Developing a competence framework for food safety Tony Lewis, Principal Education Officer, CIEH

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Developing a competence framework for food safety
Tony Lewis, Principal Education Officer, CIEH
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Competence why?

• Process started in central government
• Performance management and cost control
• Plugging the hole in govt finances
• Cascaded into government agencies and departments
• Became an issue for EH following the HSEs (2005)
  SITNA report
• A baseline comparator to apply to all and against
  which training resources could be more
  effectively provided
• Now a facet of world class regulation
• Anderson Review
• Pennington

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Building competence
The Professional Development Stairway to
Competence
Excellence ?
Competence
Capability to competence achieved via
experience, peer review reflective practice
Capability
Competencies
Skills
The journey to capable as an EHP is via the
qualification process
Knowledge
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Where are we now

• Framework for HS (RDNA) complete and launched in
  January 09
• Framework for health protection complete and
  launched (by Skills for Health as National
  Occupational Standards)
• Framework for PH complete and launched (Cube)
• Frameworks developed and about to be piloted in
  food safety and housing
• Framework for port health and contaminated land
  are under development
• LBRO and partners are working on a combined
  framework for local government regulatory
  services supported by LACoRS
• Discussions under way with BRC to develop a
  framework for commercially-based EH

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Regulators DNA Tool for Health and Safety
Skills / Knowledge / Behaviour
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The Regulators DNA Tool Contents
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Website
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Website
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Why bother?

• Encourage career-long learning
• Maintain and develop skills against a changing
  environment
• Maintain the disciplines of learning and
  continuous professional development applied
  during training
• Encourage and support more effective development
  action planning
• Encourage and support reflective learning

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Why bother?

• More structured, consistent and robust approach
  to identifying development needs at individual
  and line manager level
• Support to Managers to help meet some of these
  locally
• Support to individuals in developing themselves
• Provides a shield against challenge to our
  decisions that is far more robust than a
  qualification certificate and experience
• Once a standard is out there and endorsed by a
  body of some standing it will become compulsory
  by virtue of legal reference

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Draft food safety framework

• Work to develop the framework been ongoing for
  gt12 months
• Partnership approach to development
• CIEH, REHIS, TSI, LACoRS, FSA, APHA, HSE etc
• Draft for consultation completed this week
• Consultation process finalised this week

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Consultation process

• Being overseen by Gary Telfer at CIEH
  (g.telfer_at_cieh.org)
• Commences with launch in EHN 7th/8th May

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Consultation process

• Draft posted on CIEH website
• Article in EHN highlighting its presence on
  website and inviting comments. Highlighting that
  its a framework for Food Safety Inspectors, not
  necessarily Regulators
• Comments to be invited from all but particularly
  from members working in the food industry, in
  Scotland and EH colleagues working overseas
  (particularly in Malaysia and Hong Kong)
• Ask CIEH ISIG to highlight presence on web to
  their contacts overseas
• Letter to be sent to regions asking them to send
  copy to their food study groups, or authorities
  with a particular interest
• Framework to be handed to pilot LAs for use
• Date for return of comments, 30th June 2009

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The food framework

• Mirrors the structure of HS RDNA
• Background and aims
• Purpose of the framework
• How to use the framework
• Guidance on logging responses to framework
  questions

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Food framework (2)

• Core behavioral competences
• Being open and communicative
• Acting professionally
• Taking personal responsibility
• Valuing people
• Innovating and learning
• Applying and developing job-related expertise

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Food framework (3)

• IT competences
• Organisational competences
• Literacy and numeracy
• Problem solving from first principles

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Food framework (4)

• Regulatory Core
• To enforce food law, applying the Food Law Code
  of Practice
• To deploy a range of enforcement interventions
  (In order to secure compliance, learn lessons and
  improve conditions)
• To advise and influence
• Research, understand, retain, prioritise and use
  knowledge effectively
• Train and educate (self and others)
• Plan organise and prioritise

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Food framework (5)

• Assessment of critical controls
• Partnership working
• Business awareness

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Food framework (6)

• Technical knowledge framework
• Food technology
• Food standards
• Food nutrition and health
• Food safety and hygiene
• Prescribed legislation

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• Questions?

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• Tony Lewis
• Principal Education Officer, CIEH
• t.lewis_at_cieh.org
• Tel [phone]