Audit & Monitoring

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 2016-2019 (FSS/ENF/16/009)

Audit Operational Documents

Auditor Competency Document

Flow Chart - Audit of the Delivery of Official Controls

Audit Process

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 Audit Checklist

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

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

Capacity and Capability Audit - 763 Argyll and Bute Council

Capacity and Capability Audit - 789 Shetland Islands Council

Capacity and Capability Audit - 779 North Lanarkshire Council

Capacity and Capability Audit - 785 Orkney Islands Council

Other Audit programmes

Food Standards Scotland work with other organisations to deliver official controls. These areas of work are also periodically audited.

2012 Audits:

Audit of the Delivery of Primary Production of Food and Feed Official Controls - Scottish Government: Directorate for Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities: Rural Payments and Inspections Division - Dec 2012 - Closed

2014 Audits:

Audit of the Delivery of Official Controls for the Sampling of Shellfish - HallMark Meat Hygiene Ltd - June 2014 - Closed

Audit of the Delivery of Official Controls for the Sampling of Shellfish - Operations (Scotland) - June 2014

Email the Audit team at LAaudit@fss.scot for further information.