| Trading Standards Institute | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | TSI |
| Predecessor | Institute of Trading Standards Administration (founded 1956) |
| Formation | 1881 |
| Type | Trade association |
| Purpose/focus | Trading standards in the UK |
| Location | 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Laindon Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH |
| Region served | UK |
| Membership | British trading standards officers |
| Chief Executive | Ron Gainsford OBE |
| Main organ | TSI Board |
| Website | TSI |
| Former name | Incorporated Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures (founded 1881) |
The Trading Standards Institute is the professional association which represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas.
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The Institute of Trading Standards Administration (ITSA) was based at Backford Hall at Backford, north of Chester, now in Cheshire West and Chester. This site was headquarters of Trading Standards for Cheshire County Council, and now the Calibration Service[1] of Cheshire West and Chester Trading Standards.
The Hampton Report of 2005 has led to the creation of the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) (Previously the (CTSA) Consumer and Trading Standards Agency).[2] LBRO will 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 gives an enhanced role for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The OFT will set national priorities and coordinate performance management of local authority Trading Standards services.
TSI performs an important and influencing role in engaging with, and making 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 host the UK ECC which provides consumer advice with regards to cross border disputes within the EU and also the UK ECCS
TSI has five broad corporate aims:
It holds National Consumer Week in late November. In June it holds its conference.
The headquarters are sited in the Southfields area of Laindon, directly south of the Dunton Technical Centre of Ford of Europe, off the B148.
TSI members typically work in one of (approximately) 200 Trading Standards offices around the United Kingdom, provided by local authorities, except in Northern Ireland, where Trading Standards is provided by central government. Trading Standards work with consumers and businesses to maintain fair trading and safety of consumer goods.
The TSI Chair is Leon Livermore, who is Head of trading standards at Cambridgeshire County Council. Leon was elected in July 2011 and took over the role of Chairman from Peter Heafield, who has recently retired from Lincolnshire trading standards.
Trading Standards services work in partnership with Consumer Direct, a call centre based consumer advice service which has been available across the UK since April 2006. Consumer Direct (08454 040 506) provides a single contact point where simple enquiries may be dealt with directly and others referred to the relevant Trading Standards office.