ACS has marked a decade of support provided to members through its industry leading Assured Advice scheme, built in partnership with Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards.
Assured Advice provides one set of standards that stores can rely on when dealing with enforcement officers, whatever local authority they come from in England and Wales.
After being launched in 2014 to support retailers in the introduction of tobacco display ban regulations, ACS Assured Advice has grown to become one of the most comprehensive, respected and utilised partnerships in the country. ACS’ Assured Advice now covers everything from food safety, weights and measures and fire safety to spotting illicit vapes, selling and storing fuel, and providing a water refill facility in store.
In the time that Assured Advice has been available for retailers, there have been a number of high profile cases where it has been needed on a wide scale. This was most notable during the early pandemic, when enforcement officers were reported to be confiscating easter eggs as they were not deemed to be ‘essential products’. ACS Assured Advice ruled immediately that all products sold in a convenience store were in fact essential, and amid widespread national coverage the issue was quickly resolved. In the same period, ACS was able to produce Assured Advice on legally providing delivery services, which helped support the rapid establishment of thousands of such services from local shops to vulnerable customers.
With the introduction in 2022 of regulations to limit the sale of High Fat, Salt and Sugar products, ACS Assured Advice became the definitive guidance on which retailers were obligated to comply and how they should go about doing this.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Our Assured Advice scheme continues to go from strength to strength, providing clear, dependable guidance to retailers in a format that they can utilise in store. We are delighted to continue working with Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards to support our members in running their businesses without having to worry about overzealous enforcement officers interpreting the law in a way that would cause them problems.
“Assured advice is being used by independent retailers and some larger groups, and a growing number of symbol groups are signing their members up to the scheme because of the assurance it gives them, the quality of the guides and the simplicity of the information given. This programme supports our strategy of strong advocacy when regulations are being formulated, and a commitment to fair and comprehensive compliance and enforcement once the law is in place.”
Michele Manson, Business Team Manager, Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards said: “We are very proud to have worked with the Association of Convenience Stores for 10 years. This collaborative approach has delivered meaningful and responsive support to the members including the suite of advice guides. The open approach of the ACS using their website to publish the information means we have consistently received positive feedback from a wide range of non-member users. We genuinely value this relationship and look forward to our future together.”
The latest updates to Assured Advice for 2024 contain new information on areas including:
- Selling Vapes: A summary of the rules on recycling vapes that will be enforced from the end of March this year.
- Food Safety and Hygiene: New information what to look for when sourcing imported products to ensure that they’re safe to sell in the UK, as well as clarification on the storage of different types of food in refrigeration units.
- Fire Safety: Changes to the way that stores must carry out their fire safety risk assessments to keep their colleagues and customers safe.
- Age Restricted Sales: Updates on the use of age estimation software for age restricted sales (excluding alcohol).
All of the Assured Advice guides are available to download from the ACS website at ACS.org.uk/advice, but only members who have signed up to the Assured Advice scheme will benefit from the protection that it provides in the event of an enforcement visit.
