Work with the trading standards team
Our Trading Standards team can help your business. We want businesses to join us in what we call a Primary Authority relationship.
A Primary Authority relationship is a legally recognised partnership between you and our trading standards team.
The partnership will be tailored to suit your needs – we can help you by providing assured advice, inspection plans, training (such as civil law training to your customer advice staff), reviewing or auditing your policies and procedures and auditing your business compliance, amongst other things.
As your Primary Authority we will work with you to help you grow while helping to make sure you comply with legislation.
Sandwell Council Trading Standards have worked with businesses for many years providing detailed advice and assistance. We want to help you get it right the first time.
What does it cost?
The scheme allows us to charge for our services on a cost recovery basis, this means you get a consultant-style service and that we are able to offer a more in-depth service than we have previously.
The scheme expects you to work constructively with us. So, you have to inform us of any significant changes to your business which could impact on the Primary Authority relationship, give us reasonable notice when you want work done and provide us with the information and assistance we need to be able to help you.
Currently Sandwell Trading Standards charges a one- off set up fee of £196.89 + VAT, this entitles you to three hours free advice every year. Any additional work is charged at the current hourly rate of £65.63 + VAT.
Do I have to join?
If you decide not to join us in a Primary Authority partnership you won’t be able to get in depth advice or assistance from us. Instead we will provide basic signposting advice, where we tell you what law applies and where to find a copy of the legislation.
How to join
Simple, call us, email us or pop in and see us. Let us know you want to join and we do the hard work for you. Firstly, we will complete an online application form. Once we’ve done our bit you will receive an email from the Regulatory Delivery (RD) team telling you a partnership nomination has been made, asking for you to confirm you want to go ahead and also requesting additional details.
Once you’ve done that we receive the electronic form, fill in some final details and then submit it to RD for approval. The partnership only becomes live once RD approves it.
The legal bit
The Primary Authority scheme was established by the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 and is underwritten by the Regulatory Delivery (RD) team.
The scheme is currently only available to businesses which trade across borders, for example if you are based in Sandwell but also trade in Birmingham (whether online or in person).
The scheme only covers certain categories of law, including age-restricted products and services, fair trading, food safety and hygiene, food standards, metrology, petroleum licensing and product safety. Only categories applicable to the business can be covered by the partnership agreement.
Interested? Get in touch
Email: trading_standards@sandwell.gov.uk
Call: 0121 569 6628