The validation assessment has been developed by LABC to enable experienced building control surveyors to demonstrate their competence in relation to building regulation fire safety in the context of high risk and complex buildings (residential and commercial). This also includes Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs) included in the draft Building Safety Bill. 

THE MEASURE OF COMPETENCY

Whilst many of you have years of experience as Building Control Surveyors there has never been a true demonstrable measure of the competency of a building control surveyor to work on complex and high risk buildings. Whilst many surveyors have qualifications and are members of professional bodies, post Grenfell this is no longer considered enough to validate an individual to work on the most complex of projects. In the near future all levels of building control surveyor will need to have their competence validated in this way in order to be Registered with the Building Safety Regulator

LABC has created an assessment to allow existing experienced surveyors to validate their fire safety competency in working on high risk and complex buildings. This assessment has been written to test four elements of competency in line with emerging industry guidance on competency assessment, namely:

• Knowledge – job specific knowledge required to perform the role / level effectively
• Skills / Experience - relevant and recent job specific capabilities or proficiencies developed (through the application of that knowledge) to perform the role / level effectively supported by peers and mentors.
• Abilities - innate capabilities required of a particular task or situation – personal skills, awareness of strengths and weaknesses and maintaining CPD
• Ethics & Professional Behaviour - moral principles and respectful and courteous business and personal conduct.

THE VALIDATION PROCESS

• STEP 1 – All candidates will be required to complete an application form. Please email certification@thebscf.org for a copy of the application form. 
• STEP 2 – LABC will review all applications and contact candidate line managers to obtain their endorsement of the application form.
• STEP 3 – LABC will confirm approval of the application via email with a link to book onto your chosen exam location. LABC members will pay a subsidised rate of £50+VAT, the remainder being covered by 2020/21 membership fees. 
• STEP 4 – Candidates sit the exam.  All examination centres will adhere fully to COVID-19 guidelines ensuring social distancing and all necessary precautions are in place. The examination is in 2 parts. The first is closed book and lasts for 1 hour. There is then a short break after which there will be a 2 hour open book examination. Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no refreshments provided,
• STEP 5 - Results will be published 8 weeks after the exam date. Results provided will be PASS/REFERRED.

All successful candidates will receive a certificate and an ID card showing that they have passed the validation assessment. Bi-annual renewal of ID cards will be subject to candidates submitting sufficient evidence of ongoing project work in relation to building regulations fire safety on higher risk buildings.

The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has worked with LABC to create this assessment process and has confirmed that by passing the assessment individuals will be able to gain access to membership of the IFE (MIFireE) subject to an appropriate professional portfolio.

START APPLICATION

If you have any questions regarding the validation assessment please contact the validation team at certification@thebscf.org,

USEFUL RESOURCES

LABC Validation assessment for Building Regulation Fire Safety on Higher Risk Buildings  – what you need to know

• This document contains information of why this assessment has been created and outlines recommended reading and the structure of the examination.

LABC Validation assessment for Building Regulation Fire Safety on Higher Risk Buildings  – sample paper

• Sample paper containing example questions

LABC Virtual Learning Environment

• The LABC VLE is available only to LABC members and contains additional learning resources

The LABC Quality Management System is ready to be implemented into your local authority. The QMS is written to ISO 9001:2015 and is being independently audited and certified by UKAS accredited Alcumus ISOQAR. 

LABC has appointed a full-time specialist Head of Standards, Tariq Abdoh, to help guide members, provide packaged support, monitor audits and publish aggregated reports/matrices.

Both the LABC Board and the Standards Committee are committed to the introduction of this externally and independently audited standards system for LABC. 

To make this easier and to support all members equitably, the Board has agreed that the first year’s QMS/ISO/Audit will be FREE and that any ongoing future annual charges will be subsidised (subject to review in 2020/2021).

We’re running ISO Implementation Training Days to provide you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully implement the LABC QMS into your local authority.

Course Content

Overview of Quality Management and its main principles with reference to the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle within a Process-based Quality Management System. The purpose and structure of ISO 9001:2015.

A full presentation of LABC’s Quality Management system and all documents contained within it, this includes;

• Quality Policy
• Quality Manual
• Procedures Manual
• Risk Register
• Enforcement Policy
• Code of Conduct and Professional Ethics

It is important that all attendees raise questions throughout and participate to get maximum benefit from the course.

Course Learning Objectives

• Knowledge and understanding of the purpose of a QMS
• Understanding of the principles of quality management
• Awareness of the International Quality Standard (ISO 9001:2015)
• Familiarisation with LABC QMS
• Review of all LABC Documented Procedures (Process Maps)
• Importance of the LABC Competency framework and identification of training needs
• How to conduct an internal audit and act on findings to drive improvement

Who Should Attend?

• Heads of Building Control
• Technical Support

Would you like to attend?

Click the button below to email Kirsty McKee and leave your details.

Register your interest now

This course covers common foundation types used today on both residential and commercial properties including the range of foundations available from simple trench fill foundations through to piling and ground beams. Delegates will learn about the design of simply supported basic structural elements, timber floor joists and steel beams over openings. The course will include an exercise based on a domestic extension that looks at loading, bending moments and shear forces, steel beams, floor joists and associated elements.

CPD: This course counts for 3 hours CPD.

Cost: Days 1 & 2 cost £80.00+VAT per day. You will need to book each part separately using the links at the bottom of this page.

Platform: This course will be held via Zoom and will run for 3.5 hours including time for breaks.

Day One Course Content:

• Loadings and loading assessments.
• Structural analysis of simple structure - Bending moments and shear forces
• Design of timber floors including worked example and practice session
• Common types of foundations and their uses

Day Two Course Content:

• Brief recap on the loading and structural analysis from Day 1
• Design of simply supported steel beams including worked example and practice session
• Structural alterations of domestic properties

Delegates will gain an understanding of the different types of foundations and where there are likely to be used. This will better assist them with their on site assessment when inspecting trial holes and reading through any site investigation reports. They will also learn to understand how loadings are obtained for subsequent analysis on a domestic property. Using these loadings they will then be able to analyse the structural member before proceeding to the design of that structural member. 

Who Should Attend?

Surveyors who are keen to develop their expertise and knowledge of the subject, together with qualified surveyors who want an update session for continuing professional development.

The LABC Member Conference is back on 25 - 27 March 2019.

Understand how the function, operation and status of local authority building control will change across all authorities in England.

What requirements will change? What culture and practices will alter in the dutyholder world? How will the scope broaden and roll out? What risks are being placed in whose roles? Other factors that will affect all building control teams and senior managers in local authorities.

Day 1 and 2 of the conference (25 & 26 March) is intended for portfolio holders (elected members), service directors and senior local authority managers, heads of building control and senior team members.

New for 2019! This year we're holding a third day of conference which focuses on Fire Safety. Day 3 (27 March) is designed for duty holders, principal contractors, designers, building control managers and surveyors.

View the conference programme.

This year we'll be heading to Jury's Inn Hinckley Island.

Once again, LABC have frozen conference ticket prices at the 2015 rate:

• OPTION A - 2 nights bed & breakfast (24 & 25 March), 2 day conference and gala dinner place - £350
• OPTION B - 1 night bed & breakfast (25 March), 2 day conference and gala dinner place - £250
• OPTION C - 2 days conference only - £150
• OPTION D - 1 day conference only - £100
• OPTION E - TOP UP! Bed & breakfast (26 March), day 3 of conference - £150
• OPTION F - 3 nights bed & breakfast (24, 25 & 26 March), 3 day conference and gala dinner place - £500
• OPTION G - 2 nights bed & breakfast (25 & 26 March), 3 day conference and gala dinner place - £400

If you would like your conference place added to your annual subscription please email us by 31 December 2018 to confirm your place.