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.