‘Scores on Doors’ is a scheme designed to give the public the opportunity to make informed choices about where they buy food or where they choose to eat. The information the scheme provides relates to the overall food safety standards found at the last food hygiene inspection. It does not reflect the quality of food or service at the premises.
Businesses will be awarded a star rating dependant on the food safety standards identified at the time of the food hygiene inspection. The better the standards the higher the star rating. The highest star rating that can be obtained is 5 stars. A certificate displaying the star rating is then provided to the food business.
- What are ‘Scores on Doors’?
- Why a Wiltshire scheme?
- Is this a national scheme?
- Which businesses will get a star rating?
- How will a business get a star rating?
- What does the star rating mean?
- When will all businesses be rated?
- Can the star rating be changed?
- How often will the rating change?
- Who will decide what star rating to give?
- Do businesses have to display their star rating?
- How can I find out what star rating is given to a particular business?
- What do I do if the business is not displaying its certificate?
- What if a business disagrees with the star rating?
- Who do I contact if I want more information about the scheme?
- How do I know if the certificate on display is valid and genuine?
What are Scores on Doors?
The Scores on Doors Scheme allows the public to view the latest hygiene rating following a programmed food hygiene inspection carried out by the Food Safety Team. The score will be in the form of a star rating.
Why a Wiltshire scheme?
Wiltshire introduced the scheme for several reasons. We feel the scheme will help to drive up food hygiene standards even further and will give the public information they are legally entitled to receive in a format they readily understand, such as a star rating.
Is this a national scheme?
No. The former district councils in Wiltshire had been running separate schemes since 2006. Since joining together as a unitary authority we have brought together these schemes so you should expect to see Wiltshire certificates on the front doors of many food establishments soon.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working towards a national scheme. Wiltshire will keep this under review and may choose to adopt this in the future. This may mean differences in the way the bands are calculated, affecting the number of stars awarded to premises, so published scores may change. Businesses will be notified in advance of a national scheme being adopted and we intend to allow businesses to keep their current Scores on Door rating until their next inspection.
Which businesses will get a star rating?
All food businesses where members of the public can buy or eat food, or where there is a public interest. These are part of the Council’s inspection programme and will include such places as cafes, restaurants, takeaways and pubs serving or selling food.
How do businesses get a star rating?
Following a programmed inspection the food safety officer has to score the business based on the national scoring scheme defined by the Food Standards Agency. The officers are trained in scoring and have had to do this for years. Businesses are scored between 0 and 25 for both hygiene and structure and between 0 and 30 for confidence in their food safety management controls and procedures
The scores given for hygiene, structure and confidence in management are then added together and used to calculate a simple star rating for the business. The star rating will be issued on a certificate and sent to the business who may wish to display it on the front door or front window. The rating will also be available on the Council’s website.
| Star Rating | Score |
|---|---|
| 5 Stars | 0-5 |
| 4 Stars | 10-15 |
| 3 Stars | 20-25 |
| 2 Stars | 30-35 |
| 1 Star | 40-45 |
| 0 Star | 50+ |
.
What does the star rating mean?
The star rating lets you see at a glance the hygiene standards in the business at the time of inspection, with 0 stars meaning poor, but no imminent risk to health, and 5 stars meaning that excellent standards of hygiene and food safety management were demonstrated.
When will all businesses be rated?
The ratings are given after the business has been inspected. The frequency of inspection of any particular business depends on when it was last inspected, the hygiene conditions that were found at the time and how well the business manages food safety. The worse performing businesses are inspected more frequently.
There are over 3000 food businesses eligible to be covered by this scheme across the County and it is anticipated it will take approximately two years for all businesses to receive a star rating.
Can the star rating be changed?
Yes, but only when the next scheduled food hygiene inspection is undertaken. A food hygiene inspection will only take place when it is due, unless the business ownership details change or if serious breaches of food legislation are identified during a routine or complaint visit.
How often will the rating change?
As soon as possible after a new food inspection has been completed.
Who will decide what star rating to give?
The food safety officer undertaking the inspection, ratified by the Food Safety Team Managers.
Do businesses have to display their star rating?
No. Displaying the certificate is voluntary but we encourage them to do so and most businesses are very keen for their inspections and to improve their ratings. However, if they do wish to display the certificate then it must be visible from the outside of the premises therefore enabling the public to view the latest hygiene score before deciding to enter. The Council also displays all the scores on its website.
How can I find out what star rating is given to a particular business?
You can ask the business directly for their score or you can visit the Council’s website for the list of businesses inspected and their scores. The website is updated on a monthly basis.
What do I do if the business is not displaying its certificate?
There may be a perfectly good reason for this. The business may still be awaiting an inspection or may have been inspected and waiting for a new certificate to be issued. Again, there is no legal obligation for a business to display its certificate.
What if a business disagrees with the star rating?
The rating is based on the inspection by a professional officer with specific training in food safety and food law and will not normally be changed. However, if a business believes it has not been treated fairly the Council’s formal complaints procedure can be used and the matter will be investigated. The score will change at the next food hygiene inspection only, which can be anytime between 6 months and 2 years.
The formal complaints procedure is available on the Council’s website:
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/corporatecomplaints.htm
How do I know if the certificate on display is valid and genuine?
Following a food hygiene inspection the previous certificate will be collected by the inspecting officer and destroyed. Each certificate has a unique security number on the front. In addition, the website will offer a list of food businesses and their scores.
Who do I contact if I want more information about the scheme?
You can phone and speak to anyone in the Food Safety Teams.
- Food Safety (North) Chippenham - 01249 706111
- Food Safety (South) Salisbury -01722 434319/434320
- Food Safety (East) Devizes - 01380 734721
- Food Safety (West) Trowbridge - 01225 776655
Email:
- publicprotectionnorth@wiltshire.gov.uk
- publicprotectionsouth@wiltshire.gov.uk
- publicprotectioneast@wiltshire.gov.uk
- publicprotectionwest@wiltshire.gov.uk
Last updated: 16 February 2011
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