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Good Hygiene Certificate/ discrimination against disabled
I wonder if you could help me clear up an issue regarding the requirement for a food hygiene certificate.
My father in law lives in sheltered accommodation . He is 89 , has several health issues and is disabled.
He has been living there happily for over 7 years and enjoys socialising with other residents in the ground floor communal lounge four days a week. They have many activities including Coffee Afternoons and Quiz nights etc all which is good for their mental health and well being.
Until recently the residents had afternoon tea and cakes prepared in the communal kitchen and more recently one resident cooked brunch for a few of them. Unfortunately one disgruntled resident took it upon their self to complain to Anchor head office and now a directive has been issued to the effect that none of the residents can use the communal kitchen without a food Hygiene certificate, which in itself it utter nonsense. How can you expect elderly residents to obtain a food hygiene certificate. Many of them live between the walls of ****** and never venture out into the outside world because of their disabilities. This is their home and the activities and social side is their life line.
Now this has been cruelly taken away and I fear that Anchor are discriminating against the disabled people that live there. It would be totally impossible for my father in law to carry a cup of tea and a sandwich from his flat to the communal lounge. If he’s not in a wheelchair , he’s using a walking frame. Many of the residents are in the same situation. So now they can no longer spend hours downstairs socialising as although there is a communal kitchen , and this is a basic kitchen and by no means an industrial kitchen, they are no longer allowed to use this without a certificate. So now they are virtually prisoners in their own homes and I fear the affect this will have on their health.
Please can you advise me if there is a legal requirement for these residents to have a certificate ? I know that the council would not require them to have a certificate so perhaps I’ve answered my own question. As a former council officer I know what was required by certain organisations but in my time I never came across housing in sheltered accommodation where residents were required to have a food hygiene certificate to make a cup of tea or warm up sausage rolls for other residents in a communal kitchen which incidentally they are most probably paying for within their service charges. What would be the purpose of a communal kitchen if they couldn’t use it ?
My father in law lives in sheltered accommodation . He is 89 , has several health issues and is disabled.
He has been living there happily for over 7 years and enjoys socialising with other residents in the ground floor communal lounge four days a week. They have many activities including Coffee Afternoons and Quiz nights etc all which is good for their mental health and well being.
Until recently the residents had afternoon tea and cakes prepared in the communal kitchen and more recently one resident cooked brunch for a few of them. Unfortunately one disgruntled resident took it upon their self to complain to Anchor head office and now a directive has been issued to the effect that none of the residents can use the communal kitchen without a food Hygiene certificate, which in itself it utter nonsense. How can you expect elderly residents to obtain a food hygiene certificate. Many of them live between the walls of ****** and never venture out into the outside world because of their disabilities. This is their home and the activities and social side is their life line.
Now this has been cruelly taken away and I fear that Anchor are discriminating against the disabled people that live there. It would be totally impossible for my father in law to carry a cup of tea and a sandwich from his flat to the communal lounge. If he’s not in a wheelchair , he’s using a walking frame. Many of the residents are in the same situation. So now they can no longer spend hours downstairs socialising as although there is a communal kitchen , and this is a basic kitchen and by no means an industrial kitchen, they are no longer allowed to use this without a certificate. So now they are virtually prisoners in their own homes and I fear the affect this will have on their health.
Please can you advise me if there is a legal requirement for these residents to have a certificate ? I know that the council would not require them to have a certificate so perhaps I’ve answered my own question. As a former council officer I know what was required by certain organisations but in my time I never came across housing in sheltered accommodation where residents were required to have a food hygiene certificate to make a cup of tea or warm up sausage rolls for other residents in a communal kitchen which incidentally they are most probably paying for within their service charges. What would be the purpose of a communal kitchen if they couldn’t use it ?
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