Obviously had too much

Having titled my last blog as I need a beer readers could be forgiven for thinking that I had a little too much.  Fear not its just that I've been using LinkedIn (please feel free to connect with me) to see if that would generate more debate and it has.  I will now keep both up to date but here's something updates you might have missed:

Today:


"Join in a which conversation on used cars and make sure that you protect yourself.

What to check when you buy a used car

conversation.which.co.uk

Last year Citizens Advice had 80,000 complaints about used cars. Here's Leon Livermore of Trading Standards to explain why you should ‘check it or regret it’. "

 

30th October

 

Sitting at Lloyd Banking Group for launch of dementia friendly financial charter. Great step forward on protecting most vulnerable in our society. Big congrats to all involved - especially TS colleagues. Special mention for Brian Smith. Well done all

 

25th October

 

Big thanks to all our lead officers. Spent a great day with them yesterday. Their passion and knowledge is self-evident, as is our growing reliance on them. They will be vital for us as we try and get our voice heard. Keep up the good work guys       

 

18th October

 

Its time to stand up and be counted. Yes Local Government is struggling with the impact of the next round of budget reductions and yes they have really difficult decision to make but it does not justify them abdicating responsibility for the smaller parts of their authorities. Whilst it might not be popular to support regulators, without proper regulation that balances the needs of businesses and consumers things deteriorate to the point of failure. Horsemeat or banking anyone? See the latest impact in one authority here: less http://lnkd.in/bhEjMQm        

 

I need a beer

Monday this week got off to a bit of a slow start.  I'd spent the weekend ripping up carpets from the upstairs of the housing and doing some final painting touches.  This meant on Monday morning my legs were stiff to say the least.  Anyway I still dragged myself into the office and enjoyed  a clear day in the office catching up on e-mails and with the team.

On Tuesday I headed down to Bristol for the NTSB meeting.  Of course it was raining when I got to the station; 15 minutes later and very wet I arrived at the meeting.  It turned out to be a really good couple of days.  The first day featured robust discussions on, amongst other things, the role of intelligence in a modern service and how the NTSB can really lead the profession.  Despite the challenges ahead I think we are in good hands.  The Tuesday night saw a nice meal and night out in Bristol a by chance we bumped into the mayor of Bristol.  He was interesting to talk to and certainly had a clear vision for what he wanted his City to be.  Whilst challenging I always think it is better when politicians provide this clarity.

The Wednesday was more of an update day and it gave me a chance to update the board on our work.  I had to rush off home, as I needed to clear the upstairs of as much furniture as possible ready for the carpets on Thursday.

Thursday saw two meetings in London.  One was a good open discussion with Trustmark on the future of approval schemes.  Certainly get the feeling that we can work together and build something that works both from a consumer and business perspective.  The second was a meeting at the Local Government Association, LGA.  It was good to see that the LGA has regulation high up the agenda and there was certainly a challenge put to us about how we can help our members deliver on the LGA vision of 'open for business'.  I shot home again to move some more furniture before dashing back to meet up with the board, ahead of Friday's meeting.

Today's (Friday) meeting saw some really good discussions about what the Institute should prioritise going forward.  We agreed a draft vision and strategy to discuss with council and others going forward.  A busy week but very valuable.

Weekly update

Since coming back from holiday – which itself was a strange experience in Egypt. (We stayed at a wonderful resort with amazing friendly people, but a lack of tourists because of the troubles there.  It’s a shame for the ordinary people, as the resort we stayed in, Sharm, is miles away from the trouble, perfectly safe and they are completely reliant on the tourist money for a living.) – I’ve had a bit of catching up to do including attending last week’s the AGM in Cardiff hosted by our TSI Welsh branch.

This week hasn’t been too full of meetings and has provided a chance to think about the future of the Institute.  In particular we have upcoming board and council meetings.  Whilst it can be occasionally frustrating from a business perspective to have such rigid governance, if we get it right it can add real value and consensus to our work.  It’s not only important that we focus on the right issues but members engage through their council reps.  Council will be looking at some big issues in mid-October, including the future of the profession, our strategic objectives for the next few years and what members want from the Institute- the little stuff! 

Next week the board will be looking at our three year strategic, business and resourcing plan – with a view to wider consultation before hopefully signing off the plan at their December meeting.

A meeting I did attend this was the Consumer Protection Partnership.  This brings together high-level partners to discuss issues impacting on the consumer environment.  Often these types of meetings can feel like process-driven talking shops.  I think that the partnership has been a little like that as it has been finding its feet but I get the sense of a seed change, and a real focus on improved outcomes.

I also spoke at a conference aimed at collection agents and companies.  You could tell just by looking at the delegates which ones had entered the profession via the accountancy route and which ones via the frontline collection route! 

Whilst my job can be stressful my partner’s (Eileen) work as a specialist Macmillan Nurse always gives me a sense of perspective.  We had some good news this week when she was offered a new job – still with in the field of cancer care but a slightly less stressful one. 

One final personal snippet.  I help coach junior cricket within the village.  Last week saw the first Masters v Apprentices match.  I was extremely nervous - we would never have lived it down if the juniors had beaten us.  In the end we did win, with yours truly scoring a useful 31 not out.  Apparently the kids have put it down to the quality of the coaching they receive.

4 months on

I'm sitting at my desk having the made last minute rush of sorting stuff out before heading off on a two week break.  When I come back I would have been at the helm for four months and I'm reflecting on what has been a positive, but hectic period.  There have been a lot of of getting to know people and seeing how our organisations can better work together.  We've seen the launch of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) and continued development of business education. 

Building on strong foundations we are looking to get closer to both our members and services and I've attended a number of regional head of service meetings, as well as meeting with the regional coordinators.

I've spent a lot of time at Parliament, advocating and lobbying for things that really matter to our profession.  Whilst under great financial pressure our profession is still in good health and the work of the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and services up and down the country is a living testament to this.

Looking at the coming four months:

·         we will have moved the national trading standards conversation forward,

·          really shaped the future consumer landscape further through the Consumer Rights Bill,

·         put in place the changes required to move our application for chartered status to the next stage (something that we were asked to do at last year's AGM),

·          developed a new three year strategic and business plan, underpinned by a three year budget,

·         reviewed some of our products, in partnership with the regional groups, to make sure that they are fit for purpose and priced correctly,

·         finalise our proposals for delivering business education

This is all in addition to business as usual.  So looks like the next four months is going to be just as hectic!  The one thing, above all else, that has really pleased me over the first four months is the support that I've had.  It is not just the staff and board, but the army of volunteers that we rely upon – lead officers, stewards at conference etc, politicians (including our wonderful president Baroness Crawley), partners and last, but not least,  our members.  With all those people behind me it feels like we can't fail. 

National Trading Standards Board (NTSB)

I also attended my first NTSB meeting.  Under Lord Harris's chairmanship I was greatly heartened to hear the great work being undertaken by colleagues up and down the country.    Projects as diverse as the illegal money lending team, safety at ports, e-crime and scambusters are having real impact on some of the most vulnerable members of our society.  The way the board have come together over the last year is a real testament to both the leadership of Lord Harris (and David Collinson before him) and the contribution of all who attend.  As the accountable officer to government for the NTSB spend I was also reassured by the level of scrutiny and oversight the board provide

New Chairman

Last week saw me meet with John Peerless, who takes over as Chairman of the Institute from Christine Heemskerk at the AGM in September.  John is a strong character and has always challenged the status quo.  It was a good chance for him to share his thoughts and aspirations for his year in the hot seat.  Clearly he wants to place members at the heart of the Institute, as do I, and the National Trading Standards Conversation provides a real opportunity for us to do this.  The AGM is not too far away now and it will provide a good opportunity to reflect on what has changed and been achieved over the last year, as well as thank Christine for her contribution.

Another leaving do for Ron

I can’t wait until I retire if Ron’s retirement is anything to go by.  Not only does he look really healthy but he had yet another leaving do last week.  I was in Cardiff for the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers (ACTSO) AGM last week.  On the Tuesday they had invited Ron out for dinner as a rightful way of saying thank you for his contribution to our profession.  Guy Pratt chose the venue, which unsurprisingly was a curry house and not a posh one!!!  It was good to share a couple of beers with Ron and catch up with him.  It was also nice for so many colleagues to be there.  I know Ron had a good evening and the food was really good.

Regional co-ordinators

Last week I meet with the trading standards regional coordinators in Cardiff.  As an Institute we recognise that we haven’t had enough engagement with front line services and we need to find a better way of understanding their needs.  The regional networks are assuming greater significance in these austere times and the coordinators group provides an excellent route for us get closer to services.  We had and open and refreshing discussion that included several moans (on both sides!) but a real sense on wanting to work together going forward.  As for next steps the coordinators have agreed to help us get TS Interlink right, both in terms of deliverables and price, and work closely with us on the national trading standards conversation.  A really good meeting in a very warm Cardiff

Post conference and the national conversation

I always seem to be apologising for not keeping my blog more up to date, but our members will be pleased as it is a sign that I’m busy and they are getting their money’s worth out of me.  Obviously post conference there was a fair bit of catching up to do, but not as much as there once was.  Modern technology has made it much easier to keep on top of e-mails – although it is also easier for e-mails to control your life!

Post conference has seen a great focus on the National Trading Standards Conversation and working with the team at Head Office to get that right.  The first independent challenge panel meeting, chaired by Lord Heseltine, went well.  It has certainly set us off in the right direction and you can read the press release at the following link: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/extra/news-item.cfm/newsid/1211

The hard work has really now kicked in and we are designing the enquiry stages of the conversation as we talk.  Watch this space for further details.

Friday, media, home and rest

On Friday I attended a media briefing with members of the motoring press and the Motor Codes offices.  It was a good chance to explore the issues facing consumers in the motoring sector and the role that our approved codes can play.  Once that was done and dusted it was finally time to go home.  Having been away all week it was good to get back home to Eileen (my other half) and Sam and Grace (my two kids) and a bit of peace and quiet.  Although being my birthday weekend there wasn't a huge amount of that!

Thursday

Thursday can be a funny day at conference, as it is the last day, but I thought the idea of a free branch farewell breakfast certainly encouraged a fairly good attendance.  It was also my chance to spend a bit of good quality time in the exhibition and chat to exhibitors.  It's always good to get their feedback to make sure we get our offering right.  I am very pleased by the number already booked for next year under our priority early booking scheme.  The awards were announced for best stands – many congratulations to Surrey County Council and Wragg Bros.  There was also a chance to have some photos on the TSI stand

It was then off to the main auditorium for the final session and presentation of some more hero awards.  Then a quick rush round to thank as many people as possible before heading off to London for the MJ awards.  We co sponsor the award with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and it was real tough competition this year.  I am really pleased for colleagues from Birmingham and the Illegal Money Lending Team for their well deserved award. 

Wednesday

Up bright and early I got to the centre for about 9.  The usual running around checking that everything and everyone was OK, especially given that we had a number of guest sessions on that morning.  A quick catch up with e-mails and it was off to meet some of the panel for the day's plenary session.  Also that morning we were giving out the first set of our hero awards at the start of the session and it was truly humbling to spend some time with them before the session started.  It was also a great pleasure to say a few words about the awards and recipients. 

Once the awards had been handed out there was a quick wiz round the exhibition with Christine Heemskerk to chose the best exhibitor awards before returning for the rest of the plenary debate.  Once the session was over it was a quick thank you to the speakers and Liz Barclay before rushing off to the Holiday Inn for the West Yorkshire lunch, as usual magnificently hosted and sponsored by Status.  Again it was really pleasing to be able to say a few words about the continued support that Status provides the conference.

Unable to stay for the whole meal, I rushed back to catch the last semi-final and final of the Young Consumer of the Year competition.  It was an amazingly tight contest and the knowledge on display certainly put this old trading standards officer to shame!  Unfortunately I was not able to stay for the presentation but many congratulations to Abbey Grange Academy in Leeds.  I had to quickly go to the main auditorium for the OFT session "New landscape – new leaders" that saw a number of us set out our vision for the Consumer Protection Partnership.

Once that session had finished I had to do a quick audio interview before one last quick run round the centre.  Finding myself with an hour spare I had a quick walk along the seafront that, despite the issues with rubbish, was lovely.  Back for a quick shower before meeting others for the Trainee dinner that is supported by our friends at the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA).  It was a lovely meal and it's great to mix with future of our profession.  The meal also gave the BTHA a chance to pay tribute to my predecessor Ron in a very personal way.  Once the dinner was over it was quickly over to the party night to say hello to a few people before deciding that I'd done all my dad dancing the night and turning in with the party still in full swing.

Tuesday

Up bright and early I had breakfast and headed to the conference centre for about nine.  There was a little bit of work to be done with moving the agenda around, because of changes to the Minister's timetable.  Those amendments made it was a quick wiz round the centre and exhibition to make sure that everything was OK and all the exhibitors had all they needed.  As I was speaking within the first plenary session I had to get myself miked up with the rest of the panel, before we opened the conference debates.  Our pair of wonderful Christine's (Baroness Crawley and Heemskerk) opened the conference and launched the consumer codes approval scheme.  I had used the opportunity to say a few words about how I saw the conference developing over the next few years.  There then followed a plenary session where we looked at how we could avoid the post code lottery for consumer protection.

I then had to rush to the consumer codes stand where Baroness Crawley posed for photos with the code sponsors and cut the official codes cake. A quick glass of bubbly and then round the exhibition to make sure the exhibitors were happy and everything was running smoothly.  No time for lunch as I was participating in a min-theatre session on the future of Local Authority Approved Trader Schemes.  Straight from the mini-theatre to the Consumer Challenge Quiz – one of my favourite competitions – I watched about 20 minutes before I had to disappear to meet the Minister, Jo Swinson.  Congratulations to Kaimes School, Edinburgh on their victory.  A quick dash around the exhibition with the Minister, including a photo call with code sponsors and others before heading off to the main auditorium.  Here the Minister gave a speech on the government's vision for consumer protection and took a couple of quick questions.  I then escorted the Minister to her taxi before returning to the rest of the Institute celebrates success session.  I thought Ron was a great orator and it was really good to see and listen to Peter Denard.  After the announcement of a few awards, including my old authority Cambridgeshire winning the Primary Authority of the Year, it was good to see this graduates receive their certificates from our Chairman.  Back to the hotel for a quick shower before returning (in my dinner suit) to the venue for the awards dinner.    Again Ron was the host and it was good to see him receive his life membership and vice-presidency – both thoroughly deserved.  A number of awards were handed out on the evening and we had a little dance to the band the MP3s (www.themp3sband.co.uk).  I was going to retire to the hotel when someone suggested that we had a night cap at the party night.  This proved to be a bad idea and I apologies to all those that had to put up with my serious "dad dancing".  Far too late I ended up back in the hotel!

A few conference blogs.

 

I had intended to blog everyday from conference but for some strange reason I was quite busy.  So the next few will be a day by day account

Monday

I travelled down late morning to Brighton knowing that the team had prepared well and everything was on track.  It was an enjoyable journey and I managed to get a lot of e-mails done on the train.  I dropped my bags off and headed to the Brighton Centre mid-afternoon, excited to see how it was all going – well of course.  Having no crisis to attend to I decided to make myself useful and help out on reception.   I hope, like me, found the new electronic registration system worked well.  It was good to meet and great friends and colleagues and we were busy due to the fact that there were mini-theatre sessions running in the afternoon.  I also took the chance whilst there to look at the Playsafe entries and the TSI video booth.  Just loved the colour scheme.

The afternoon seemed to fly by and before I knew it the welcome reception was starting.  This year we decided to hold it in the exhibition space and the mixture of the buzz of the exhibition, some chilled out music and refreshments made it an excellent start to the week.  After that I shot across the road to the branch welcome drink.  Of course I was home at an extremely early hour, to make sure that I was fresh for the rest of the week.

Shaping up TSI both internally and with partner organisations

I'm very sorry that I've not blogged for a couple of weeks.  Like a lot of others I took some time off at half term and have been catching up ever since.  It always feels manic just before and just after a break these days!

In the couple of weeks since I last blogged we had the first staff meeting of my tenure.  It was good to get an understanding of what staff expect from me and to keep up to date on all the work that is going on.  It also provided an opportunity for me to begin to set out my vision for the organisation, which will see us become much more member led.   

We have also cracked on with a couple of key decisions for TSI.  Firstly we have made the appointments to the Codes Approval Board and I look forward to working with the candidates – they will be announced at the official conference launch next week.  Other decisions around our application for chartered status mean that we will be looking towards this year's AGM to make the appropriate amendments to our rules and by-laws.

My introductory meetings have continued at a pace with meetings at the Office of Fair Trading, Citizens Advice and Electrical Safety Council amongst others.

I have had a couple of meetings with Graham Jukes from the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health.  One looking at how we maintain the Home Authority database and one focusing on how we ensure professional standards when local government decides to outsource regulatory services.  It is clear that as we go forward there will be a real need for our organisations to work closely together to help shape our professions.

Catching up with our colleagues at TSI Branches

In the last couple of weeks I have visited a number of branches.   It is always good to hear from our members and update them on what we are doing on their behalf. 

Major topics have included our role in the new landscape – primarily in relation to business advice and approved codes.  A lot of work is also being undertaken on competence and how we deliver on the Council’s request to support the progress of the Trading Standards Practitioner status. 

I’ve also used the opportunity of these meetings to set out what I want the Trading Standards Institute to be – an open and inclusive organisation with the branches at the heart of our governance. 

A royal treat

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace.  I must admit to feeling like a giddy child as I waited with my better half Eileen at the gates.  When we got in, the gardens were a truly magnificent sight.  

By chance I met a number of people I know including one of our Board members Ian Warwick.  We had a lovely plate of sandwiches and cake before we queued to see the Queen walk by on the way to the royal tent.  A number of people had been chosen to talk to the Queen – for example Janet Russell from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health whom I also happened to bump into.  Unfortunately we hadn’t been chosen for this, but we had an amazing day – save for the tired feet from walking round the vast gardens.

Three days of excellence

Before I left to go on my trip I had three really exciting days.  The first was on the Wednesday when, alongside Graham Jukes, we judged the shortlisted entries for our MJ award.  It was a great reminder to me of the truly positive impacts both trading standards and environmental health services can have on their communities.  Tired, but inspired, we debated long and hard before choosing a winner - but you will need to wait until the awards dinner in June to find out who won.

I then had the pleasure to meet the 2012 Playsafe winners at the House of Lords.  The four young winners were amazing – a really positive representation of their generation.  My heartfelt thanks go to the British Toy and Hobby Association for their continued support of this awards and our profession as a whole.  I look forward to seeing the 2013 Playsafe entries at our Conference in June!

I spent the Friday in Hampshire hearing about some of the challenges trading standards there are facing and their plans to address them.   It was really good to see constructive dialogue between all parties.  Not only are they an excellent service now but they are developing some clear plans for the future.   

Four boys in a boat

Sorry I’ve not blogged for a while but I’ve been enjoying a few days down in sunny (sort of) Devon with a few of the boys.  I say boys but I was the youngest by some 11 years and we certainly showed our age with lots of early nights.  It was good to catch with old friends from my time at Westminster and to hear about how things are there. 

Talking of old friends; in a tiny village in Devon I bumped into Christine Wade, ex-head of Essex Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading.  She was looking well and certainly better than me –I’d just walked up and down one of the local hills! 

A personal recommendation for those of you who know the Ferry Boat on the waterfront at Dittisham.  On the first Sunday of the month during the summer they have a “beachside” party with a live band and a good BBQ and paella.  We certainly enjoyed ourselves.

What a beautiful day

Yesterday I had one of those hectic days with lots of meetings and running around - but it was also a day that I really felt that I was becoming a chief executive.  It has been a slightly strange feeling moving from being a head of service to an organisational head, but I'm now growing into it.

My day started with a meeting with the property ombudsman.  It was a good discussion about how we work together to help improve standards in the sector.  We also considered some of the changes happening to the regulatory landscape in their area - it was a good reminder that policy changes don’t just impact on regulators but also on businesses.

Then it was off to the Office of Fair Trading to talk about the transition of business education to the Trading Standards Institute, and about price guidance in particular.  It was a really positive meeting and helped shape our thoughts on how we might make price guidance a living document and better engage with primary authorities.  We will be progressing work on this under the TSI banner shortly, so watch this space for more news.

Then it was off to meet Catherine Brown (CEO of the Food Standards Agency) with Graham Jukes of the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health.  These are regular meetings and it’s good to share thoughts and ideas in an informal way.  I find the approach very refreshing and open. Unsurprisingly topics touched upon included horsemeat and competence.  There was a real commitment from all that we need to work together to learn lessons from the horsemeat scandal and to ensure the continued competence of our officers.

My final meeting of the day was with Lord Curry, chairman of the Better Regulation Executive.  He has a wealth of experience that can help guide our work and it was good to understand that we have a shared goal of better regulation - not de-regulation.  But it is equally clear that with the resources available to us it will be a balancing act. 

I got home a bit tired – but smiling.

Idris

Last week I attended a meeting in Wales where Idris Jones was admitted as a life member of the Trading Standards Institute.  This is a rare honour and a fitting one, given his contribution to the profession.  Alison Farrar kindly shared a photograph of the presentation with me.  From left to right you'll see James Munro, Idris, me and Ken Yorston.

Just another manic Monday

I had a busy but productive Monday this week. First thing I met with Graham Russell and Sarah Smith from the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO). It was really good to get their perspective on where the Institute and profession are, and how we address the challenges we face in a collaborative way. There are some real opportunities for us in areas such as policy development but this will only work if we are building on strong foundations of competence and partnership; as such, a lot of the discussion centred on this and on knowledge sharing.

It was then off to a meeting of the code sponsors panel for the TSI Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS). I get a real sense of excitement when I talk to code sponsors as there's a genuine sense of wanting to work together to raise standards in their sectors. Whilst we might have differing drivers the end aim is shared. Interestingly much of our conversation touches on the same topics as my earlier meeting: how we share intelligence about complaint patterns and practices, and how we take a collaborative approach to problem solving.

The afternoon was spent with Roy and Andy, our two executive directors, discussing the future direction of the organisation and how we integrate these new responsibilities into the day job. The one thing we were clear on, and I will reiterate it here, is that above all else we want to be a listening and open organisation. So if you have any thoughts about the Institute please let us know.

Two new brooms

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Alex Chisholm, who took over as Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority in earlier this month.  This new authority will bring together some functions of the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission.  We had a wide ranging conversation about the roles of our respective organisations in the new consumer landscape, particularly about how we engender a real sense of collaboration.

Having met with him not only am I certain that they've made the right appointment but here is a man that we can do business with as a profession.  It was a genuinely refreshing meeting

The purpose of communications

Yesterday we had a senior management meeting about communications and were joined by Carol Brady from our board.  

It was a really useful session.  It enabled us to get a good sense of how the board sees communications supporting the work of the TSI.  It also gave an opportunity to reflect on what we are trying to achieve and the various means we use to communicate.  The short term priorities for us are a review of our website and front facing communications, such as Weekly Highlights.  Let us know what you think so that we can design something that meets your needs.

Kicking off with business education

I headed to London yesterday for a meeting of the TSI's Business Members Group.  I was pleased to be invited and I updated them on some of our current work, including the national conversation and the approved codes. 

One of the things we discussed was how we are now beginning to kick off on business education.  This was one of the functions that transferred from the Office of Fair Trading to us in the consumer landscape review.  It is clear to me that as a group that understands both commerce and regulation, the BMG could play a key role in helping us develop effective guidance.

Charles Wallace from the OFT introduced the current review of the Pricing Practices Guidance.  I was a very interested participant in his presentation and the debate.  Whilst the OFT are starting the work on this it will shortly transfer across for us to complete as part of our new business education role.  Hearing the range of views expressed it is clear that we have chosen a meaty one to begin our role on producing guidance.

National Conversation

As we reflect on what has been achieved over the last couple of years it is pleasing to know that the reforms introduced to the consumer landscape are being embedded in the evolving infrastructure. The Institute's work on both the new codes approval regime and the provision of business education and advice are progressing well.
I'm sure that, like me, you are genuinely pleased to see the operations and governance of the National Trading Standards Board firmly placed in the enforcement landscape and rising to the expectations placed upon them. There are still many challenges ahead, not least the need to ensure we have a joined-up regulatory system that meets the economic, growth and public confidence needs of the nation, people and communities.
Both our Council and Board have been heavily in engaged in considering this future and there is a real desire from the Institute to hold a robust policy position on what this should look like.  One of our key ambitions is to be a listening organisation and as we develop our thoughts we want to live up to this value.
To that end we are preparing to launch a second national conversation. Whilst the details aren't fully formed yet, we have produced a briefing note to enable members and other stakeholders to help shape the process. A copy has been circulated through branches but one is also available on our website. Let me know what you think.

Management team meeting

We had our monthly management team meeting yesterday.  Whilst we have the usual sorts of business conversations – such as HR or health and safety – we do try and find some space to take  a look forward. 

This time we had two key topics for discussion. The first was our new role in delivering business education work.   This is potentially a broad piece of work that will see us being the primary provider of advice on behalf of the Government.  Whilst there are many discussions to be had and challenges to be faced – such as who signs off our official guidance – this should not limit our aspirations to deliver a product that genuinely adds value to business, protects consumers and supports growth.

The second was about how we could work with our board in a more effective manner.  Whilst our council of members sets policy and appoints the board, it is the board that we work with on a day to day basis to run the business.    As with many teams when we come together we can often have a cramped agenda that does not facilitate free flowing discussions.  So in looking forward we are working out how we can balance discharging our statutory and governance obligations with the desire for us to be forward looking.  We will be taking some proposals to the board in May.  The good news is that board are up for exploring different ways of working. 

Just as a point of interest the Institute is looking to appoint new board members and the advert can be found on page 23 of April's TS Today magazine.  

Who needs a credit licence?

Yesterday I attended a Finance and Leasing Association conference on the future of Consumer Credit Regulation.  I participated in a panel session and my role was to help place the changes in the context of the new consumer landscape. 

A few things became clear to me as I listened to the other presentations and questions.

The first was that despite carrying authorisation to enforce the Consumer Credit Act for 25 years I don’t know enough  about credit and how the industry works.  It is vitally important that as regulators we understand the markets and sectors we support. 

The second was the realisation of what a challenge delivering the transfer from the Office of Fair Trading to the new regulator will be, in such a short space of time. 

Finally, I was struck by the thought that I'm no longer a regulator but I run a small business.  So all the questions, the doubts and the requests for certainty from the floor resonated with me as well. 

Back in the office today I have asked someone to find out what we need to do to be compliant with the new regime.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Loan sharking – let's work together to stamp it out

You only have to hear stories from victims of illegal money lending to realise to understand the dreadful impact that this crime has on some of the most vulnerable in our society.  It is something that we must all work together to tackle and I’m pleased to say that we are beginning to do this.  That’s why I’m happy to plug the current anti-loan sharking campaign in Scotland.  Details can be found at:

http://www.stoploansharks.org.uk/

Also if you want to find out more about the excellent work of the illegal money lending team and the stop loan sharking project they have a Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/StopLoanSharksProject

Buy With Confidence

Wednesday was spent meeting with representatives of the Buy with Confidence Management Board.  It was good to spend some time with colleagues to hear their plans for the scheme and to also understand some of the challenges they face. 

We also discussed how the new consumer codes regime that we are responsible for interacts with local authority approved trader schemes.  It is clear that we haven't quite got that support right but after a positive conversation we were able to see a way forward. 

Launch of a new era

Hope you all had a good Easter break!

The 1^st of April saw me officially take over as the Chief Executive of the Institute.  One of the challenges of taking over from someone like Ron Gainsford is that in many people's eyes Ron is the Institute. 

As part of raising my own profile we have issued some press releases this week.  As a result I spent Tuesday speaking to journalists.  One was at Heart radio – we had an interesting conversation about shared areas of interest and how we can best use their target audience to get appropriate messages across.  There was a plea (of sorts) that we often target BBC local radio as a first port of call but local commercial radio often has a larger, and younger audience.

Another was an interview for the Cambridge Evening News, who had picked up the connection with me being a Cambridgeshire resident and ex-council employee.  It was really good to set out my vision for the Institute and the work going on across the profession to protect consumers and support growth.

Life story, a star and a princess

Someone once told me that we live in a world of strangers.  What he meant by this was, say that we bumped into our neighbour we might have the highly personal conversation about the weather but rarely do we get to know them in any more depth.  That's why it was good yesterday to attend a staff lunch for Ron Gainsford, so that we can show our appreciation for all that he has done for the organisation and profession.

During the lunch I had the pleasure to get to know some members of the team a bit better:  including a Polish Princess and the winner of our UK ECC employee of the month – although I'm not quite sure what a Polish princess is doing work for us. Maybe that one isn't true!  Laura, who won the award, is one of our consumer advisors and she was recognised for the work she is doing with Westminster Trading Standards with a trader who is causing a disproportionate level of complaints from visitors to the UK.  Well done and it shows we've a really good bunch of people working for us.

The main reason for the lunch was Ron and it was really enjoyable to hear him reminisce about his time in trading standards – especially his London-boy-in-the-sticks experiences.  He is a great man and he will be sorely missed by all here.  I've been left big shoes to fill but an amazing legacy to build upon.  The whole afternoon was one of warmth, which sums the man up perfectly.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter

96 photos and not happy with any of them

If you are like me and hate having your photo taken my morning wouldn't have been good for you.  As chief executive it is important that you have a high profile and support our work generating publicity.  To help that I spent an hour this morning having a number of photos taken for profile purposes, apparently the ones from Saturday night when I attend an 80's fancy dress party weren't up to the mark.  Unfortunately for me I wasn't allowed to Photoshop* them.

*In the interest of fairness I must point out that other photo altering services are available.

Update on codes and business education

I attended the first board meeting of the new Codes Approval Board.  As background the changes announced last year by Government saw responsibility for the consumer codes approval transfer from the office of Fair Trading across to the Institute.  Lots of work has been going on behind the scenes in readiness for the transfer on the 1^st April.   What is really pleasing is that, despite it moving from something that is free for codes sponsors to a product that is charged for, the vast majority of code sponsors have agreed to come on board.  This is not just a great testament to their faith in us as an Institute and the value that the brand TSI brings to the consumer world but also a ringing endorsement to how we have approached setting up the successor regime. 

Our prime driver is to improve standards within sectors, and balance the needs of businesses and consumers.  To achieve that we have established a not for profit community interest company, that means any assets are locked into a charitable organisation.  In this case our own College of Fellows.  We are establishing an independent board, code sponsor and consumer panels to drive our work forward.

We are now embarking on our work to provide business advice and education as part of the new landscape. 

Beer's not the most important thing

On Wednesday I was invited to speak at the annual Trade Association Forum conference.  I was there to let the audience know about our work transitioning the consumer codes approval scheme from the OFT to the Institute.  I believe that approved codes provide a real opportunity to add some meat to self-regulation and leave the rogues isolated.

The budget was screened live during the conference and Anthony Hilton (the Financial Editor of the Evening Standard) provided some pre-budget thoughts.  It was certainly interesting when the news of the Evening Standard publishing details of the budget online before the speech broke!  Whilst the news on alcohol and fuel were good news for me personally, as the Chief Executive of an SME I was particularly interested in the announcements on national insurance contributions and corporation tax and their impact on our business.

Also speaking at the conference was Jo Swinson MP, Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs.  She spoke with great passion about how we support diversity in the board room – so passionately that she convinced me to sign up to Inspiring the Future ( http://www.inspiringthefuture.org/) to give an hour of my time to speak to young people about my career and role.  She also showed great confidence in the trading standards profession in delivering reduced consumer detriment in the new landscape.

Back on the manor

For those who don’t know I am a bit of a London boy.  So it was with great pleasure that on Tuesday this week I attended the London Branch meeting and the regional Young Consumers of the Year final.

To the meeting first.  I welcomed the opportunity to hear from members about their concerns and challenges and it reinforced in my mind the need for us to have a proper national conversation about the future shape of our profession.  I was also interested to hear about a new business directory that Age UK are launching in London.  Anything that adds a layer of protection to consumers and a benefit to legitimate businesses has to be welcomed - but we all have a public duty to work together to ensure that we don’t confuse consumers about the various schemes that are in existence.  Further presentations centred on the need to work together and it was particularly pleasing to hear about how coordination on weights and measures is helping to develop new officers within London.

Seven teams entered the regional YCoY final and two well fought semi-finals saw four teams – Southwark, Hounslow, Greenwich and Islington - make the final.  It was a narrow victory for Islington after some intense questions and interesting answers – Bonnie Tyler being described as that old woman, or the Sistine Chapel as that big building!  So many congratulations to them and I look forward to seeing them in Brighton at the final.  The whole day was what it should be, fun and educational. 

The teams that didn’t win can comfort themselves in the knowledge that they now know probably a lot more that the Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute!

Welsh double!

In my time as Chairman of the Institute one of the things I enjoyed most were the trips to branches, especially when they coincided with another event.  So last March I found myself in Wales to speak at their trading standards conference and attend the regional heat of the Young Consumer of the Year (YCoY).  It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days and really pleasing to see such good support in Wales for the competition.  That's why I was really pleased to hear from Alison Farrar of the lovely Isle of Anglesey about this year's regional heat.  In an apparently nail biting finish Brynteg Comprehensive beat off stiff competition to win by one point.  I wish them well in the final that takes place at our annual Conference in June and congratulate not only the winners but also the other nine teams that took part.  The competition could not take place without the support of the schools, teachers, services and sponsors so I thank them all. 

As far as I'm aware that was the only competitive event of any significance that has happened in Wales this week.  Well despite being a hardened English rugby fan I don't think I can call the events at the Millennium Stadium as competitive!!

I am attending the London regional YCoY final this week and will let you know how the teams get on.

You can read the press release for the YCoY regional final here http://www.tradingstandardswales.org.uk/news/news-item.cfm/newsid/67

What’s in it for me!!

At Wednesday’s management team we had wide ranging discussions on a variety of topics.  One of these focused upon membership trends.  Clearly, as people are leaving the profession due to local authority cut backs, the number of full members has shown a decrease but is holding up well as a percentage of those still in TS services.  We do look at the reasons for members resigning and one of the worrying trends is that where local authorities have stopped paying membership this is as cited as a reason for not renewing – as someone mentioned to me recently “why should I pay membership when it’s my authority that gets the benefit of discounted training”. 

This blog could not go on to be a paraphrasing of the Life of Brian – 'what have the Romans ever done for us'.  I’ll avoid going in to the fact that we offer one of the cheaper membership rates about, that we bring a benefit to members that is several times the cost of their membership and that we offer a free conference.  

Instead I’ll reflect that having managed a number of services outside trading standards I can tell that they have a different approach to their training and development.  By and large they pay for their own membership, their own training and their own attendance at conference.  For those that have already renewed their membership I thank you. For those that haven’t, I would simply pose the question “whose career is it?”

In da house!

I attend my first event as TSI chief executive in the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.  It was an All Party Parliamentary Group organised by the Citizens Advice.  These are reasonably informal meetings designed to help MPs and other understand the background to some of the key issues of the day.  Not only was this one attended by MPs but also representatives of business and consumer groups.  The focus of this meeting was the proposed changes to consumer rights and what that might mean.  Colleagues from BIS, CAB and Which? gave the back ground to the changes and the perspectives from their organisations perspective.  My role was to provide some context from a regulator’s point of view.

Anything that provides clarity in relation to consumer rights is to be welcomed and should help both consumers and businesses to understand their obligations.  The proposals contain a number of implications for local trading standards services.  Easing our ability to tackle cross board offences and authorisations is a must in the new landscape.  Consolidating our powers in a single set of powers can bring benefits as long as they are not diluted, especially with regards giving notice of entry.  Whilst the duty to give notice won’t impact on the vast majority of inspections – after all our first response to non-compliance is often to provide advice and give a period of time to correct issues – the ability to undertake unannounced visits does make businesses think twice about committing fraud.  As my old colleague Doug would remind me – “the uninspected deteriorates” (org. Dwight D Eisenhower)

Holding out for a hero!

Over the weekend I received an e-mail from Mark Ryder at Warwickshire about the Warwick Castle Half-Marathon. A group of seventy staff are running in this Sunday's race to raise funds for the Warwickshire Corporate Parents Association (don't worry I'm not going to plug every fund raising run!). 

What struck me here was that this was a group of Local Government Officers who have a responsibility for supporting vulnerable families, who are seeing their role outside the confines of the "9-5".

This made me reflect on last year's Conference and in particular the Hero Awards. I had the pleasure as Chairman of the Institute in presenting the awards and found myself inspired by them all. Particularly inspiring was the work of Cardiff fair trading officer Bas Diablos, who was recognised for his tireless work, much in his own time, to promote the work of trading standards and consumer education in the community. He, like Mark and the team In Warwickshire, sees his role as part of the community, not just providing services to them.

The work of trading standards services up and down the country are supported by, and delivered in partnership with, a wide number of partners and individuals. In these difficult times we may not be able to recognise their work financially, but there are many other ways to recognise this contribution. The Institute's Hero Awards provide such an opportunity. 

So if you know someone deserving of recognition nominate them at http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/membership/TSILocalHeroesAwards.cfm 

Good luck on Sunday Mark!

Week three and look at me!!

Don't worry, I haven't suddenly grown a massive ego – no more than I already have anyway! The title refers to the fact that today I was interviewed by TS Today editor, Sarah Juggins. It was really nice to have the chance to just chat about my background, hopes and aspirations for the Institute and profession. I won't spoil the article by revealing too much but suffice to say working together featured highly.

Elsewhere this week I have spent more time getting to understand the business's needs, attending ACTSO meetings and sitting on the M11 when it was shut yesterday – if only the Highways Agency was run by a TSO!!

In the office we have had discussions about our communications functions and what we need to deliver not only the Institute's work but the additional support we have agreed to provide to the National Trading Standards Board. Exciting times but really important that we get our messages right.

On Thursday I popped my head in on some discussions that Phil Owen (who leads for us on training and events) and his team were having with the Local Registration Services Association. Those who know me won't be surprised that I timed my popping in to coincide with lunch! We are pleased to be helping the LRSA deliver its membership services – after all it is another organisation supporting local authority members and services. Whilst talking about Phil's team it's good see the positive feedback that we've received about the Year Ahead held in early Feb – well done guys.

Have a good weekend and happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.

De-regulation – a difficult meat to swallow?

As horsemeat contamination continues to hit the headlines I'm sure we will all face some challenging questions.  As previously blogged I attended a Heads of Service meeting earlier this week.  One of the points raised with me during main discussions, and in private, is that have we de-regulated too much.  The number of inspections and samples has fallen – partly due to falling resources and partly due to policy shifts. 

Policy makers have a balancing act to perform, minimising burdens on business against the need to have appropriate safe guards in place.  Stepping away from a focus on routine inspections to a more intelligence led approach has, in most cases, brought a bigger bang for the public buck.  Some would argue, however, that a move away from the routine has left the door ajar for greater fraud.  This is particularly relevant to the consultation on powers of entry.

Whatever your views it is important that any debate focuses on intelligence and reasoned argument, rather than sound bites, anecdotes and an unwillingness to collaborate.    We need to work together as policy makers and practitioners to ensure we manage this delictate balance act. 

Who needs a Trading Standards Officer?

On the way home from Solihull Tuesday I found myself listening to Radio 4 (how grown up am I!) and an expert talking about a Lancet study that found the UK was lagging behind in the health league tables.  He talked about issues such as alcohol and obesity as causal factors in this but made a clear statement that we were ahead of the game in terms of smoking and he put this down to good regulation.  Let us not forgot that at the heart of any good regulation are good regulators and trading standards officers up and down the country have been working hard to tackle underage sales of products for years.  We also have a key role to play in tackling alcohol abuse and obesity. 

I have a great deal of sympathy for Elected Members and senior officers in Local Government as they struggle to balance the books.  The public may not rise up and campaign for regulators like they do for libraries but the loss of basic protections can have a much more profound impact on their lives.  Tackling young people's access to age restricted products, protecting vulnerable people in their own homes, ensuring that purchases are safe, as described and provide the correct quantity – these are core fundamental rights and protections that every citizen should enjoy.  It is Local Government's duty to uphold these protections for their citizens.

Who needs a Trading Standards Officer – we all do!

Time for leaders to show their stuff and match Ron’s legacy!

I had the pleasure of attending and addressing the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers (ACTSO) meeting.    It was good to see old colleagues and hear about the continued successes of the National Trading Standards Board in overseeing  grants and activity for national enforcement matters.

Before I set out some of my thoughts about how the Institute would move forward I was able to pay tribute publicly to the work of my predecessor, Ron Gainsford.  Ron has not only left me a business in very good health but has raised the profile of the profession and Institute greatly.  The faith that central government and others have in us can be traced to Ron’s hard work.  On behalf of us all - many thanks Ron.

Going forward I see an open and collaborative Institute – one where we will be prepared to take tough decisions and stances, but where everyone should feel that they have a voice.  There is a clear reliance on each other – strong services need a strong profession which itself needs a strong Institute.  But our institute cannot thrive without the support of the profession and services.

As I listened to a debate about our joint response to the horsemeat “crisis” I was greatly heartened to hear Heads of Service who, whilst being self-reflective and critical, were up for the challenges ahead.  As the leaders of our profession in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales face the challenges before them I offer them the full support of both the Institute and myself.