CIEH urges employers to strengthen checks and verify professional registration following fraud case

In response to the recent conviction of a former local authority contractor for 13 fraud offences and one offence of misconduct in public office connected to food safety inspections, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is issuing advice for employers and highlighting the importance of professional registration.

Jon Buttolph, CIEH Executive Director of Professional Standards, said:

“When a council appoints someone to inspect food businesses, it places considerable trust in that person. Their decisions affect public health, the reputation and livelihood of businesses, and confidence in the food hygiene rating system.

“That trust was abused in this case, where a former contractor claimed to have completed 13 food hygiene inspections that never took place. She issued reports and awarded ratings, supported by documents containing forged signatures.

“The council’s own Environmental Health staff spotted concerns within weeks. Their alertness allowed the council to investigate, end the contractor’s appointment and revisit all 13 businesses so that genuine inspections could be completed.

“The case should make every employer of food safety professionals look closely at its own recruitment and checking processes. I recognise the pressure many food teams are under. Vacancies can be difficult to fill, and contractors are often brought in because work needs to be done quickly. But the need to fill a gap cannot weaken the checks made before someone is trusted to carry out regulatory work.

“Food authorities must ensure that officers are appropriately qualified, competent and authorised for the duties they undertake. An agency, CV or supplied reference cannot make that decision for them.”

Five checks employers should make

“Before an employee or contractor begins carrying out food safety inspections, employers should:
• confirm the applicant’s identity
• verify qualifications with the awarding body and obtain references directly from previous employers
• assess the person’s competence for the specific food law enforcement activities they will undertake
• check any claimed professional registration against the relevant register
• set out the person’s responsibilities and level of authorisation, with suitable supervision and checks on their work.

“These are not formalities and are vital to protecting the public and food businesses.”

Where professional registration fits

“Some of the discussion around this case has focused on membership of a professional body. Membership and professional registration are related, but they are not the same.

“Anyone with a relevant qualification can be a CIEH member. All members are bound by our Code of Ethics and fitness-to-practise rules. Registration is reserved for members who have successfully completed one of our professional pathways. Professional registration provides a public record of the professional requirements an individual has met and the type of registration they hold.

“Someone with current CIEH professional registration must maintain the appropriate membership grade, keep their knowledge and skills up to date through continuing professional development, and continue to meet CIEH’s professional and ethical requirements. Employers can check that status directly through our online Professional Register rather than relying on information supplied by the applicant. CIEH will always be happy to confirm any individual’s membership and registration status.

“Registration does not predict how someone will behave, and it does not automatically authorise them to undertake every kind of food law enforcement activity (although our food and EHP pathways are mapped to the Food Standards Agency's Food Law Code of Practise). The employer must still decide what the individual is competent to do, authorise them accordingly and supervise their work.

“I would encourage every employer of Environmental Health professionals to make checking any claimed professional registration a routine part of recruitment and contractor onboarding. Registration should also be checked periodically, as professional status can change.

“Employers can strengthen standards further by supporting eligible staff to join CIEH, achieve professional registration and maintain their competence through CPD.

“As with any profession, no register can eliminate the risk of deliberate misconduct. Employers should nevertheless use every credible check available when appointing people to positions of public trust. Checking professional registration should be one of them.

“In the recent case, the staff member was not a member of CIEH and does not appear to be on any professional register. If they had been, CIEH would have been able to initiate its own fitness to practise processes, which may have resulted in both their membership and registration being removed if misconduct was proven.”

Support your employees to achieve Professional Registration: https://www.cieh.org/professional-development/professional-registration/