Audits of Local Authorities
All Local Authorities across the UK are subject to the audit process, with the FSA in England, Wales and Northern Ireland co-ordinating their own audit programme.
Audit General Documents
Audit of Enforcement Authorities - Audit Charter ( FSS/ENF/18/001)
Audit of Enforcement Authorities - Audit Programme 2019-2020 (FSS/ENF/19/012)
Independent Scrutiny of the Local Authority Audit Process
Indepedent Scrutiny of the Audit Process Report - May 2019
Audit Operational Documents
Auditor Competency Document
Flow Chart - Audit of the Delivery of Official Controls
Local Authority Advice Notes
Internal Monitoring Guidance (Enforcement Letter - FSS/ENF/17/010 - March 2017)
Root Cause Analysis Advice - July 2018
Focussed Audits
Capacity and Capability Audit
Capacity and Capability Audit - Audit Brief and Plan (FSS/ENF/16/014)
Capacity and Capability Checklists - Regulation (EU) 2017/625
Audits of local authorities’ food law enforcement services are part of Food Standards Scotland arrangements to improve consumer protection and confidence in relation to food. The enforcement of UK food law relating to food safety, hygiene, composition, labelling and imported food is largely the responsibility of local authorities across the UK.
The current programme of audits focus on the authority’s capacity and capability for delivering official controls. The audit process assess the local authority’s arrangements for meeting certain operational criteria, particularly on staffing related issues, registration and approval of food business operators, enforcement actions, interventions, procedures for carrying out official controls and transparency about enforcement activities.
Colour-coded assurance outcome categories were added to the audit process in Scotland to make our assessment easier to interpret. Green and yellow categories are ‘Substantial Assurance’, with robust and well-managed controls, and ‘Reasonable Assurance’, with adequate controls, respectively. Amber and red categories are ‘Limited Assurance’ and ‘Insufficient Assurance’ for weak, and notably weak controls respectively.
Following the audit, local authorities are expected to draft an action plan and implement time-bound corrective and preventative action to address any weaknesses identified, and support any necessary improvement.
Capacity and Capability Audit - 767 Scottish Borders Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 774 Falkirk Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 778 Inverclyde Council (No Action Plan - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 766 South Ayrshire Council - (No Action Plan - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 786 Perth and Kinross Council - (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 781 East Lothian Council (No Action Plan - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 784 Moray Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 763 Argyll and Bute Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 789 Shetland Islands Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 779 North Lanarkshire Council (Action Plan Completed - Closed)
Capacity and Capability Audit - 785 Orkney Islands Council
Capacity and Capabilty Audit - 773 City of Edinburgh Council
Capacity and Capability - 775 - Fife Council
Capacity and Capability - 769 - West Dunbartonshire Council (No Action Plan - Closed)
Capacity and Capability - 777 - Highland Council
Sampling Activity Audit
Enforcement Letter - FSS/ENF/19/016
Audit Brief and Plan (FSS/ENF/19/016)
Questionnaire (FSS/ENF/19/016)
Audit - Sampling Audit - Checklist - Draft September 2019
Sampling Activity Audit Report - FSS/ENF/20/004
Other Audit programmes
Food Standards Scotland work with other organisations to deliver official controls. These areas of work are also periodically audited.
2012 Audits:
2014 Audits:
Audit of the Delivery of Official Controls for the Sampling of Shellfish - HallMark Meat Hygiene Ltd - June 2014 - Closed
Email the Audit team at LAaudit@fss.scot for further information.
Local Authorities
Do you have a question about FHIS or a food business? Please get in touch with your local authority