ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE Communities, Housing

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL

COMMITTEE

Communities, Housing and Public Protection

Committee

DATE

September 2024

EXEMPT

CONFIDENTIAL

REPORT TITLE

Update on the Progress in the Establishing of a

Trusted Trader Scheme in Aberdeen City

REPORT NUMBER

CORS/24/241

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Andy MacDonald

CHIEF OFFICER

Vikki Cuthbert

REPORT AUTHOR

Graeme Paton

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1.1.2 and 1.1.5

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 This report seeks to update Elected Members on the progress made by officers

of the Trading Standards Service (“the Service”) in establishing the Aberdeen

City Trusted Trader Scheme (“the Scheme”), the plan for which was set out in

Committee Report Number RES/23/272 and approved by this Committee on 5

September 2023.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Committee:

2.1 Notes the contents of the report and the progress made and welcomes the

forthcoming launch of the Scheme.

3. CURRENT SITUATION

3.1 The current position is that the Scheme will launch during the Scottish Trusted

Trader Week scheduled for 1-7

September 2024, organised by the Society of

Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) Trader Directory

Services (TDS), and coordinated through the Media Team in Aberdeen City

Council (ACC). There are 18 city businesses who have been vetted, or are

going through the vetting process, which will form the initial tranche of

members.

3.2 Elected Members will recall from the original committee report referenced

above that the purpose of the Scheme was to provide city residents with access

to a list of city-based home maintenance and improvement businesses who are

vetted by Trading Standards to confirm that they are aware of their rights and

responsibilities under consumer protection and trading standards law, and

those of the consumer. The intention is to promote good business practice;

increase consumer confidence through access to a list of trusted traders in a

market that has been, and continues to be, a difficult one for consumers to

navigate; and with the benefit to member businesses of an increase in market

size and business opportunities.

3.3 After permission was granted by this Committee in September 2023, an officer

was tasked with leading on this project. Most of their time has been spent

communicating the purpose and benefits of the Scheme to the business

community to encourage membership. This has involved either direct contacts

with businesses via email; targeted Social Media campaigns; seeking the

support of trade associations such as the Federation of Small Businesses in

advising their members; and garnering the support of colleagues at Business

Gateway, the City Growth Team, and Police Scotland to do likewise.

3.4 Officers have also sought to coordinate the development and promotion of the

ACC Scheme with colleagues at Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils who are

developing their own Schemes, along with SCOTSS. This is to ensure

consistent methods of engagement with and vetting of businesses, along with

advertising materials and publicity.

3.5 As anticipated, it can be difficult to attract members as there is no history of

such a Scheme in Aberdeen. Officers have also found that several businesses

have full order books for months in advance, and so have no compelling

business reason to join the Scheme. That said, officers will continue to explore

opportunities to publicise the Scheme with a view to attracting new members.

We will do so in concert with the Media Team, TS colleagues locally and across

Scotland, in concert with SCOTSS.

3.6 The home improvements market is still an issue for consumers and businesses

alike. This remains one of the most complained about sectors in the local

economy. On average, Trading Standards receives approximately 190

complaints per year from consumers, with approximately 90 complaints having

been received this calendar year already. The long-term hope is that this

Scheme will have a positive impact on these complaint levels.

4. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

4.1 The financial implications for this Service remain the same as was set out in the

original report: there is no financial burden on the TS budget in terms of

maintaining and supporting the Scheme.

4.2 The only change was that we expanded the offer of reduced membership fee

from the first 10 applicants to the first 20 for their first year. This was in the hope

it would encourage more businesses to sign up, which has encouraged an

additional 8 businesses to sign up. This means foregoing £1400 in income

instead of the original £700.

4.3 A total of 18 city businesses have joined, or are in the process of joining, the

Scheme. This leaves two reduced rate memberships still to be taken up after

which the Service will generate £70 income for each new member.

4.4 Although there is no financial commitment from the TS budget, use can be

made of the income generated from membership fees to promote the Scheme

locally to increase membership whilst also working with SCOTSS to secure

external sources of funding promotion, which they have been successful at

doing in the past.

5. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1 A contract with TDS to provide the platform and back-office administration of

the Scheme remains in place.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1 There are no direct environmental implications arising from the

recommendations of this report.

7. RISK

Category

Risks

Primary Controls/Control

Actions to achieve

Target Risk Level

*Target

Risk Level

(L, M or H)

*taking into

account

controls/control

actions

*Does

Target Risk

Level

Match

Appetite

Set?

Strategic

Risk

significant

risks

identified

N/A

Compliance

significant

risks

identified

N/A

Operational

The risk is

the

scheme

creates a

demand

for TS

officer

time.

This has already proven

to be the case as the

officer leading the

development of the

Scheme has dedicated

more and more of their

time over the past year

on task of setting up the

Scheme. However, it is

anticipated that once the

Scheme is in place, the

only requirement on

officer time will be the

process of vetting new

applicants. As with the

impending launch, it is

Yes

anticipated that TDS and

SCOTSS will lead on the

promotion of the Scheme

Scotland-wide.

Financial

The risk is

the

scheme

does not

become

self-

sustaining

There is no financial

commitment from the

ACC Trading Standards

budget to support the

Scheme, only officer time

in terms of vetting new

members.

As has been the case in

other authorities,

Schemes have become

self-sustaining.

Yes

Reputational

The risk of

the

scheme

not being

used by

either

traders or

residents,

and the

scheme

fails.

This was identified as a

risk in the original report,

and it remains so.

Officers continue to work

with partners to ensure

the Scheme is widely

publicised. The launch of

the ACC Scheme and

those of other new

members during the

week 1-7

September

2024 will help promote

the Scheme to city

residents and

businesses.

No such TS-led Scheme

has failed in Scotland.

Yes

Environment

/ Climate

significant

risks

identified

N/A

8. OUTCOMES

Council Delivery Plan 2024

Impact of Report

Aberdeen City Council

Policy Statement

Working in Partnership for

Aberdeen

The proposals within this report support the delivery

of the following aspects of the policy statement:

Seek to make Aberdeen Safer City by promoting

confidence in the householder when they are

choosing a tradesman to work in their home.

Aberdeen City Local Outcome Improvement Plan 2016-26

Prosperous Economy

Stretch Outcomes

As was stated in the original report, the impact of

this Scheme meets the overarching ends of the

Prosperous Economy section of the LOIP because

it is primarily aimed at increasing consumer

confidence in a problematic sector of the economy.

If this is successful, it should increase market

demand and increase business opportunities for

reputable businesses, particularly those who are

members of the scheme.

The scheme empowers consumers to make

informed decisions when contracting with traders

within the home improvements sector by providing

access to a list of local businesses who have been

vetted by Trading Standards. This vetting process

promotes regulatory compliance so that member

businesses are fully aware of their rights and

responsibilities when contracting with customers.

With higher levels of consumer confidence comes

increased demand and more business opportunities

for scheme members.

These consumer informed choices will also reduce

the risk of having to carry out equally expensive

remedial action where a job goes wrong. And if it

does, contracting with a Scheme member means

that the consumer has a dispute resolution (ADR)

mechanism to fall back on.

With better information on reliable, legally compliant

businesses, consumers will be more confident in

entering a market they may previously have been

wary of.

Prosperous People Stretch

Outcomes

N/A

Prosperous Place Stretch

Outcomes

N/A

Regional and City

Strategies

Trusted Trader Schemes were promoted as a scam

prevention tool in the Scottish Government’s (SG)

2021 Scams prevention, awareness, and

enforcement strategy.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scams-

prevention-awareness-enforcement-strategy-2021-

2024/

Developing an ACC Scheme adds to the network in

Scotland and helps achieve the aims of the SG’s

scam prevention strategy.

9. IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

Assessment

Outcome

Integrated Impact

Assessment

The original Integrated Impact Assessment relating to the

establishing of the Scheme in Aberdeen City has been

reviewed and no changes are required.

Data Protection Impact

Assessment

A DPIA assessment was completed for the original

report submitted in September 2023.

Other

None

10. BACKGROUND PAPERS

10.1 Original Committee Report of 5

September 2023: Establishing a Trusted

Trader Scheme in Aberdeen, Report Number RES/23/272

11. APPENDICES

11.1 None

12. REPORT AUTHOR CONTACT DETAILS

Name

Graeme Paton

Title

Trading Standards Manager

Email Address

gpaton@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Tel

01224 053307