POLICY
Pests in public holdings
All government estates will require some element of public health pest management. Hospitals, schools, council contracts, social housing, prisons and parliament buildings have agreements with pest professionals for proactive and reactive pest management support.
This support is normally in the form of a pest management contract agreement between the organisation and a private pest management company.
Many of these contracts go through a form of tender process. However, the specification requirements vary wildly across regions, types of premises and estates.
Housing association took over a year to deal with complaint of home with ‘mice in every room’
...from what I’ve seen and from what I know of the organisation in terms of their repairs and prioritising customers’ needs, it’s an absolute disgrace. I believe that now people will be able to see how bad things are with that organisation and I welcome it.
Kwajo Tweneboa / The Big Issue / 12 May 2022
Government-endorsed quality
The government already has an approved scheme for quality pest control companies: TrustMark. Despite this, TrustMark is not a prerequisite for a pest management company to work on a government-controlled estate.
TrustMark is the UK government-endorsed quality scheme encompassing many trades that work in and around homes. TrustMark was started in 2005 and is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to raise standards and help people choose a trusted tradesperson.
UK-wide coverage
All BPCA members are TrustMark registered, meaning 80% of all pest management work is already carried out by a TrustMark-registered company throughout the UK.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Specify that all government-controlled estates must choose a TrustMark registered pest management company, wherever possible.
Encouraging the use of TrustMark registered companies signifies a commitment to quality and reliability in pest management services. By endorsing TrustMark registered companies over others, the aim is to promote trust and confidence among consumers, particularly in relation to pest control services across various estates.
TrustMark registration signifies adherence to industry standards and codes of conduct, thereby enhancing transparency and accountability in the provision of pest management services.
This policy aim seeks to elevate standards within the industry and empower consumers to make informed decisions when seeking pest control assistance.
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