With effect from 1 October 2018, animal boarding businesses (including home boarders, doggy day care settings and crèches), dog breeders, premises selling animals as pets and those hiring out horses will be covered under a new single type of animal license. It will be known as an 'animal activity licence', with nationally-set licence conditions for businesses providing animal-related services.
Register of current animal licences
The full list of businesses that currently hold an animal activity licence in Salford can be found at public facing licensing register. The register shows the business name, address, the type of animal activity licence(s) held and the star rating awarded.
Businesses operating with any of these activities will need to comply with the new conditions, and will be assessed before the licence is granted to ensure they are being met.
Those businesses operating under current licences will be able to continue to do so until the expiry date of their licence i.e. 31 December 2018. From 1 October 2018, all applications to renew animal licences will be under the new legislation.
The new licence conditions and guides to compliance can be found under the links on the right for each animal licensing activity.
Please be aware that although this legislation came into effect on 1 October 2018, local authorities across the country have received limited guidance information from DEFRA. As such we are working as quickly as we can, trying to determine what the legal changes are and the practical implications to licence holders. We also need to put in place new inspection programme, which takes into account the new rating system (see below) and implement a new fee structure.
You may not think that what you are doing is classed as a ‘business’, you may believe that it is a hobby or a past time, but you could actually fall within the scope of the new licensing requirements and it’s best to check with Environmental Health. In general, if you make a profit or you earn any commission or fee from the activity then you are likely to require a licence. The government has issued further guidance on this matter and if you generate more than £1,000 of profit or trading income this will mean that you are classed as a business and will therefore require to be licensed. If Salford City Council believes that you are operating a business but you disagree, you will have to demonstrate by documentary evidence as to why this is the case. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website and also within each DEFRA guidance document, the links to which can be found under each specific licence activity page.
The application process
Existing licence holders will need to apply to their renew their licences under the new laws ten weeks before the renewal date.
The new application forms can be found under the specific licence page.
Once the application has been received, we will examine the information provided and determine if a Veterinary Officer is required to inspect the premises. Once the application has been processed an Environmental Health Officer will contact you to arrange an inspection.
Inspections
All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:
The premises itself will also be assessed so we can be sure the licence holder can meet the new laws relating to the physical environment in which the animals will be kept.
Introduction of new ‘Star Rating Scheme’
The legislation introduces a requirement for animal activity licensed premises to be rated and issued with a star rating, ranging from one to five. The star rating is based on a combination of the businesses ability to comply with the animal welfare standards and risk, taking into account the past history of compliance.
Businesses classed as ‘low’ risk can attain a maximum five stars, whereas premises classed as ‘high’ risk can attain a maximum of four stars.
Premises with lower star ratings
A premises with a lower star rating is not necessarily a premises to avoid as there are other factors that have to be considered, such as the length of time the licence holder has been operating. New businesses will be assessed as slightly higher risk simply because there is no history of good practice that can be considered.
If you have any questions, please contact dogwardens@salford.gov.uk.
How do I know if I am a ‘low’ or ‘high’ risk business?
Determining whether a business is ‘low’ or ‘high’ risk is quite complex and a thorough explanation is detailed within DEFRA’s procedural guidance which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
In essence, the inspecting officer will determine if you are a low or high risk business, based on the following:
| Criteria | Low (score 1) | High (score 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance history - inspections | Documented evidence from formal inspections over the previous three years reveal consistent and high levels of compliance in terms of welfare standards and risk management. | Formal inspections over the previous three years reveal some degree of non-compliance that has required the intervention of the inspector for the business to ultimately recognise and address these. More serious breaches would attract other enforcement action: suspension, revocation, prosecution. |
| Compliance history – follow up action | No evidence of follow-up action by local authority in the last year apart from providing the licence holder with a copy of the inspection report, or sending them a letter identifying some minor, administrative areas for improvement (eg minor record keeping issues). | Follow up action by the local authority, such as sending them letters, triggered by low level non-compliance that is not addressed, or the business does not recognise the significance of the need to address the non-compliance. |
| Compliance history – re-inspection | No re-inspection necessary (apart from standard unannounced inspection) before next planned licence inspection / renewal | Re-inspection necessary to ensure compliance. |
| Complaint history – complaints to the local authority | No complaints received direct to the local authority that are justified in relation to welfare standards or procedural issues during the previous three years. | Low level substantiated complaints identifying concerns over the business / licence holder have been received within the previous three years. |
| Complaint history – complaints to the business | Licence holder records and documents any feedback received directly, in order to demonstrate compliance and willingness to address issues, and can provide evidence of this. | Licence holder does not record feedback received directly or show willingness to address any issues identified. |
| Appreciation of welfare standards - enrichment | Sound understanding by the licence holder of relevant environmental enrichment applicable to the activity (guided by expert advice), with demonstrated implementation. | Little environmental enrichment present, inconsistently used and its importance not understood or really valued. |
| Appreciation of hazards / risks | Licence holder clearly understands their role and responsibilities under the legislation. Hazards to both staff and animals clearly understood, properly controlled and reviewed with supporting evidence where applicable. | Licence holder not fully engaged with their role/responsibilities, lacks time to fulfil role, no system for review and reassessment of hazards to both animals and staff. |
| Appreciation of hazards / risks - maintenance | A suitably planned maintenance, repair and replacement program for infrastructure and equipment is in place. | No planned maintenance program. Building, installations and equipment allowed to deteriorate before action is implemented. |
| Appreciation of hazards / risks – knowledge and experience | Staff have specialist and appropriate knowledge of the taxa / species that are kept. There is sufficient staff, time and resource for daily, adequate routine monitoring, evidenced through records and staff rotas. | Key staff lack experience / knowledge of the species. Staff appear overburdened and / or unsupported by management, corners being cut. |
| Appreciation of hazards / risks – dealing with issues | Clear defined roles / responsibilities of staff, with clear processes for reporting and addressing any identified issues. | Lack of any process, or ownership and responsibility within the business to identify and deal with issues. |
| Welfare management procedures – written procedures | Written procedures / policies clearly documented, implemented and reviewed appropriately. | Limited written procedures / polices. No overall strategic control or direction. |
| Welfare management procedures – supervision of staff | Appropriate supervision of staff evident where applicable. | Inadequate supervision of staff evident on inspection or from the training records. |
| Welfare management procedures – record keeping | All required records maintained and made available. | Poor standard of record keeping, records out of date or appear to be being manufactured – relevance of records not appreciated. |
| Welfare management procedures - training | Planned training programme for staff to review and assess competency, with documented training records. | Little or no evidence of relevant training or system for review and reassessment. |
Total score of 17 or less = low risk
Score of 18 or more = higher risk
Where there is any uncertainty, if a business cannot provide satisfactory evidence that it is low risk in a given category, it will be scored as high risk. When assessing risk, the inspector will also factor in the scale of the business.
How are the star ratings awarded?
Once the inspector has established whether you are a low or high risk business, the inspector then determines the number of stars that can be awarded, based on how compliant the businesses is in meeting the welfare standards, as detailed in the table below:
| Scoring matrix | Welfare standards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor failings (existing business that are failing to meet minimum standards) |
Minimum standards (as laid down in the schedules and guidance) |
Higher standards (as laid down in the guidance) |
||
| Risk | Low risk | One star One year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 12 month period |
Three star Two year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 24 month period |
Five star Three year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 36 month period |
| High risk | One star One year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 12 month period |
Two star One year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 24 month period |
Four star Two year licence Minimum one unannounced visit within 24 month period |
|
Welfare standards
The welfare standards are those set out in the regulations and guidance to the regulations. All businesses should meet the standards to get a licence and therefore receive a two or three star rating. However, minor failings that do not compromise the welfare of animals, eg minor administrative issues, will allow for a licence to be issued but with a rating of only one star.
The guidance to the regulations includes a number of higher standards, which businesses may aspire to, in order to receive a higher standard rating. These are divided into required and optional. A business needs to meet all the required higher standards and 50% of the optional ones to qualify as meeting the higher standards.
The higher standards are specific to the type of activity but in general relate to things like level of qualifications, exercise and enrichment availability and staff ratios. Those businesses achieving higher standards will receive a rating of four or five stars.
If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.