Support, Training & Services PLC

The company was established in 1986 by Neil Rush to provide food safety and health & safety consultancy and training services. Prior to establishing the company Neil was an Environmental Health Officer in a number of Surrey and London authorities before his final appointment as Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer at Rushmoor Borough Council in Hampshire.

Neil is Managing Director of the company and is assisted in the management of the company by his wife Jennifer, who is Financial Director and Company Secretary, Fiona Sinclair, UK Consultancy Manager, John McLaughlin, Technical Manager (Supplier Assessment), David Natolie, Health & Safety Manager, Corinna Kamp, Training Co-ordinator and Hannah Cook Administration Manager.

The company has always had a significant involvement with the National Health Service from its early days when Neil advised both Hammersmith Hospital and Charing Cross Hospitals, following their formal closurer by the Environmental Health Officer when Crown Immunity was removed in 1987. For the last twelve years STS have managed the food supplier assessment programme on behalf of the NHS in England initially and subsequently for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. STS audit suppliers to the NHS against a comprehensive Code of Practice drawn up by STS with reference to industry standards and good manufacturing practice. For England STS also investigate all food complaints on behalf of NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency.

Our business has grown, in many cases by recommendation, to all sectors of the food industry.

For the British Army STS developed their first HACCP system, in conjunction with the Home Authority, called SIMSAF.

For the airline industry we developed in-house training programmes for both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways, for the later undertaking an extensive programme of training cabin crew on food safety standards.

For the restaurant and hotel sector we have been professional advisers on safety matters to the Restaurant Association and following its merger with the British Hospitality Association, proffesional advisers and patron suppliers to their 35,000 members. We also work with a number of major companies, including Nandos, for whom we provide a comprehensive food safety and health & safety auditing programme.

For the educational sector we developed the food safety and health & safety documentation for Surrey County Council Commercial Services, as well as providing a staff workbook and training management to the CIEH Advanced Food Hygiene Certificate level. This assisted the authority to achieve the Best Food Safety Policy Award of the Hotel Catering and International Management Association.

STS is a ISO9001:2000 registered firm having developed our quality system initially to meet the needs of our supplier assessment programme but subsequently to cover all elements of our business.

The company is also EN45011 accredited for food product certification against the British Retail Consortium Global Standard - Food. For the University sector we developed food safety management systems for Nottingham University, London School of Economics and Royal Holloway. We undertake programmed audits to determine compliance with the documentation.

For food manufacturers we have assisted with company documentation, staff training and auditing to the STS standard, NHS standard or the British Retail Global Standard - Food.

For the major British Tour Operators, including Thomas Cook, First Choice and Thomsons, we undertake proactive auditing of hotels worldwide as well as reactive work when there is any significant illness at a hotel or resort destination. We worked closely with the Federation of Tour Operators in the design and content of the Preferred Code of Practice for Food Safety. For First Choice Holidays we implemented a comprehensive HACCP system in their hotels and chalets for their ski programme, undertaking staff training and auditing throughout the season. This programme was awarded Excellence in Management Advisory Services by the Foodservice Consultants Society International in Vienna.



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