Alternative Enforcement Strategy

We hope that the following may answer any questions you might have about this process. You can contact us at EHTS_Enquiries@sandwell.gov.uk if you have any further queries.

Why does my business need to complete a self-assessment questionnaire?

Every business, charity, individual or voluntary group serving or providing food to the public has an obligation to ensure food is safe. There are legal standards for those businesses to meet. The law requires that Local Authorities inspect food businesses to ensure these standards are being met.

In some situations, we may consider your food business to be low risk in which case, after an initial inspection, you may be contacted periodically to complete a self-assessment questionnaire. This approach is known as an Alternative Enforcement Strategy.

Do all low risk businesses receive a questionnaire?

No, new food businesses and those that have changed hands must have a physical inspection to start with.  On the next programmed inspection, a decision is made on whether to send a self-assessment questionnaire or carry out an inspection. This decision is based on risk.

Inspections may also be carried out to low risk businesses where there have been complaints and information that the business activities may have changed.  For example, a previous wet sales only pub has decided to serve open food.

What happens after I complete a questionnaire?

The questionnaire will be reviewed by an officer in the Safety Team, and if necessary, an officer may contact you to clarify facts.

In some situations, an officer will ask for an appointment to confirm details with you on site, however this is the exception rather than the rule. If we determine that your business is still low risk, we will roll forward your next inspection date and we may contact you again in three years’ time to complete a further self-assessment questionnaire.

Will I get another hygiene rating after completing a questionnaire?

No, the hygiene rating can only be changed following a physical inspection by a Food Safety Inspector. Your current Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) score will therefore remain the same, as will the date of your last inspection. Your inspection details published to the Food Standards Agency's Food Hygiene Ratings website will therefore remain the same.

Some low risk businesses are outside the scope of the hygiene rating scheme and do not receive a rating.

Will I get any feedback after sending a questionnaire?

Unfortunately, due to the number of food premises the council deals with, it is not possible to contact every business that has returned a self-assessment questionnaire.

If you complete a questionnaire and receive no further contact, then you can assume that the council has received it and that we have no queries about the content.

We will contact you if we need to clarify anything in relation to the questionnaire. Alternatively, based on the information in the questionnaire, we may decide that you need a physical inspection, in which case you may receive an unannounced food hygiene inspection.