A toolkit to help businesses in the Heart of the South West to reopen safely has been shared across the country by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The Better Business for All toolkit was created to provide information and links to help businesses understand what their regulatory and legal responsibilities are and what they must do to restart their business safely.
Better Business for All (BBFA) is a partnership of local authorities, business groups, regulators and trading standards services in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay, who, in partnership with the Heart of the South West Growth Hub, created the toolkit.
The toolkit provides useful documents including a risk assessment template, action plan, business checklists and safety guides. It answers questions ranging from ‘can I open?’ right through to how to reopen safely; travel advice for employees and visitors; and guidance on personal protective equipment and hygiene.
Thanks to the success of the toolkit in the Heart of the South West, BEIS has shared it with local authorities, business groups and trading standards services across the country. East Sussex County Trading Standards Department, Charnwood Council and Sussex Chamber of Commerce are a handful of organisations that have adopted the toolkit and shared it with their communities and partners.
Heart of the South West LEP Chair Karl Tucker said: “This is an excellent resource from the award-winning partnership Better Business for All. It provides very thorough and detailed guidance, as well as useful documents such as a risk assessment template, an action plan and business checklists.
“The Heart of the South West economy has been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, so it’s important that those businesses that can open are given the support they need to stay safe and resilient.
“This new toolkit has been produced in partnership with the BBFA and our Growth Hub, which is on hand to provide wider business support to any company in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
“It is fantastic to see the toolkit is being shared and used across the country. The more people and businesses that can benefit from this guidance and advice the better chance we have of seeing our economy recover.â€
The BBFA Toolkit is available here. For the latest Covid-19 support and guidance for businesses, and information on Government schemes, please visit the Heart of the South West Growth Hub website.
And for further trading standards information visit the Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards website.
