Competency Management in the Finishes and Interiors Sector
This Toolkit provides essential guidance and tools to support FIS Members in meeting new regulatory competence requirements. It draws heavily on FIS work with the Regulator through the Industry Competence Committee (ICC).What is the Competency General Requirement?
The Building Regulations in England and Wales have been revised to include a Competency General Requirement that relates to all involved in the design and construction of buildings. Whilst this General Requirement is not explicit in Regulation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a general expectation has been established. The Competency General Requirement states:
Any person carrying out any building work as a contractor or any design work as a designer must have:
(a) where the person is an individual, the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours necessary,
(b) where the person is not an individual, the organisational capability,
to fulfil the duties of a contractor or designer, as the case may be, under these Regulations in relation to the work.
A new suite of standards (BS8670 Competence Frameworks for Building Safety) are under development to support implementation. These rely on the creation of detailed SKEB Frameworks that define the required level of:
Skills: The practical application of knowledge learnt through on and/or off-the-job training.
Knowledge: The information, technical knowledge, and ‘know-how’ the individual needs to successfully carry out their duties.
Experience: The enhanced knowledge or skill acquired through practical experience.
Behaviours: The mindset or approach required for competence, across the entire occupation.
If you require more information on changes to the Building Regulations, FIS has a FREE E-Learning course available to members here.
Creating your Competency Management Plan
This guide sets down the requirements for creating a Competency Management Plan (CMP). It is intended to provide examples and signposts to available information and assist organisations in improving quality and safety and ensuring that they meet the requirements of legislation and avoid any enforcement penalties*.
Competency Frameworks Published to support the Finishes and Interiors Sector
FIS has been working with colleagues from across Construction through the Industry Competence Committee to create clear Competency Frameworks that meet the requirement of these new standards. The Industry Competence Committee (ICC) has a number of functions including monitoring industry competence, advising the BSR and industry, helping industry to improve competence, and producing guidance to the public about assessing the competence of people in the built environment industry.
The committee’s work is helping to bring industry together and encourage a more cohesive and consistent approach to competence. FIS is monitoring and supporting the work where appropriate and a full list of relevant competence standards is available here. These standards focus on all aspects of construction from design through installation and handover.
FIS Competency Passport
FIS has partnered with MyProPass to provide a tool for FIS members to issue, access and manage competency data for their workforce . The Competency Passport is a simple tool to allow individuals to record and share their training and achievement history.
The FIS Competency Passport extends the information that can be recorded on a CSCS card in order to capture training completed beyond the core vocational qualifications (such as manufacturer training or short courses). It also allows rapid exchange of information between the individual and the business to support efficient onboarding.
Training Resources to Support Implementation of Competency Plans
FIS Technical Guides and E-Learning
FIS has a wealth of guidance and resources to support the development of competence. In 2024 we embarked upon an ambitious programme of activity to convert this guidance into e-learning. This is being made available through our e-Learning Hub.
TO ACCESS THE FIS E-LEARNING HUB CLICK HERE
TO ACCESS THE FULL LIBRARY OF FIS PUBLICATIONS CLICK HERE
Vocational Knowledge Programme for Drylining
This specialised e-learning programme has been designed to support baseline competence for apprentices and those working towards Vocational Qualifications (VQs) in Drylining. This course helps candidates with the Knowledge Requirements for the VQ and Apprenticeship and was developed with CITB support and subsidised through the FIS to reduce costs to FIS Members and Accredited Training Providers. It has been aligned to the Apprenticeship Syllabus and allows for progress to be monitored by both the candidate and their mentor.
ACCESS THE FIS STEPS VOCATIONAL KNOWLEDGE PROGRAMME FOR DRYLINING HERE
Sourcing the training and (funding) you need
FIS has an open access training directory and sourcing service. If you need help finding what you want or don’t know what you need and to help isolate funding you can access additional support from the FIS here.
TO ACCESS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO IDENTIFY TRAINING AND FUNDING CLICK HERE
Attention CSCS Card Holders: Important Changes Ahead!
Organisational Capability - Integrating Competence into your Organisation
Risk and Quality Management sit at the core of any demonstration of organisational capability. FIS has been working with our community to address the issues of providing clear evidence of compliance and competence through an initiative called the FIS Quality Framework: Product Process People (PPP). This has been developed into an Organisational Capability Toolkit that collates a number of key standards and tools that support evidence of Organisational Capability and Competence Plans.
FIS have a dedicated team to support your training needs and competency plans
For advice on process or funding for getting yourself or your workforce qualified view our Skills and Funding page contact the FIS Team on 0121 707 0077 or email info@thefis.org