The charity said it had made improvements after it was slapped with a zero food hygiene rating
Photo showing a mouse dropping inside a Croc shoe during an April food hygiene inspection of Wirral Change(Image: Wirral Council)
A Wirral charity said they were heartbroken after they were given a zero food hygiene rating following widespread evidence of a mouse infestation.
Wirral Change, a charity based on St Laurence Drive, provided a number of services aimed at empowering and supporting ethnic minority communities across Wirral. It looks to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment and has been operating since 2006.
However the business was slapped with the lowest possible food hygiene rating following an inspection by Wirral Council’s environmental health service of its kitchens and food stores on April 2 this year. The business voluntarily closed the kitchen to allow it to address the issues found.
Wirral Change said they had made immediate and lasting improvements with a community hub offering free meals put under the management of an experienced staff member. The charity said it was committed to meeting the highest standards and expected an improvement at its next food hygiene inspection.
A report from the April inspection, seen by the LDRS following a food hygiene inspection, said there was “widespread evidence of mouse activity.” Photos provided to the LDRS show mouse droppings found under counter units in the kitchen, on the floor in the dining room, inside a Croc left on the floor, and on a store room shelf alongside grease and dirt.
Droppings picked up from a shelf to show staff what to look for as these had been missed in April(Image: Wirral Council)
As a result, the business got the lowest possible scores and urgent improvement was deemed to be necessary. The report said the charity was aware of the pest activity following a recent visit by the council “but had not picked up the evidence we found during the revisit in your daily pest checks that morning, which had been ticked as being completed.”
The inspector added: “To ensure food safety you must have adequate procedures in place to control pests including mice. It is imperative that robust controls are put in place now and for the long term to ensure that the pest activity is adequately controlled and monitored regularly, especially as this is an old building.
“You must also have adequate procedures in place to protect food against any contamination likely to render it unfit for human consumption, injurious to health or contaminated in such a way that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be consumed in that state.
A photo taken during a April food hygiene inspection of Wirral Change where mouse droppings were found(Image: Wirral Council)
“In addition to the mouse activity, we discovered that the wash hand basin in the kitchen was out of order due to an issue with the drainage and there was also no hot water available in the building due to an issue with the boiler. You had someone attending to the boiler at the time of the visit and hot water was reinstated by the time we left, but you had not put any alternative measures in place at the time of the visit, to provide a source of hot water for cleaning and washing hands and you were preparing and cooking food for the following day, at the time we arrived.
“You did not therefore, have suitable controls in place to protect food, and/or equipment from contamination by mice which are known carries of disease and food poisoning bacteria such as E.Coli, Salmonella etc. Such conditions therefore presented an imminent risk of injury to health.
“As a result of the conditions found you indicated that you were willing to voluntarily close the business.”
The charity was told it had to carry out a deep clean of the kitchen, dining room, and stores and monitor the situation going forward. An appointment to allow the business to reopen was scheduled for April 8 if the issue was no longer deemed to exist with 11 instructions given.
Wirral Change said it had made significant improvements to its kitchen following the inspection(Image: Wirral Change)
Yang Liu, the charity’s general manager said: “It is of course heart-breaking to receive the outcome of the food hygiene inspection in April. As a long-standing charity dedicated to supporting Wirral’s ethnic minority communities, our primary focus has always been on providing tailored support services such as advice, employment, resettlement, and well-being support.
“The community hub, where occasional free meals are offered to those facing food insecurity, has not been a central part of our service delivery.
“The inspection provided a valuable opportunity for us to learn and make immediate and lasting improvements. Since the report, the hub has been placed under the management of an experienced staff member who ensures that all hygiene procedures are strictly followed.
“We have increased the frequency of pest control visits to once every two weeks and take prompt action based on their advice. Any potential entry points or vulnerable areas have been professionally sealed to prevent any risk of infestation.
“While we have always maintained regular cleaning routines, we have now enhanced these efforts by introducing a professional deep-cleaning service on a scheduled basis to ensure our hygiene standards are consistently met and exceeded. All food is clearly labelled and handled in line with proper health and safety procedures.
“We are now awaiting a follow-up inspection and are confident that, thanks to the measures we’ve implemented, a significant improvement will be recognised. We remain fully committed to offering a safe and supportive space for our community and will continue to ensure that all our services, including the community hub, meet the highest standards.”