That is why Gwynedd Council has taken the lead, and has arranged a number of training sessions for staff from the county’s residential homes. This innovative initiative, which is one of the first of its kind in Wales has been made possible through funding from the Food Standards Agency.

Officers from Gwynedd Council’s Food Section of the Public Protection Unit have been  promoting the latest version of the easy to follow pack known as Safer Food Better Business (SFBB), which has been specifically adapted for managers and owners of  residential care homes.

In collaboration  with CMi,  a company recognised by the Food Standards Agency as being one of  the most experienced providers of SFBB training and coaching support, the Council’s Food Team has organised a number of training sessions for managers of both Council and privately owned care homes throughout the county.

 
Bleddyn Davies, Gwynedd Council’s Public Protection Manager for Food and Health and Safety said:
“Gwynedd Council is proud of its record of working in partnership with responsible residential care homes and we are committed to helping them achieve their legal food safety requirements in a simple and effective manner.” 

Dafydd Williams, Gwynedd Council Catering Services Manager added:

“The SFBB pack is simple to follow and aims to reduce the regulatory burden on our staff in Council-run homes, without compromising our standards of food safety. It also provides an excellent training resource for staff.”

The first training session held at the Celtic Royal Hotel Caernarfon was attended by staff from twelve homes. Continued support will also be provided as the course tutor visits every home, where staff can be shown how to apply the principles of cooking and chilling food safely, as well as how to avoid cross-contamination and clean effectively. 

Iwan Pritchard, manager of Plas Garnedd residential home in Llanberis who attended the recent training session, noted:

‘’The SFBB course that was offered by Gwynedd Council free of charge to caterers and managers of Gwynedd care homes was excellent. It was concise and relevant to our work, highlighting the importance of safe food handling and preparation when dealing with vulnerable groups of people."

To follow on from the successful first event at the Celtic Royal Hotel in Caernarfon, further sessions will be held at the Oakley Arms in Maentwrog and Encil y Coed, Criccieth in the near future.

A free copy of the full SFBB pack can be downloaded from the FSA website: www.food.gov.uk as well as an introduction explaining how to use it. In this website the pack is laid out in a user friendly section by section format. Paper copies can also be ordered by calling FSA publications on 0845 606 0667 or e-mail: foodstandards@ecgroup.uk.com