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Enforcement
A Community Safety enforcement policy has been in operation for
a number of years. A complete revision of the policy was necessary
to recognise changes in functions, legislation and policy and to
meet the needs and expectations of both the public and
businesses.
Good enforcement brings benefits to businesses, consumers and
enforcers. The Community Safety Service has been working to realise
these benefits by adopting the Enforcement Concordat. The Concordat
is a voluntary code of practice. It sets out best practice in six
principles. In reviewing our policy we have built in the six
principles of:
- Standards
- Openness
- Helpfulness
- Complaints about service
- Proportionality
- Consistency
Outcomes of consultation
When the policy was reviewed a total of just over 330
individuals and groups were invited to comment on the redrafted
policy. Redbridge businesses were the main group identified as
likely to be affected by the policy and around 200 were
included.
Comments were invited within a framework of specific questions.
The main findings:
- The majority of respondents considered information is provided
in plain language on the rules that the Community Safety Service
applies.
- The majority of respondents considered the policy sufficiently
detailed.
- The majority of respondents considered the policy helpful.
- Around one third of respondents considered the policy would
assist with fair, practical and consistent enforcement. Two thirds
considered it would have limited or minimal impact.
- The majority of respondents considered the policy provides
sufficient information about the Community Safety Service approach
to enforcement and the options available to enforcement
officers.
All suggestions generated by the consultation were considered
and were appropriate incorporated into the revised policy. Extra
information on the types of enforcement work undertaken was
included together with opening remarks at the start of the document
to set the context. The layout of the document was also adjusted to
make it easier to read.
The Community Safety Service recognises that the final policy
document is long as it covers a complex mixture of differing
services. There is also recognition that the boundaries between the
various options to enforcement officers are not always going to be
clear and will depend on the individual circumstances.
The Community Safety Service approach to enforcement
The Community Safety Service has a partnership approach to
enforcement with enforcers and businesses working together to
achieve regulatory compliance. This approach helps businesses to
understand and meet responsibilities more easily and the
achievement of higher levels of compliance. When we are able
to focus our resources on businesses who persistently break the
law, law-abiding businesses can compete on more equal terms.
Helping businesses to comply with regulations and to meet their
legal duties is our goal. However, we recognise that we must be
able to take immediate action, when necessary, to protect the
public or the environment and preserve fair competition.
The Enforcement Policy document gives greater detail on the
Community Safety Service approach to enforcement.