and public health, this enables us to deliver a more joined up and consistent service. This includes sharing information and data on compliance and risk, where the law allows, to help target regulatory resources.
Our officers are familiar with the work of our partners and can signpost you to the advice and guidance you need.
Having your say
Complaints and appeals
Where we take enforcement action, there is often a statutory right to appeal. We will always tell you about this at the appropriate time.
We are always willing to discuss with you the reasons why we have acted in a particular way, or asked you to act in a particular way.
We manage complaints about our service, or about the conduct of our officers, through our corporate complaints policy.
Feedback
We value input from you to help us ensure our service is meeting your needs. We would like to hear from you whether your experience of us has been good or in need of improvement.
This helps us to ensure we keep doing the right things and make changes where we need to.
We use customer satisfaction surveys from time to time but we would welcome your feedback at any time. Contact us if you want to share any feedback.
Contacting us
We will seek to work with you in the most appropriate way to meet your individual needs. We can make information available in different formats and have access to translation and interpretation services.
If you contact us we will ask you for your name and contact details to enable us to keep in touch with you as the matter progresses.
We treat all contact with the service in confidence unless you have given us permission to share your details with others as part of the matter we are dealing with on your behalf or there is an operational reason why we need to do so.
We will respond to anonymous complaints and enquiries where we judge it appropriate to do so.
We manage personal data in accordance with the details set out on our data protection webpage.
