Noticeboard Gaining ADR approval GOT AN OpINION? We want to hear it. Email tstoday@ tsi.org.uk to add your voice to the discussion. We reserve the right to edit letters. Fees for approving Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) bodies have fallen after the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) agreed to different funding arrangements. It is now around 2,000 for the initial audits and after the removal of subsequent audits there is likely to be very little or no charge for periodic checks on compliance thereafter. CTSI has operated as a competent authority, with powers to approve and audit ADR bodies, since 2015, when charges for approval were up to 6,000 for the first year and 3,000 in the second. It is hoped that the lower costs will encourage local authorityendorsed trader schemes to seek ADR approval. Despite initial interest from a number of local authority-run schemes, these charges proved prohibitive, and no such schemes sought approval. Legislation requires traders to give consumers details of an approved ADR body. The trader is not obliged to use this body, but they must indicate whether they will. ADR is an alternative to the cost-prohibitive process of going through the courts, which discourages many consumers from exercising their rights. If approved trader schemes encourage their members to fully engage with ADR, it is hoped that many more consumers could benefitfrom the legislation. At Conference this June, CTSI will launch detailed guidance on how to gain ADR approval. Information is also available by email. new ambassador for London Trading Standards Consumer campaigner and former BBC Watchdog presenter Lynn Faulds Wood has agreed to act as an ambassador for London Trading Standards (LTS). Steve Playle, spokesperson for LTS, said: She has been a great supporter of trading standards for many years, and recognises the work that we increased protection for new home buyers do to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for legitimate businesses. Faulds Wood said: I know how important it is to have trading standards officers working in our communities. Im delighted to support the work of London Trading Standards whenever I can. CTSI has approved the Consumer Code for New Homes (CCNH), which establishes mandatory requirements that will apply to all developers registered with it. The codes aim is to ensure that best practice is followed in the marketing, selling and purchasing of new homes. It also sets high standards for after-sales customer service, and will offer genuine protection for people who buy new-build properties. Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders which has joined the code said: At a time when there is immense pressure on housebuilders to increase their delivery of new homes, its imperative that the drive to increase numbers does not lead to a reduction in quality. The code will give consumers extra reassurance that if buying a home from one of our members they will be fully protected, from pre-purchase to several years after they have moved in. Training: register your interest online CTSI is taking bookings for its November 2017 exams. Anyone who is interested can register on CTSIs website. The deadline for registrations is 1 September 2017, and students taking exams this November are also encouraged to book their training courses as soon as possible. There are several courses available on CTSIs website, including modules for Core Skills in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards, and the Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards. There are also practical and oral preparation courses. New chair elected for CTSI Scottish branch Adam Gaunt (left), new chair of CTSI Scottish branch, with new vice-chair Chris Bell, from Edinburgh City Council Adam Gaunt, from Fife Trading Standards, has been elected as chair of the Scottish branch of CTSI. He succeeds Veronica McGinley, who was chair for two years. Gaunt has held a number of positions in the CTSI Scottish branch, including conference director and vice-chair. He was seconded to the Office of Fair Trading now the Competition and Markets Authority for a stint as an assistant representative, based in Edinburgh, but has more recently been involved in tackling doorstep crime and illicit trade. He has also helped implement intelligence-led working protocols within Fife Council. I am honoured and delighted to take on the role of chair of the CTSIScottish Branch, said Gaunt. I look forward to representing the interests of branch members during what will be another challenging but exciting year for trading standards professionals. I would like to thank Fife Council and my trading standards colleagues for supporting me in this role. Award for former weights and measures inspector Something to smile about, and much more A former weights and measures inspector, who was the first allied soldier to be killed on D-Day after he landed in Normandy, is to receive a posthumous CTSI hero award. Den Brotheridge landed in France using a glider and led his company to storm the strategically significant Pegasus bridge, which crosses the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy. A film to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings is being released in 2019. The April issue of TS Review should now have landed on your doormats, crammed with the latest views, news and opinions on theprofession. This quarters Continuing Personal Professional Development (CPPD) module is on meeting safeguarding laws during times of austerity. Dont forget to take the test by 23 June to receive your CPPD points. Our revamped Downtime quiz has already received a number of amusing trading standards-related quips. Keep them coming, and you could see them published in the next (July) edition of TS Review. Entries can be sent to tstoday@tsi.org.uk or tsreview@tsi.org.uk The editorial team