Building Safety Regulator names first assessors for building inspectors
14/8/23
The Building Safety Regulator has named two independent provider schemes for building control professionals to become registered building inspectors.
The Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) will provide competence assessments that building control professionals will need to pass to become registered building inspectors.
Registered building inspectors are a new role created under the Building Safety Act 2022. They will be empowered to issue compliance notices and stop notices for higher-risk buildings during any stage of the design and construction process.
More than 4,500 practicing building control professionals will need to be assessed and certified by April 2024. From that date, individual building control professionals working in the private sector and local authorities will need to have passed an independent competence assessment to operate. They will also need to be registered on the BSR's register of building inspectors.
Building control authorities and registered building control approvers will need to obtain and consider the advice of a registered building inspector before carrying out certain functions, and will also have to carry out certain activities through a registered building inspector.
Many people currently working in local authority building control teams and approved inspectors are expected to become registered building inspectors.
BSR said it will provide a programme of support and guidance ahead of registration to help individuals and employers understand what they need to do to meet the requirements, as well as how to register.
As part of the BSR-approved independent competence assessment schemes, candidates will be evaluated against the Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF) classes 2 to 4 every four years.
Assessments include interview and examination pathways and continuous professional development.
The BICoF focuses on the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours expected of registered building inspectors.
BICoF is split into nine interrelated subject areas, which broadly cover technical competence, competent application of knowledge and understanding in core building inspection functions and activities and management competence.
BSCF chief executive, Lorna Stimpson, said: "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."
HSE's director of building safety, Philip White, added: "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."