Issue - meetings

[To receive an update on work undertaken around business support during the pandemic.]

Chris Howell, Commercial Regulation Manager delivered the COVID-19 Business Support presentation which provided an overview of the support provided by the Authority to businesses across the City to ensure they could continue to trade safely. The model Engage, Explain, Encourage and Enforce had been implemented to support this.

Communications had been sent and multiagency visits had been undertaken to provide businesses with advice on safety measures and how to enforce them. Extra support had been supplied to non-compliant businesses to ensure they were brought into compliance. Action had been taken to revoke the licence of a non-compliant bar within the City and to close a barber’s which had failed to follow correct procedures. The barber had been able to re-open following positive engagement to bring them in line with compliance.

It was noted that a COVID Business Support Team had been established, including Senior Environmental Health Officers to provide expert help and guidance. Undertaking this had been challenging, due to staff capacity however this had been reinforced by the appointment of a team of 18 COVID Support Advisors to work with businesses, not as enforcement but to provide support and maintain the presence of safety and compliance messages within the City.

As part of the development of the COVID Compliant scheme, signage had been issued to identify businesses that had been visited and found to be adhering to COVID safety measures. A QR code had been included in the design directing visitors to an online survey to provide feedback on how safe they had felt during their shopping experience; it was reported that positive feedback had already been received from these surveys. Feedback from businesses on the support received had also been very positive. 

A short video outlined the work of the COVID Support Advisors and that this was the only scheme of its kind in the West Midlands to date. COVID Support Advisors had continued their work over lockdown, which included delivering leaflets to homes with information regarding testing and It was reiterated in the video that they were not enforcement but ambassadors to provide assistance and support.

It was queried how the scheme addressed unfair treatment sometimes experienced by people unable to wear masks. It was reported that colleagues in Public Health were being consulted regarding the introduction of a recognised lanyard scheme to identify those who were genuinely exempt. 

Resolved:

That the COVID-19 Business Support presentation be noted.

[To receive an update on work undertaken around business support during the pandemic.]