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Chartered Trading Standards Institute

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Chartered Trading Standards Institute
AbbreviationCTSI
PredecessorInstitute of Trading Standards Administration (founded 1956)
Formation(as Incorporated Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures) 1881; 143 years ago (1881)
TypeProfessional body
PurposeTrading standards in the UK
Location
  • 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Laindon, Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH
Region served
UK, Crown dependencies and overseas territories
Membership
British trading standards officers
Chief Executive
Leon Livermore[1]
Main organ
CTSI Board CTSI Council
WebsiteCTSI
Formerly called
Incorporated Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures (founded 1881)

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is a professional association which represents and trains trading standards professionals working in local authorities, business and consumer sectors and in central government in the UK and overseas.

History

The CTSI was formed from the Institute of Trading Standards Administration, created in 1956, and the Incorporated Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures, established in 1881.[2] It was granted its Royal charter by the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 1 April 2015.

Hampton Report

The Hampton Report, commissioned in 2004[3] and published in 2005,[4] led to the creation of the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO). Previously the Consumer and Trading Standards Agency (CTSA), and then the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), it set standards on how trading standards and other business regulators carry out their work to minimise the impact on legitimate business. The Hampton Report also gave an enhanced role for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).[5] The OFT set national priorities and coordinated performance management of local authority trading standards services.

Function

CTSI engages with, and makes representations to, government, UK and EU Parliamentary institutions, and key stakeholders in the local government, community, business and consumer sectors, and other regulatory agencies. It aims to sustain and improve consumer protection, health and wellbeing, together with the reinforcement of fair markets, facilitating business competitiveness and success.

The Institute also hosts the UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC), which provides consumer advice with regards to cross-border disputes within the EU,[6] and the UK European Consumer Centre for Services (UK ECCS), which provides general information on consumer laws and rights when buying a service in another EU member state, as well as contact details for organisations that could provide practical assistance in the case of a dispute.[7]

CTSI aims to bolster consumer protection and improve customer service standards by:

  • the approval and promotion of codes of practice
  • setting out the principles of effective customer service
  • recognising trusted traders - via the CTSI approved code logo

In April 2012, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) invited the TSI to establish a successor to the Office of Fair Trading on a self-funding basis from April 2013. The management of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) has now transferred to the Consumer Codes Approval Board (CCAB) operated by CTSI.[8][9]

ADR approval

1 October 2015 the Alternative Dispute Resolution Directive came into force,[10] and the CTSI was appointed to carry out the approval functions on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Goals

CTSI's strategic objectives for 2017-2020 are to:

  • Deliver competency pathways that support professional aims
  • Deliver income that enables us to invest in our charter aims
  • Lead debates that shape and promote our profession
  • Support members so that they are proud to be part of the Institute

Events

Since 1988, the CTSI has held an annual National Consumer Week. Its 2018 theme was consumer rights and online market places, held 26 to 30 November. This underpinned by research conducted by the Citizens Advice Partnership Knowledge Hub.[11] The 2019 event has been postponed until the beginning of 2020 due to Brexit uncertainty.

In June/July it holds an annual Symposium that delivers a full education and training programme of the course of the event.[12]

CTSI holds the Heroes Awards annually in the summer, this provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate those who have contributed to the profession and the protection of consumers.

CTSI Hero Award Trophy

Publications

The CTSI publishes a bi-annual magazine and website under the title Journal of Trading Standards,[13] produced on contract by Fourth Estate Creative.[14]

Structure

CTSI's headquarters is in the Southfields area of Laindon, south of Ford's Dunton Technical Centre, off the B148.

Members

CTSI members typically work in one of approximately 200 UK local authority trading standards offices, except in Northern Ireland where trading standards is provided by central government. Trading standards professionals work with consumers and businesses to maintain fair trading and safety of consumer goods. The CTSI also has members working in the private sector (they have their own section within the CTSI: the Business Members Group).

Staff

Leon Livermore took over the role of chief executive from Ron Gainsford in February 2013.[1] The current CTSI Chair is Robert Taylour, elected at the September 2019 AGM, who took over the role from Dave Riley.

Branches of the Institute

  • East Midlands
  • London
  • Midlands
  • Northern
  • Northern Ireland
  • North West
  • Scottish
  • South Eastern
  • South East Midlands
  • South West
  • Southern
  • Wales
  • Yorkshire and the Humber

Sections of the Institute

  • Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers (ACTSO)
  • Business Members Group (BMG)
  • Consumer Empowerment Alliance (CEA)
  • Welsh Heads of Trading Standards (WHOTS)
  • Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS)

Citizens Advice Consumerline (previously Consumer Direct)

Trading Standards services work in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau consumer service to provide free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. If consumers have concerns they are advised to report their concerns to the Citizens Advice consumer service (see external links) so that crucial intelligence can reach trading standards.[15][16]

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute is a private company which supplies membership services and training for trading standards professionals; it does not handle consumer complaints.

References

  1. ^ a b Leon Livermore, Trading Standards website. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  2. ^ "TSI appoints new chief executive". Trading Standards Institute. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Hampton Review of regulatory inspection and enforcement". National Archives snapshot. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Time called on inspectors". The Guardian. 17 March 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  5. ^ Sections 4.14, 4.15, p.41, Implementing Hampton: From enforcement to Compliance (November 2006) PDF on National Archives website, Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  6. ^ "UK European Consumer Centre". UKECC. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  7. ^ "The European Consumer Centre for Services". Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Finding a trader - Trading Standards Institute Consumer Codes Approval Scheme". Advice Guide. Citizens Advice. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  9. ^ Smithers, Rebecca (18 June 2013). "Consumer codes scheme aims to improve customer confidence". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  10. ^ Alternative dispute resolution for consumers. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  11. ^ Citizens Advice campaign on consumer rights (accessed: 30 November 2018).
  12. ^ [1].
  13. ^ "Publications | CTSI". www.tradingstandards.uk. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  14. ^ "Journal of Trading Standards". Fourth Estate Creative. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  15. ^ "Reporting a problem to Trading Standards". Advice Guide. Citizens Advice. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  16. ^ Help and advice Archived June 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Trading Standards Institute. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
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