Trading Standards Service Performance Report 2024 to 2025
Protecting the Vulnerable
- the Service has signed a partnership agreement with the National Scams Team (NST) to help in identifying, advising and educating those vulnerable local consumers who are being targeted by scam mail and other mass marketing scams. As a result, officers have contacted over 40 victims following priority referrals from the NST
- no cold calling zones have been introduced around the Borough to reduce the number of bogus callers and rogue traders operating in particular areas and to help educate and empower residents in dealing effectively with cold callers. During the year, another new zone was established, bringing the total number within the Borough to over 150
- working in conjunction with colleagues from Environmental Health, joint visits were carried out to all funeral directors in the Borough, to ensure that they were operating to a high standard of care, dignity and respect. This came after concerns were raised nationally about standards within the sector, following a serious incident in another part of the country
- work around scams awareness and fraud prevention is ongoing. Trading Standards Officers regularly send notifications on current and trending scams to the Council's Media Team for circulation via social media and press releases. Articles on scams awareness continue to be published in Stockton-on-Tees News and officers attend regional multi agency meetings to coordinate measures around fraud prevention
