Scores on the Doors
Scores on the Doors - the scheme explained to you
Solihull's Scores on the Doors has now gone live - so now you can easily find out how well a food business in the borough is complying with their legal obligations. Just follow the link:
www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/council/solihull-metropolitan-borough-council
What's the score?
Scores on the Doors is a scheme to show how well food businesses are complying with food hygiene law. The scheme applies to all caterers and retailers handling and preparing high risk food to the public. For example, restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shop, nurseries, residential care homes and delicatessens. The food business will be given a certificate and sticker to display in their window or door that shows their food hygiene rating out of 5 stars, if they are rated as 3 stars or more. All scores will be published online by clicking on this link below and searching for the premises: http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/council/solihull-metropolitan-borough-council
Why are we doing it?
Every year Food Safety Officers carry out routine food hygiene inspections of food establishments in the borough. We do this to make sure that the places where food is cooked, prepared, stored or sold are hygienic.
What do the star ratings mean?
Following the inspection the officer will score the business based on a national scoring scheme set out by the Food Standards Agency. The scores for:
- The current level of compliance of food hygiene practices and procedures including food handling practices, temperature control and potential cross contamination from raw to cooked food;
- The current level of compliance relating to the structure of the premises including cleanliness, layout, condition of the structure, lighting, ventilation, washing facilities etc;
- Confidence in management of the business
are then used to calculate the business’s score using the following scoring table.
| Risk Rating category | Excellent | Poor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Hygiene and Safety | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Structure and Cleaning | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Management and Control | 0 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
The total score is then calculated based on the following scoring
| Level of Compliance | Star Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 | Excellent |
|
| Up to 15 | Very good |
|
| Up to 25 | Good |
|
| Up to 35 | Fair |
|
| Up to 45 | Poor |
|
| Above 45 | Very Poor | None |
A star rating of 0 will indicate that there are significant food safety issues that the business needs to address. A star rating of 5 will confirm that excellent standards of food hygiene were demonstrated at the time of inspection.
We are making the star ratings publicly available so that you can make informed choices about the places which you eat out and purchase food, and through this, to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.
How are the star ratings calculated?
The officers use the following guidance to calculate the score:
Food Hygiene and Safety and Structural Compliance are assessed separately using the scoring bands:
| Score | Guidance on the Scoring System |
|---|---|
| 25 | Almost total non-compliance with statutory obligations |
| 20 | General failure to satisfy statutory obligations – standards generally low |
| 15 | Some major non-compliance with statutory obligations – more effort required to prevent fall in standards |
| 10 | Some non-compliance with statutory obligations and industry codes of recommended practice. Standards are being maintained or improved |
| 5 | High standard of compliance with statutory obligations and industry codes of recommended practice, minor contraventions of food hygiene regulations. Some minor non-compliance with statutory obligations and industry codes of recommended practice |
| 0 | High standard of compliance with statutory obligations and industry codes of recommended practice, conforms to accepted good practices in the trade |
Confidence in management is calculated using the following table:
| Score | Guidance on the Scoring System |
|---|---|
| 30 | Poor track record of compliance. Little or no technical knowledge. Little or no appreciation of hazards or quality control. No food safety management system. |
| 20 | Varying record of compliance. Poor appreciation of hazards and control measures. No food safety management system. |
| 10 | Satisfactory record of compliance. Access to and use of technical advice either in-house, from Trade Associations and/or from Guides to Good Practice. Understanding of significant hazards and control measures in place. Making satisfactory progress towards a documented food safety management system/procedures commensurate with type of business. |
| 5 | Reasonable record of compliance. Technical advice available in-house or access to and use of technical advice from trade associations and/or from Guides to Good Practice. Have satisfactory documented procedures and systems. Able to demonstrate effective control of hazards. Will have satisfactory documented food safety management system. Audit by Food Authority confirms general compliance with documented system. |
| 0 | Good record of compliance. Access to technical advice within organisation. Will have satisfactory documented HACCP based food safety management system which may be subject to external audit process. Audit by Food Authority confirms compliance with documented management system with few/minor non-conformities not identified in the system as critical control points. |
How can I find out a star rating for a particular business?
Premises that score 3 stars or more will automatically be sent a window sticker and certificate, so look for the sticker on the window or door.
If you cannot see one ask the business directly, or you can search for their score at: http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/council/solihull-metropolitan-borough-council
Alternatively, text sotd with the business name and town to 60060. Texts are charged at your standard network rate.
An app can be downloaded to enable consumers to find the hygiene star rating of food business on their iPhone.
If there isn't a star rating on the website they may be a new business and awaiting an inspection. Also some businesses are not included in the scheme because they only sell low-risk food, for example chemists and child minders.
For more details on exclusions from the scheme please view our policy (see attachments).
Do businesses have to display their rating?
No. Displaying the certificate and sticker is voluntary. Businesses that do not score 3 or more stars will not be given a window sticker or certificate. However you can view all scores on the website.
Can a rating be changed?
Yes, but only when the next scheduled food hygiene inspection is undertaken. No subsequent visits will be undertaken with a view to modifying the scores given, or re-scoring premises even if remedial works have been completed.
A food hygiene inspection will only take place when it’s due unless there is a material change in the business ownership details or if serious breaches of food legislation are identified when an unscheduled visit is made (e.g. following a complaint).
What if a business disagrees with the star rating?
The rating is based on a professional officer's inspection and will not normally be changed. However, if a business believes it has not been treated fairly there are details of the right to reply procedure in the Scores on the Doors Policy (see attachments).
If a business feels that standards have been improved since the inspection they will have the right to have their comments posted on the council's website as long as they are accurate in the officer's opinion. The score will be changed at the next food hygiene inspection only which can be anytime between 6 months and 2 years.
How can a business improve its star rating?
In order to improve their star rating businesses should make sure that all items on their last food hygiene inspection report have been completed, and that staff are complying with food safety requirements. Safe food practices must be in place, all areas of the premises and equipment should be in good order and be free from pests. Food safety records should also be well managed and kept up to date, with records to demonstrate food safety procedures are being followed.
For advice on food safety requirements please go to the Food Standards Agency’s website: http://www.food.gov.uk/goodbusiness