Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to pay to access the system?
- Food Business not listed?
- How does the search mechanism work?
- How is the award scheme calculated?
- I can't get past where I accept the disclaimer?
- Which Businesses are listed?
- Incorrect data
- Where is my certificate?
- Where does this information come from?
- Can I use the logo?
Q: Do I have to pay to access the system?
A: No. Councils subscribe to the service and provide the information free-of-charge to the Public as part of their obligations under Freedom of Information and Environmental Information RegulationsI.
Food Business not listed?Q: What if my local Council does subscribe to the service, but the Restaurant I am interested in is still not listed?
A: It may be that no Inspection information is available (for example if the Food Business was new), or that details have not been uploaded yet. In certain cases, your local Council might decide to withhold details from the site. This might happen, for example, if there was a prosecution case pending. Contact your local Environment Health department for more information via the menu item FIND A COUNCIL.
How does the search mechanism work?Q: Do I have to enter something into every box? Can I enter part of a name etc?
A: You can enter as much or as little information (including none for a full search) into the search boxes as you like. The more information you enter, the more targeted the search. The less you enter, the more results you should get back.
How is the award scheme calculated?Q: How do I know what the star ratings mean?
A: If you click on the name of the award scheme (you will see an underline appear) then an explanation of the award scheme should appear in a seperate box.
I can't get past where I accept the disclaimer?Q: After selecting a restaurant, the system shows a disclaimer with two choices - accept or do not accept and understand the disclaimer. But no matter how often I click on these, it just brings me back to the same place.
A: Either a) your browser is set to disallow cookies, or b) your site administrator has applied strong security measures. If a) you need to temporarily enable cookies to view this data. [You can disable them again and delete the cookie straight afterwards if you wish]. If b) contact your site administrator and request that access is permitted to the site.
Which Businesses are listed?Q: Which Food Business details are listed?
A: Only those within the catchment area of those Councils which subscribe to the service. If the business you are interested in is not shown, then you can make a request to the relevant local council for disclosure of Inspection records under FoI.
Incorrect dataQ: I am a proprietor and the information about my business appears to be incorrect, or not up to date. Who do I contact?
A: The information is maintained by your local council and NOT the providers of the IT/web hosting service. Click on FIND A COUNCIL, select the authority which carried out your inspection. The system will display the details of those responsible for maintaining and updating the content of the information. The council's policy document will give details about the scheme, including how frequently the information is updated.
Where is my certificate?Q: Our authority is a member of the scheme. We run a food business and had an inspection recently, but haven't received our certificate. Who do we contact?
A: The certificates are issued by your local council and NOT the providers of the web hosting service. Click on FIND A COUNCIL, select the authority which carried out your inspection. The system will display the details of those responsible for sending certificates out. Not all authorities issue certificates.
Where does this information come from?Q: Where does this information come from?
A: The information is a subset of the data held by Councils relating to Food Hygiene Inspections. Please note that TransparencyData assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. If you believe the information is incorrect in any way, please contact the relevant Environmental Health department. Their contact details can be found by clicking on the menu item FIND A COUNCIL.
Can I use the logo?Q: We are a food business and have just received a good rating following our inspection. Can we use the Scores on the Doors logo as part of our publicity?
A: Yes. If you send an email to the contact point at your local council, they should be able to provide a print resolution version of the logo. Select FIND A COUNCIL above or email support@scoresonthedoors.org.uk.
