In November, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released the Building Control Inspector Competency Framework consultation, the outcomes of this important consultation will affect all building control professionals working in English Local Authorities, Approved Inspectors and Building Control Approvers.

From October 2023, Building Control Professionals will need to prove their competence before applying for registration with the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR). 17% of CABE’s membership currently work in Building Control, this is a significant number of individuals who will be directly affected by these changes and their valuable insight was essential to this consultation.

To ensure CABE’s consultation response reflected the thoughts and concerns of the membership, a survey was issued asking questions not just on the consultation, but on their views of the whole of the Building Control sector. This allowed us to get a snapshot of the sector, their work, their career plans, and the industry, and we are delighted to share a summary report of the survey results. Amongst the findings we uncovered that:

• • 66% of respondents intend to register as a Building Inspector
• 42% believe the construction industry’s understanding of how to comply with the Building Regulations has deteriorated; and
• Over 82% believe that resourcing for Building Control functions has declined.

With the rapid changes in the sector, it was not surprising to discover that Building Control professionals are concerned about the future, with 38% considering, or planning to leave the sector altogether. But what is also clear is that there is a dedicated and committed group of Building Control Professionals who are striving to deliver the best service for their clients.

It was positive to see that there was general support for the core competencies outlined in the consultation, along with the establishment of the four different levels – awareness, appreciation, understand and comprehensive – to distinguish the level of experience and knowledge the Building Control professional has.

The results of the survey, which informed CABE’s response to the consultation, have now been shared with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the BSR at HSE.

The survey can be viewed at cbuilde.com/buildingcontrol