Milton Keynes Trading Standards
Buy with Confidence’ a trader approval scheme
Application Guidance
Introduction
Thank you for contacting us about becoming a member of our Buy with
Confidence scheme (BWC). Please read this introduction before completing
the application form.
Buy With Confidence is designed to improve the information available to
persons seeking reliable businesses by offering a list of businesses and
individuals audited by Trading Standards.
It is not a pre-contractual requirement for businesses seeking contracts with
local authorities or other bodies and does not guarantee access to such
contracts.
Membership availability
Applications for membership will be considered from businesses based in the
administrative area of local authorities currently operating BWC; these are
shown on the website www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk.
We will also consider applications from businesses trading regionally or
nationally. We will consider each such application on its own merits and whilst
we will expect that such applicants meet the terms and conditions of
membership we will make appropriate arrangements to administer the
application and membership.
It is necessary to successfully pass the application process to gain
membership.
Applications may be refused on the basis that the business activities are
regarded as being unlawful, not in the wider community interest or in conflict
with the well-being of customers.
Businesses must have been trading for a minimum of 6 months prior to
membership being granted. If you are a new business or only just starting
working directly with individuals please contact us as we can help you get
started.
Membership is subject to an audit designed to establish that the applicant
meets the standards required by the scheme as set out in the Code of
Conduct and the Terms and Conditions.
Fees
You will be required to pay fees as set out by your administering local
authority which generally will be the Trading Standards authority in which your
business is based.
The application process
The application process is carried out by the local authority in which your
business is based or by the managing authority and as such there are some
variations. However we will make it clear what information we expect from
you, what we will do and the amount of any fees required.
We may use Trading Standards South East Ltd (TSSE Ltd) to carry out part of
the administration of the application process which may include the
processing of application fees. TSSE Ltd is a company operated by Trading
Standards Services from councils across the south east of England.
We have a structured audit process in place to enable us to ensure we have
assessed your business properly. However we recognise that each business
is different, varying in size from individuals to regional and national groups, so
we will ask you to explain how you work before we start.
We will expect you to show that you are able to meet the terms and conditions
of Buy With Confidence. We will place particular emphasis on customer
service and safety plus compliance with applicable legislation
The application form
If you would prefer to complete a printed form that will be fine, just post it back
to the address shown on the website for your nearest Local Authority.
Where appropriate please simply mark an ‘x’ in the boxes provided.
If you have any questions about this form or the BWC scheme, please don’t
hesitate to contact us on [email protected]
This form has been designed to capture information for a range of service
providers who may be individuals, partnerships or limited companies. This
means that some parts of the form may not be relevant to you. Please
complete the sections that are relevant to you and put n/a in the sections that
do not apply to you.
Notes on completing the form
Data Protection
Your personal data will be held and managed by TSSE Ltd and the local
authority in which your business is based or the authority that is managing the
scheme in your area.
Your personal data will be processed and stored by the local authority in
accordance with their Data Protection statement which will be published on
their website.
If your application is processed by TSSE Ltd they will process and store your
data in accordance with their Data Protection statement at
http://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/HowToApply/BWCPages/HowToApply.a
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You can only become an approved member of the scheme, with your details
listed on the BWC website, after you provide all requested information and
complete the full application process.
We will make checks to verify the information that you provide.
Your details
We need to understand who you are and where we and prospective clients
can contact you.
Advertising and Marketing
We will check that any advertising complies with current legislation and
guidance.
Once your membership has been approved you can include the BWC logo in
advertising but it must be removed if you subsequently are no longer part of
the scheme.
Ability to work in the UK
It is your responsibility to ensure that you and any staff are lawfully permitted
to work in the UK. We require that you state that you have checks in place to
ensure that you can meet this responsibility.
Guidance on working in the UK is available at
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/
Criminal Records Checks (DBS)
It is a requirement of the scheme that all applicants and staff to whom Clause
3.3 of the Terms and Conditions apply produce a Basic Disclosure Certificate.
If you have existing staff who do not have Disclosure Certificates and you
intend that they should carry out the activities described in Clause 3.3 it would
be sensible to discuss this requirement with them as you will need them to
agree that you can apply for a Disclosure check.
If your business has procedures in place to ensure that staff or persons subcontracted to you have Disclosure Certificates we may not need to see the
individual certificates but will expect you to provide evidence that you can
ensure that any person who carries out relevant activity has a current
Certificate.
We have published guidance on the use of Disclosure Certificates. If you are
applying for membership and you know that either you or one of your
employees has previous convictions you should discuss this with us.
We will assess all previous convictions on an individual case-by-case basis.
Terms & Conditions of Approval
Completing the application form is your agreement to allow us to carry out the
searches and enquiries as shown.
On completing and returning the form we will make some initial checks based
on the information you provide and in returning this form you give us
permission to do so.