The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has appointed two bodies to assess building control surveyors.
The Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) are the first organizations to become independent competency assessors for building control surveyors in England.
The competency assessment forms part of the ‘route’ for building control professionals to become registered building inspectors.
More than 4,500 building control professionals will need to be assessed and certified by April 2024. They will no longer be able to work in building control across the built environment in England without certification, as the Act building security requires registration. 2022.
Registration will open in October 2023, with compulsory registration from April 2024, when building control will officially become a regulated profession.
From then on, building control professionals, whether in the private sector or working for local authorities, will need to have passed an independent skills assessment. They must also be registered in the building inspectors register of the BSR.
The BSR said it will provide a pre-registration support and guidance program to help individuals and businesses understand what they need to do to meet the requirements, as well as how to register.
As part of BSR approved independent competency assessment schemes, every four years candidates will be assessed against the Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF) classes 2-4. Assessments include interviews, exams and continuous professional development.
BICoF is divided into nine interrelated subject areas, which broadly cover technical competence; competent application of knowledge and understanding in basic building inspection functions and activities; and management competence.
CABE chief executive Gavin Dunn said: “Building control professionals play a vital role in helping to deliver safe, sustainable and accessible buildings for all.
“CABE is delighted to be able to play its part in supporting professionals to demonstrate their competence and in developing a culture of continuous improvement that helps protect the public interest in the long term.
“We do not underestimate the challenge of preparing the building control profession before the April 2024 deadline. It is a big undertaking and we are in constant discussions with the relevant organizations to make this transition as smooth as possible.”
BSCF chief executive Lorna Stimpson commented: “Dame Judith Hackitt called for a change in the industry – she called for a change in mindset to prioritize safety, a change in culture and the introduction of measurable competition.
“The BSCF scheme, which is developed in accordance with the requirements of ISO17024 and is audited and accredited by UKAS, is a robust, unbiased and impartial skills assessment that assesses an individual’s skills, knowledge, ethics and behaviors building control professional.
“The BSCF model reflects the changes Dame Judith called for and the change our communities deserve. It puts people’s safety first and holds up to the scrutiny of everyone, including service users, senior managers and insurers.”
Building Health and Safety Executive Philip White added: “This is a key moment for the building control profession. It will allow building control professionals to have independent recognition of their years of investment in their skills, knowledge and experience.
“Our advice to those working in building control is to embrace this important and positive change and start the process early to avoid ending up in a queue.
“Making building control a regulated profession that is required to demonstrate competence to the regulator is part of the legacy of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
“It is also a crucial component in BSR’s work to assure the public that buildings are designed, constructed and maintained safely.”
