The name is absent

6. Monitoring school meals

from a lack of clarity concerning the role of the LEA in monitoring schools outside any
central contract. Some LEAs believed it to be their statutory duty, others that they had
with delegation of the responsibility to schools and governors, no further role in
monitoring meal services.

6.21 Some LEAs offered complete service packages to monitor meals provision. The
content of these packages varied by LEA, but all covered basic food, health and safety
issues as well as the monitoring of nutritional standards. Schools that took up these
packages reported satisfaction with what was offered. Some schools preferred to use
other monitoring services, provided by private consultants.

6.22 Some LEAs were unable to offer any monitoring service despite believing that this was
an important role in which they should be involved. This was because there was no
officer within the LEA, other than those employed within the DSO, with adequate
expertise to undertake the role. There were concerns that conflicts of interest would
arise if an officer within the DSO took on the monitoring role in schools in which
private contractors or in-house provision operated.

6.23 Some schools were receiving no outside monitoring. In some, governors were diligent
with their own internal monitoring, but in others the situation was less satisfactory. In
those cases, external monitoring is probably essential for schools to maintain standards
and to comply with legislation.

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