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 stating their relevant qualifications and experience of working on higher risk buildings.
• 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. The cost of the validation assessment is £550+VAT. 
• 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 validations@labc.co.uk

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

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 stating their relevant qualifications and experience of working on higher risk buildings.
• 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. The cost of the validation assessment is £550+VAT. 
• 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 validations@labc.co.uk

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

This course is designed to provide anyone involved in the design, checking, implementation and inspection of foundations, ground works and ground floor slabs with the basic knowledge necessary to perform their role with confidence. We will look at relevant sections of the Building Act 1984, Part A of the Building Regulations, British Standards and Codes of Practice, different materials and systems, ground conditions, soil types and characteristics and what to do when building near trees.  Delegates will gain knowledge and understanding of the various requirements, materials, procedures and good practice involved in foundations and ground works. It is aimed at all building control professionals, designers, contractors and site managers who require a basic understanding of the principles and practices of foundations and groundworks.

Please note: This course is split over two half days. Part 1 can be booked as a stand alone course but if you wish to attend Part 2 you must have attended Part 1. If you wish to book Parts 1 and 2 you will need to make a separate booking for each day.

CPD: Parts 1 & 2 count for 3 hours of CPD each.

Cost: Parts 1 & 2 will cost £80.00 + VAT each per delegate. 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. Part 1 & 2 will run for 3.5 hours including time for breaks.

Course Content & Learning Outcomes:

Part 1 - Basic Foundations (extensions and residential buildings) - For more detailed information on the course content please click here.

• Soil and soil classification
• Site investigations
• Foundation types
• Ground floor construction
• Retaining walls (small)
• Testing and tolerances
• Foundation depth calculators
• Contamination

Part 2 - Advanced Foundations (commercial, industrial, high-rise and basements) - For more detailed information please click here.

• Soil and soil classification (advanced)
• Site investigations (additional information)
• Foundation types
• Piling
• Retaining walls (large)
• Basements
• Testing, static, dynamic, integrity
• Foundation/pile calculations
• Piling - good practice guide
• Contamination

Testimonials:
"Well presented and the hand-outs were very useful"
"An excellent and informative course"
"A very interesting course that added further valuable knowledge that I can use when out on site!"
"This was the best LABC course I have been on! I learnt so much and gained a crucial insight into soil mechanics."

Who should attend:
This course is suited to any building professional who wants to get a good basic understanding of foundations and ground works.

• Architects
• Chartered Architectural Technologists
• Developers
• Builders
• Contractors
• Specialist Contractors
• Building Consultants
• Surveyors
• Public Service Building Control Surveyors

The Level 6 Diploma in Building Control Surveying is made up of a minimum of two and a maximum of four units. The compulsory unit (Managing Legislative Compliance) provides the knowledge necessary to manage an enforcement team. LABC Qualifications are a recognised pathway to independent competency validation.  In addition to the core enforcement Unit, you have the choice of at least one and up to three additional units.

• Fire Safety in Complex Buildings
• Safety at Sports Grounds and other Public Events
• Management of Public Service Building Control

When you apply for the diploma you will be asked to upload your professional portfolio to evidence that your skills and experience are at the level they need to be for this qualification. LABC will conduct an informal telephone interview with you to discuss your portfolio and the additional Units you wish to do as part of your diploma. 

Managing Legislative Compliance - compulsory Unit

The compulsory enforcement Unit looks at the application of enforcement in relation to high-level government objectives such as The Sustainability Agenda, The Building Safety Act, The Future Homes Strategy, and the Costs to Society of not having enforcement. It covers how to take legal action including Court action, PACE Interviews, Witness Statements, and Monitoring Reports. It looks at how to manage enforcement by influencing Policies within the Authority Constitution, Risk Assessments, Lone Working Policies, Emergency Planning, Staff development and action proportionate to the risks presented.

As part of this Unit participants will learn how to:

• Evaluate the legal framework applicable to the built environment.
• Make informed assessments of compliance and risk.
• Apply appropriate enforcement.
• Understand the role of Building Control to embed best practice in the industry. 

Management of Public Service Building Control Unit

As part of this Unit participants will learn how to:

• Apply the principles of leading and managing people. Assess the micro/macro factors impacting the building control service. Undertake service planning. Appraise methods of performance management. Implement collaborative stakeholder engagement practices.

Fire Safety in Complex buildings Unit

The Level 6 Fire in Complex Buildings Unit provides the knowledge necessary to work on both existing and new High-Risk Residential Buildings and other increasingly complex buildings such as hospitals, shopping centres, multi-occupancy premises, schools, leisure complexes, sports grounds, tall buildings, etc

As part of this Unit participants will learn how to:

• Apply fire safety legislation to a range of complex buildings.
• Analyse fire safety solutions and improvements for complex buildings.
• Produce fire safety improvement reports for complex buildings.
• Assess a range of complex dynamic factors that can impact fire safety.

Safety at Sports Grounds and other Public Events Unit

The Level 6 Safety and Sports Grounds and other Public Events Unit is designed for mid-career highly experienced building control officers who have responsibility for ensuring public safety at sports ground and other public events. These programme aims to develop the individual’s ability to appraise the physical structure, undertake inspections, and navigate complex safety issues to ensure compliance with legislation for a range of public entertainment venues

As part of this Unit participants will:

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in ensuring safety in event management.  
• Learn how to comply with legislation and application in relation to Safety at Sports Grounds and other public events. 
• Be able to appraise the physical structure of a premise for a range of events. 
• Understand a range of complex dynamic factors that can impact the safety of events. 
• Be able to make decisions on the suitability of an event. 

Each Unit is six months long. You will only do one Unit at a time. Each Unit has online workshop lectures that take place one day a week for 10 consecutive weeks. You're required to attend each workshop for the whole day. If you can't make the day due to exceptional circumstances you'll need to let the tutor know beforehand. It's important that only under exceptional circumstances you miss these days, they're very important as part of your learning. The 10 consecutive weeks of lectures are followed by a six-week study break before the Unit's assessment is due. Results are published three weeks after they have been submitted. If you fail your first attempt at the assessment your second attempt will be due three weeks after your results have been published.

Costs:

• Two Unit Diploma - LABC Member subsidised rate = £2,500 + VAT
• Three Unit Diploma - LABC Member subsidised rate = £3,750 + VAT
• Four Unit Diploma - LABC Member subsidised rate = £5,000 + VAT

Course Tutors:

• Managing Legislative Compliance - compulsory Unit - Tutor John Askew
• Management of Public Service Building Control Unit - Tutor Wayne Timperley
• Fire Safety in Complex buildings Unit - Tutor Trevor Rogers
• Safety at Sports Grounds and other Public Events Unit - Tutor David Ewing

Please ensure you have access to a laptop/personal computer (PC) with a camera, a headset with a microphone, and a stable Internet. You should check your internet speed is 1 Mbps or better. Use an ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi if you can as the cable provides a more stable and faster connection vs a Wi-Fi signal which may intermittently drop-off.

Competency validation assessments assess an individual's knowledge and application of skills. To access validation assessments you'll have to evidence both your knowledge and application of skills in the specialism area/s that you are applying for validation on. This level 6 qualification is a standalone academic qualification that will equip you with the relevant learning or to update your learning to sit the assessment/s, the validation body will still expect you to evidence your in-depth understanding and experience.

January 2022

The diploma start dates will be confirmed shortly - to request an update please contact learning@labc.co.uk 

*timetables / assessments may be subject to change

If you need more information about this qualification please get in touch with Amelia Sharman at learning@labc.co.uk.