Local Authority Capacity and Capability research
Local Authority Capacity and Capability: Glossary
Glossary for the Local Authority Capacity and Capability research report.
- ACTSO: Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers (Professional leadership for Trading Standards from Local Authority). ACTSO operates in England and Wales.
- ACEHO: Association of Chief Environmental Health Officers. A body representing Professional Leadership for Environmental Health from Local Government. ACEHO operates in England.
- Apprenticeships: an apprenticeship is employment with training in a recognised occupation, involving both on and off the job training and an independent end-point assessment. Mentions of apprenticeships in this report also refer to a trainee course undertaken by students already working within the field, allowing them to train and gain skills alongside their regular job roles. Apprenticeships include:
- RCO - Regulatory Compliance Officer apprenticeship Level 4
- TSP - Trading Standards Practitioner Professional Apprenticeship Level 6
- EHP - Environmental Health Practitioner Apprenticeship Level 6
- Competent Authority (CA): has the meaning as defined in Article 3(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 to mean the Competent Authority responsible for the performance of official controls and of other official activities, in accordance with that Regulation and the rules referred to in Article 1(2).
- For the purposes of the report, the FSA hold oversight and organisation of the official food and feed controls and the policy for most activities in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. The FSA have official control delivery responsibilities at specific approved premises. Local/Port Health Authorities are competent authorities for the purpose of delivery of official food and feed controls at food and feed premises which the FSA do not have jurisdiction in.
- CIEH: Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (Recognised professional membership body for the Environmental Health Profession). CIEH operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Competency Framework - The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Competency Framework is designed to set a consistent standard that applies to all food and feed controls that are within the FSA’s responsibility as the competent authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are delivered by Local/Port Health Authorities, the FSA and FSA delivery partners.
- CPD: Continuing Professional Development. This is learning undertaken by professionals to increase their knowledge, understanding and experience relevant to a subject area or role. This may be required by a professional body, employer or the Food Law Code of Practice.
- CTSI: Chartered Trading Standards Institute (Recognised professional membership body for the Trading Standards profession). CTSI operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Distance learning: Lectures and seminars conducted virtually (such as through Zoom or MS Teams), allowing students to learn from home, without the need to attend universities or colleges in person.
- Early careers staff: People new to Environmental Health and Trading Standards professions and embarking on their careers, particularly in local authorities. This includes trainees, apprentices, recent graduates from relevant courses, and those completing their initial professional qualifications and competencies.
- Education pathways: Different routes to gaining qualifications relevant for Environmental Health and Trading Standards professions.
- Feed Law Code of Practice (FeLCoP): The Feed Law Code of Practice sets out instructions and criteria to which local authorities must have regard when discharging their duties concerning the delivery of official feed controls and other official activities.
- Food Law Code of Practice (FLCoP): The Food Law Code of Practice sets out instructions and criteria to which local authorities must have regard when discharging their duties concerning the delivery of official food controls and other official activities.
- LA: refers to Local Authority(s): organisations which are responsible for local public services and facilities in a particular regional area/locality. This includes the different types of local authorities: county councils, district, borough or city councils, unitary authorities, London boroughs, and metropolitan boroughs.
- LGA: Local Government Association (membership body for Local Authorities). LGA is a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government.
- Official food and feed controls: activities performed by the competent authorities in order to verify compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules.
- Purposive sampling: a group of non-probability sampling techniques in which units are selected because they have characteristics that you need in your sample.
- Smarter Communications: The digital communication system used by the FSA to send official communications to local authorities.
- Snowball sampling: a non-probability sampling technique in which the samples have rare traits. This is a sampling technique in which existing subjects provide referrals to recruit samples required for a research study.
- Suitably/ appropriately qualified and experienced officers: officers who meet the qualifications and experience requirements set out in the Food and Feed Law Codes of Practice.