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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Vendor performance requirements and oversight
0:15:44
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DHS implements strict vendor performance requirements and oversight processes to ensure optimal meal quality in shelters. These measures involve multiple agencies and regular inspections.
- Vendors must hold a food service establishment permit from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- Food service staff must have food handler certificates
- Annual inspections by the health department to ensure compliance with food safety regulations
- Routine site review inspections by DHS twice a year
- Inspection results are incorporated into the quarterly shelter repair squad scorecard
- DHS adheres to procurement policy board rules for vendor performance evaluation
- Unannounced checks, interviews, and client surveys are conducted periodically
Kate MacKenzie
0:15:44
So a few points also on vendor performance.
0:15:47
Vendors, whether they are those direct meal providers as I mentioned or the providers that subcontract meal service, are required to report on a variety of factors to ensure optimal meal quality.
0:16:01
All shelter providers that prepare or serve meals are required to hold a food service establishment permit from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
0:16:11
This ensures that the Department of Health is aware and able to conduct an initial inspection to verify that the meal setup is appropriate and that the food service staff have a food handler certificate demonstrating that they've received food service training and are up to date with it.
0:16:31
The health department annually inspects all sites to ensure compliance with New York City and New York State food safety regulations.
0:16:40
Additionally to those DOH inspections, the homeless services team conducts routine site review inspections twice a year to monitor the requirements and reporting outlined above.
0:16:54
These inspections involve reviewing the kitchens and the seating areas for things like cleanliness, is equipment operating in the way that it should, is food being stored in the way that it should, that the permits for food handlers are current, and that proper temperatures for the storing and serving of meals are kept.
0:17:16
Those inspections results are incorporated into the quarterly shelter repair squad scorecard on the Department of Homeless Services website.
0:17:27
Any of these checks as well as the client client feedback plan as mentioned above could all trigger once again that corrective action plan.
0:17:36
Finally, the Department of Homeless Services adheres to the procurement policy board rules regarding documentation and evaluation of vendor performance to call for periodic unannounced checks, interviews, and the surveying of clients.
0:17:52
I want to pay just speak for a moment about an opportunity that the team is making to bring new vendors into play.