No scrutiny of trading standards by PAC after NAO report so CTSI announce new workforce survey In this feature l delay l PAC l Audit Scotland Striving to be heard CTSI is determined to get the government to recognise and take action on the challenges facing trading standards, as Ben richards explains D espite it being 10 months since the patchwork quilt coverage of consumer protection was officially recognised, CTSI is still striving to prove the worth of trading standards. The government promised to scrutinise the National Audit Offices (NAO) findings. Yet, it has now confirmed the public accounts committee (PAC) will not look at the auditors findings this year if at all. Coupled with the expectation that services in Scotland are unlikely to be restructured, it is a bitter blow. But we refuse to give up. A new workforce survey last carried out in 2016 is being sent out this month to show the value of trading standards to consumers and businesses, and to help shape debates around the future of the trading standards profession. Lack of government engagement Few services are able to deal with the full demand of consumer harm Our decision to repeat the workforce survey comes in part as a reaction to the news that PAC has no plans to consider the NAOs report Protecting consumers from scams, unfair trading and unsafe goods which looked at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategys responsibilities within consumer protection. The report presented conclusions that many frontline officers know only too well that consumer protection is increasingly based on a patchwork of services, with few able to deal with either the full demand of consumer harm, or regional and national issues. A PAC inquiry into the report would have been likely to reinforce the recommendations to the government on how to resolve the issues identified by the NAO. This would have set in motion a government response to the findings and recommendations, in the form of a Treasury minute. This would have been significant. While there have been a number ofreviews of trading standards and specific subject areas, the government has no stated policy on how trading standards in English local authorities will be adapted to face resource restraints and 21st century issues. the Scottish problem As far back as 2002, Audit Scotland warned of the demise of Scottish trading standards services, and its most recent report Protecting consumers triggered a national strategic review of the entire system of delivery. The conclusion of this review is imminent, with a report expected to be presented to council leaders at umbrella organisation, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). Against a backdrop of continual review, declining budgets and retiring colleagues who are not replaced, rank and file officers arent holding their breath in anticipation of more investment, or the regional or national restructure of trading standards that is required. It is crucial that we maintain our focus on the underlying challenges facing the service Making ourselves heard In both cases, it is crucial that over the autumn and winter we maintain our focus on the underlying challenges facing the service. We cannot afford to play a waiting game, hoping that the machinery of central government will turn its attention eventually to the challenges facing the trading standards service. As a profession, it is often difficult to get our voice heard because there are a huge number of other issues facing decision-makers at all levels. However, our expertise on the frontline operations of trading standards is often valued in discussions. The aim of the survey this year alongside previously assessed figures on budgets is to focus on the skills base that trading standards can currently deploy. This is to highlight in more detail the resource thatthe profession has when protecting consumers and advising localbusinesses. As with previous surveys, all responses will be anonymised, as we aim to reflect the national and regional picture of trading standards to policymakers, rather than single-out the challenging decisions made by individual authorities. By supplying us with evidence of the work trading standards do and where there are seismic gaps the workforce survey will help us continue to maintain the pressure to keep trading standards issues relevant. The workforce survey will be sent to heads of service in the first week of October, with expected completion by the beginning of December. Please make sure your survey is completed and sent back in time. It really will help us to gather concrete evidence of the work and challenges the service is currently facing, and allow us to apply more pressure to get the action we urgently need. Credits Ben Richards is CTSIs campaigns and policy executive. Images: iStock.com / GeorgePeters To share this page, in the toolbar click on You might also like TS Review, August 2016, Skeleton staff, page 20.