GBGB SECURES UKAS ACCREDITATION
~ Regulator meets licensing requirements guaranteeing high standard of greyhound welfare ~
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain is pleased to announce it has successfully maintained its accreditation from the government-recognised United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) for its racecourse inspection and licensing processes.
Having first achieved UKAS accreditation in 2010, GBGB has consistently met internationally agreed standards for licensing and certification services, guaranteeing the high standard of greyhound welfare at its tracks across the country. This means that UKAS certifies GBGB’s track inspection and licensing processes against the Rules of Racing as being competent, impartial and fit for purpose.
As part of securing accreditation, GBGB must undergo two inspections from UKAS’ independent assessors each year. One is an audit of field-based activities, where assessors observe a GBGB Stipendiary Steward undertaking a racecourse inspection, and the other is a review of the GBGB certification body carried out at the Head Office. There is also a full re-accreditation audit every fourth year.
In this year’s report, UKAS pointed to The Greyhound Commitment as evidence of GBGB putting ‘greyhound welfare at its heart’ and continuing to ‘develop previously implemented initiatives as well as setting up new ones’. Examples include the GBGB’s work with the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), their continued partnership with animal welfare charities and rehoming centres and the launch of a national Injury Recovery Scheme (IRS).
UKAS went on to confirm that GBGB’s accreditation processes are ‘robust’ and ‘well-implemented’, carried out by a certification body that has ‘a satisfactory number of appropriately selected and suitably trained personnel’. The report also praised the GBGB for its annual data release stating that the initiative marks an ‘important step’ for welfare and will be helpful in contributing to further improvements.
Building on this positive report, GBGB is currently seeking UKAS accreditation for the inspection and licensing of trainers’ kennels against BSI Publicly Available Specification (PAS 251:2017), which was developed with input from GBGB, welfare representatives and key stakeholders.
Amanda Duplock, Quality Manager at GBGB, said:
“We are delighted to have secured our UKAS accreditation again this year and receive positive feedback from the assessors. Being verified by an independent body like UKAS is essential in showing that we have an impartial and accountable system in place that ensures high standards of greyhound welfare at all our licensed tracks. We were the first sport in the UK to achieve UKAS accreditation and we look forward to broadening our scope further as we work towards our second accredited scheme for residential kennels.”
