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 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

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.

Good Building Control rarely results in formal action. But does your team really have the necessary skills and competence if formal action became necessary?

This course provides training from informal day to day enforcement activity, through to carrying out investigations and going to court when formal action is required.

It will cover enforcement in areas of the Building Regulations, Unauthorised Work and Initial Notices, with an overview of the relevant changes in the Building Safety Act 2022, Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) from the 1st of October 2023.

CPD: This course counts for 4 hours CPD.

Cost: £80+VAT 

Platform: This course will be held via Zoom and will run for 4.5 hours including time for breaks.

Course Content & Learning Outcomes:

• Informal and formal enforcement
• The Building Act delegated powers/rights of entry
• Enforcement of Building Regulations - Enforcement Policy, Section 35 offences, Section 36 notices and the Stop and Compliance (35B &C) Notices in England.
• How does the Building Safety Act change Enforcement for and by LA’s?
• Action against Building Control? Including current Case Law
• Enforcement of Unauthorised work and Regularisations
• Initial Notices - Reversions
• Planning and investigation - Police and Criminal Evidence Act, witness statements
• Court processes - how to give evidence and what to expect.

Who should attend:

Building control managers
Principal and senior surveyors and team leaders
Building control surveyors
Practice managers, assistant building control surveyors
Trainees and apprentices