Helping staff development as budgets tighten

30 Jun 2010 04:11 PM

Tough budget constraints may threaten staff development programmes at local authorities but LBRO, the technical expert in better regulation, says it has part of the solution in its free Trading Places scheme.

Authorities and their trading standards and environmental health officers can benefit from placements arranged with commercial organisations via Trading Places - a ‘get to know you' project that encourages closer relations and reduces misunderstanding and confusion.

For officers it means the chance to gain valuable career enhancing experience in the commercial world as well as up to 10 CPD points. For the authority, it offers the opportunity to plug knowledge gaps in particular commercial areas.

Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute, Ron Gainsford, said: "We would encourage both the business community as well as the local and national regulatory communities to engage with this valuable professional development initiative.

"In these times of shrinking budgets it is more important than ever for the regulated and the regulators to understand each other's needs and expectations, so that we can work together in the most productive way on the road towards economic recovery."

LBRO Chairman Clive Grace said: "Good personnel should be valued but given the pressure on local government spending their development and training could suffer. We believe Trading Places can help councils retain staff and keep them motivated, and add to the bank of expertise so valued by business."

Available in one or two-day formats, Trading Places gives enforcement officers the opportunity to see the impact of their decisions on business. Fostering understanding between local authority regulatory services and the businesses they monitor removes cultural barriers to communication, strengthens working relationships, encourages mutual trust and promotes a partnership approach to achieving compliance.

The scheme has recently been launched with national regulators including the Food Standards Agency and the Environment Agency.

Trading Places is free of charge. To find out more, email Grahaeme.dodge@lbro.org.uk or go to www.lbro.org.uk/lbro-projects-trading-places.html