Company forced to rethink plans to hire "owner drivers"
A company which will be providing schools meals in Hammersmith and Fulham from November has been forced to rethink the way it plans to deliver some of the food.
Concerns about safety and hygiene were raised after adverts appeared inviting "owner drivers" to apply for jobs transporting food in their own vans or estate cars.
The ads read: " Owner Drivers Required. With van or estate car for deliveries in the Hammersmith and Fulham area."
Now the company which placed the ads, Eden Foodservices, says it is investigating the situation and assessing alternative methods.
The company has been awarded a three year contract worth £4 million a year to provide school meals by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Under the contract Eden Foodservice will provide catering services to more than 14,000 pupils at the borough's schools. This includes 31 primary schools, five secondary schools, five special schools, five independent schools, four nurseries, one sixth-form college and a pupil referral unit.
Hammersmith & Fulham currently has the highest uptake of school meals within the UK in primary, nursery and special schools.
In most cases, the food will be cooked fresh on the premises, but nine schools do not have their own kitchens and so the food must be brought from other schools. Up till now it has been carried in council vehicles, but Eden Foodservices were intending to change that by offering members of the public up to £48 per day to carry the food from one school to another and then return the empty containers.
The agency recruiting drivers on behalf of Eden Foodservices said that criminal checks would be carried out on all employees and vehicles would be checked to make sure that they were spotlessly clean. However, Stephen Cowan, leader of the council's Labour opposition claims that the company did not object when he told them he used his car to carry horticultural items such as compost.
He added that this would make him reconsider whether his own two children should have schools meals and said: " I'm not sure many parents will be happy when they find out about this."
Eden Foodservices, which has contracts to provide schools meals with 25 other local authorities, said that in light of the concerns raised, it would be carrying out a full investigation.
The company said it would assess alternative means of transport prior to the start of its contract and in the meantime, " as an interim measure" Hammersmith and Fulham Council would provide all transport requirements for the delivery of school meals.
October 26, 2009
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