CABE is announced as one of the first assessors by the Building Safety Regulator

As a first step towards becoming a registered building inspector, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has announced two independent provider schemes.

As the first independent competence assessors for building control surveyors in England, the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) and the Building Safety Competence Foundation (established by Local Authority Building Control) have been named. Building control professionals undergo competency assessments as part of the pathway to becoming registered building inspectors – making it a regulated profession.

Under the Building Safety Act 2022, registration will open in October 2023, and will become mandatory in April 2024, when Building Control becomes a regulated profession.

Approximately 4,500 building control professionals will need to be assessed and certified by April 2024 to become registered building inspectors. Without certification, they will no longer be able to work in Building Control across the whole built environment in England. 

Building control professionals working for both the private sector and local authorities will need to pass an independent competence assessment to operate, and they will be required to be on the BSR’s register of building inspectors. The BSR will provide support and guidance ahead of registration to help employers and employees understand how to meet the requirements.

Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF) classes 2-4 are evaluated every four years as part of BSR-approved independent competence assessment schemes. Interviews and examinations are included in the assessment process, as well as continuous professional development.

BICoF focuses on the skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviour expected of building inspectors. BICoF encompasses nine interrelated subject areas, including core building inspection functions and activities, technical competence, and management competence.

In response to the announcement, CABE’s Chief Executive, Dr Gavin Dunn, said: “Building control professionals have a vital role in helping to deliver buildings that are safe, sustainable, and accessible to 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 will help protect the public interest in the long term. We do not underestimate the challenge in getting the building control profession ready by the April 2024 deadline. It is a huge undertaking, and we are in constant talks with relevant organisations to make this transition as smooth as possible.”

Chief Executive Lorna Stimpson of the BSCF said: “Dame Judith Hackitt asked industry for change; she asked for a change of mindset to reprioritise safety, a change of culture and the introduction of measurable competence. Dame Judith challenged industry, and in particular building control to ‘get on with it, don’t wait to be told what to do’. The BSCF scheme, which is developed in accordance with the requirements of ISO17024, and is audited and accredited by UKAS, is a robust, impartial and unbiased competency assessment which assesses a building control professional’s individual skills, knowledge, ethics and behaviours. The BSCF’s model reflects the changes Dame Judith called for and the change our communities deserve. It puts people’s safety first and holds up to scrutiny from all, including service users, senior managers and insurers.

“We are delighted to have received approval from the Building Safety Regulator to provide independent competence assessments for building control surveyors in England. We have been impressed by the rigour of the BSR’s process for acceptance which holds true to Dame Judith’s vision of safety above all else, and we are actively encouraging building control professionals to prove their competence and make their application for registration.”

HSE’s Director of Building Safety, Philip White said: “This is a pivotal moment for the building control profession. It will enable individual building control professionals to have independent recognition of their years of investment in their skills, knowledge and experience. It’s also another important step on the path to rebuilding confidence in the profession after Grenfell.

“Our advice to those working in building control is to embrace this positive and important change and to begin the process early to avoid ending up in a queue.”