by Clair Mooney | 10 Jan, 2025 | Main News Feed
Through our umbrella body Build UK, FIS is supporting Family Business UK’s calls for the Government to consult on the changes to inheritance tax announced in the last Budget.
In an open letter to the Chancellor, 32 trade associations have warned that changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief will affect businesses across the country, including those in construction, and starve the economy of investment.
by Clair Mooney | 10 Jan, 2025 | Payments
Changes from January 2025 Reporting on Payment Practices
Under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance (Amendment) Regulations 2024, new reporting requirements have been introduced for companies in scope of the reporting requirement. These new requirements will apply in relation to each financial year of a company beginning on or after 1 January 2025.
These new requirements relate to:
- the sum total of payments made during the reporting period
- the percentage of payments that were paid during the reporting period which were not paid within agreed terms because of a dispute
The Government has stated their intent to further crack down on payment concerns by extending the requirement to report. In 2025 further secondary regulation is planned to bring in additional requirements to report on value of invoices outstanding and, for construction firms, their practices, policies and performance with respect to retention clauses in any qualifying construction contracts with suppliers.
More information here
Changes to company size thresholds
The Government has also published The Companies (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations, which amend the criteria for determining if a company is classified as a micro‐entity, small, medium or large business for reporting and audit requirements under the Companies Act.
In an effort to reduce reporting burdens on companies, from 6 April 2025, the turnover and balance sheet thresholds for micro‐entities, small and medium businesses will increase by approximately 50%, and companies that move down a size category will be entitled to the accompanying reduction in reporting and audit requirements. The regulations also remove the requirement for companies of all sizes to include specific information on the employment of disabled persons within their directors’ report.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Main News Feed
The Government has published the Procurement Specific Questionnaire for use by public sector clients under the Procurement Act from 24 February 2025, which confirms that the Common Assessment Standard, developed by Build UK, should continue to be used for pre‐qualifying suppliers for ‘works’ contracts.
This is consistent with the position under PPN 03/24 and the Procurement Specific Questionnaire specifies at paragraph 45 that “public contracts for works should continue to use the questions set out in the Common Assessment Standard…and where possible, contracting authorities should avoid requiring Common Assessment Standard certified suppliers to re‐input their information”, which will reduce duplication for the supply chain even further.
The Common Assessment Standard has two levels of certification ‐ desktop and site‐based ‐ and companies can apply to any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies for the appropriate level depending on their trade, size and the requirements of their clients.
To find out more about the Common Assessment Standard click here
FIS is encouraging members to advertise their support for the Common Assessment Standard and adopt a Responsible No when asked to complete multiple PQQs. We accept that this is difficult in a commercial tender situation and time is often too tight, but we have prepared a short email that we suggest our members send to their client to help raise awareness of the efficiencies that the Common Assessment Standard brings. This email template is available here Common Assessment Standard Template Email.
If companies are failing to adopt the Common Assessment Standard, please Complete the FIS Whistleblowing form here and we will follow-up independently. (All information will be treated in the strictest confidence ensuring no member is named or disadvantaged in any way by our follow-up).
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Market data
At a headline level, it was a mixed third quarter for firms in the construction supply chain.
Construction product manufacturers reported a second quarter of growth in sales volumes, although for the heavy side, sales remained lower than a year earlier. Civil engineering contractors reported an increase in workloads, marking the sixteenth quarter of growth. The strength in infrastructure has been echoed by chartered surveyors throughout this period and in Q3, was the primary driver of their workloads growth. Surveyors also reported very early signs of a recovery in private housing, commercial and public non-housing workloads, although public housing remained a sector in decline. It was a difficult quarter for SME contractors, however, with a fall in workloads reported across all sectors of operation: new build housing, repair, maintenance and improvement (RM&I) and industrial/commercial. A fall in enquiries across all three sectors was also reported, suggesting that the recovery in construction will materialise slightly later into 2025 than previously expected. Further interest rate cuts are widely expected next year, underpinning hopes that the pickup in mortgage lending since Summer will continue into the key Spring selling season and support house builder confidence, as well as drive an increase in property transactions for existing homes that then lead to improvements work. Consumer confidence will be key, however. With no direct impact on personal finances or taxation in the Budget in October, measures of consumer confidence showed some improvement towards the end of 2024. in contrast, the Chancellor’s increase in employers’ National Insurance Contributions and increase in the National Living Wage, both coming into force in April, have been flagged as a significant cost pressure for businesses. A broad base of cost pressures was already reported in Q3, led by wages and salaries for manufacturers, raw materials for SME contractors and 40% of civil engineering contractors reported annual cost increases of more than 5%. The extent of passthrough into client and end user costs is a clear risk to the speed of the construction recovery, whilst the impact on other sectors of the economy such as retail may lead to a fresh deterioration in consumer and household confidence and spending.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Technical
The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) has commissioned the Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services (CSES) to conduct a study to develop its evidence base on “bespoke” construction products.
This research will review current practices regarding the interpretation of the term bespoke and assess how these practices align with the existing regulatory framework (i.e. products falling under Article 5 of the Construction Products Regulation). This research will form a baseline, on which future research proposals, focusing on different aspects of the construction products’ supply chains, are expected to be developed.
Through our membership of the Construction Products Association FIS Members are invited to participate in a survey, which should take no longer than 10-15 minutes. https://eu.mar.medallia.com/?e=431068&d=e&h=2236FDFC25497DC&l=en
The deadline for response is 17 January 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact the CSES Project Manager, Rocio Salado at the following address: rsalado@cses.eu
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Building Safety Act, Contractual and Legal, Insurance
Establishing clear contractual arrangements from the outset of any construction project is critical. This is a core conclusion from virtually every review of the construction sector. As far back as 1866, The General Builders Association put out the following statement:
“It is not right to bring under the builder’s consideration legal conditions, the effect and value of which he cannot rightly estimate without consulting it’s solicitor”.
JCT was established nearly 100 years ago to address concerns and help create a standard set of terms. These contracts address the complexity of multi-tier supply chains, mutually dependent relationships and different parties joining the contractual chain at different times. Other standard form contracts, such as NEC, are now commonplace. Yet recent research from Reading University into Procurement and Contracting Practices in the Finishes and Interiors Sector highlight that 64% of businesses in the supply chain regularly start a project without a contract in hand and the norm is to work on amendments that effectively bespoke relationships and seek to pass down unreasonable amounts of risk.
It is this culture that the Duty Holder Regime (now enshrined in the Building Regulations) seeks to address and puts under additional scrutiny attempts to shift risk through contract. This change to law potentially resets legal precedence for passing down risk. Significantly too, recent advice from the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) should not be dismissed as a token effort to restate the problem. The Grenfell Inquiry made clear the risks in the following finding:
“Studio E (Architect), Rydon (Main Contractor) and Harley (Cladding Specialist) all took a casual approach to contractual relations. They did not properly understand the nature and scope of the obligations they had undertaken, or, if they did, paid scant attention to them.
They failed to identify their own responsibilities for important aspects of the design and in each case assumed that someone else was responsible for matters affecting fire safety. Everyone involved in the choice of the materials to be used in the external wall thought that responsibility for their suitability and safety lay with someone else.”
In a rare open Statement, the CLC highlights another serious concern that all in the supply chain (particularly clients) need to be alert to:
“Many Professional Indemnity Insurance policies only cover claims for contractual liabilities to the extent that those liabilities would exist in the absence of the contract. … Clients have no control over whether contracting parties can secure PII cover that will respond when the client suffers a loss and wants to recover that loss.”
In plain terms CLC has made it clear:
“if a client seeks to claim for loss or damage, it cannot be relied upon that it will be settled by the PII insurers, and the consultant/contractor potentially faces financial ruin, and the client left with a claim that cannot be recovered.”
To help members bring these points together, improve understanding of where and how template contracts can and should be amended, highlight areas of particular concern and support negotiations with clients FIS has produced a new Using Standard Form Contracts. This has been made available to FIS Members through the Contractual and Legal Toolkit and has been designed to support the Responsible No Campaign.
Blog post written by Iain McIlwee to launch new FIS Factsheet: Using Standard Form Contracts.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Ceilings, Skills
FIS is working with the National Construction College (NCC) Bircham Newton to deliver the Interior Systems Installer Apprenticeship – Ceilings pathway.
Interior System Installer (Ceilings and Partitions) Apprenticeship
The Interior Systems Apprenticeship (Ceilings and Partitions) has been developed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE). The Ceiling and Partitions pathway incorporates different ceiling and partition systems within a building.
Programme outline:
- Start date: February 2025 – (dates are flexible)
- 24-month programme
- 9 x 2-week immersive training blocks delivery by industry experts
- Workplace coaching sessions every 10 weeks support you and the apprentice to implement their new skills and knowledge
- 3-month end point assessment window includes a knowledge test and practical observation and questioning
National Construction College are also able to offer:
- Meet (virtual or face to face) with members to discuss and shape the programme in greater detail
- Set up a Webinar where NCC can share a virtual tour of Bircham and its facilities and answer any questions
- Facilitate a site tour of Bircham in person to any members and/or potential apprentices
If you are interested in taking on apprentices in this subject, or would like to find out more, please get in touch with marieflinter@thefis.org
To find out more about the standard and what the training entails click here.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Dec, 2024 | Building Safety Act, Employment, Skills
The Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG) has announced a comprehensive restructure to enhance competence and safety standards across the built environment. Established in response to the Grenfell Tower Fire and subsequent Hackitt Review, ICSG has now transitioned to become a formal working group of the Industry Competence Committee (ICC) under the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), signalling a strategic shift towards more rigorous industry-wide competence frameworks.
“The new relationship between the ICC and the ICSG is key to transforming the competence of the industry. ICC aims to set expectations for industry and challenge it. The ICSG is where industry can collaborate to meet those challenges. The ICSG also provides the ICC with a clear picture of what industry is doing, feeds back on what challenges industry is facing, and which levers can be pulled to improve competence. We are able to work together on developing solutions and aim to provide clear messages and guidance for the industry and the public about competence,” commented Hanna Clarke, Co-Chair of the ICSG and Digital and Policy Manager at the Construction Products Association.
ICC and the ICSG relationship
ICSG purpose
ICSG was set up to enable culture change in relation to competence across the built environment. It does this by providing the UK built environment industry access to appropriate competencies, so they may safely contribute to the creation and use of built environments and can demonstrate their competence to others.
ICSG structure
The Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), formerly known as the Competence Steering Group, is Co-Chaired by Hanna Clarke and Gill Hancock, Head of Technical Content at the Association for Project Management.
Under its new chairs, the ICSG has restructured. This will better cover the built environment’s disciplines and support existing work across the industry.
The new structure includes sector-led groups, key topic groups, and working groups. They currently bring together contributions from over 60 professional and trade bodies and 1500 individuals in the built environment, with membership of the sector led groups still growing.
These groups will produce competence frameworks mapped to the BS 8670 series. They will also create guidance and implementation programs to enable culture change in relation to competence across the built environment. Another key role of these groups is to provide forums for industry feedback relating to the understanding of legislation and barriers to its implementation.
ICSG is working with the BSI to create a communications hub. It will be a central repository of all ICSG’s work for the industry to access. More information on this and the competence frameworks will come in Spring 2025.
ICSG’s focus is to keep people safe through competent practices and ethical behaviours throughout the built environment. Central to this is enabling collaboration and ongoing sharing of best practice, learning, and resources to support continuous improvement in industry competence. ICSG closely collaborates with the BSI and its committee CPB/1 – Competence in the Built Environment, contributing to many of the standards that are in development. It also has a strong relationship with the Construction Leadership Council, both with their contributing to the work on competence and in the aim to join up the competence work with the other industry initiatives that the CLC is leading on.
“The ICSG has end to end coverage from construction products to demolition and disposal, including in occupation. By collaborating with both industry and the Building Safety Regulator we believe we can enable real culture change, in relation to competence, across the built environment,” said Gill.
If you are interested in helping shape competence frameworks and guidance within your sector or want to find out more about the ICSG, please contact the relevant sector group lead (see appendix 1).
Iain McIlwee, Chief Executive at FIS, said: “This is the next stage in what is undoubtedly the biggest collaborative effort I have witnessed in construction, apart from the COVID response. It has been both rewarding and encouraging to be involved and take a lead on behalf of specialist trades through the Super Sector work. We have learned so much from this process, and I applaud the visionaries who have led it. Great work has been done within the various disciplines, and the next stage is very much about bringing it together and ensuring that it is peer-reviewed effectively and with empathy by the wider supply chain. This will ensure that as we implement it, it is coordinated, proportionate, and ultimately supports a better construction process.
“We look forward to the next stage of collaborative working and supporting the next iteration of this essential work.”
by Clair Mooney | 5 Dec, 2024 | Skills
FIS and Worshipful Company of Plaisterers have announced the winners of the sector Training Awards at its gala lunch held at Plaisterers’ Hall in London today.
In front of a packed audience at Plaisterers’ Hall, the winners of the 2024 Training Awards were announced and presented by Guest Speaker and TV personality Mark Millar.
The Awards are a collaboration between FIS and The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers to recognise outstanding apprentices and students, and individuals and organisations that have made a lasting contribution to training and development in plastering and interior trades. Also recognised were the Rising Stars of our sector and a Lifetime contribution to skills and training development.
James Minett, Master of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, said “The Company is absolutely delighted to once again host these prestigious awards in our magnificent Hall. We are very pleased to have once again teamed up with FIS to recognise the achievements of many within plastering and the finishes and interiors sector”.
Commenting on the awards, FIS President Ian Strangward said: “I congratulate all the amazing people shortlisted today. It is a good choice to join this rewarding sector and well done on your achievements to date”
The 2024 award winners are:
Our thanks go to our awards and event sponsors British Gypsum, Saint-Gobain Formula, The Plaisterers Charity and CITB.
by Clair Mooney | 3 Dec, 2024 | Contractual and Legal, Payments
Healthy cash flow is critical for small business’ survival and growth. Late and long payment times disrupt the cash flow cycle and can prevent a business from paying its bills, eventually leading to business failure. In 2023 15% of small businesses and medium sized enterprises cited cash flow and late payments as an obstacle to running their businesses.
The new Fair Payment Code has been launched to encourage businesses across the UK to pay promptly. Businesses may now apply for the Award tier that best suits them: Gold, Sliver or Bronze. The tiered system of Awards is aimed at awarding best practice and driving improvements in payment performance. The three Award tiers are:
- Gold Award – for those firms paying at least 95% of all invoices within 30 days
- Silver Award – for those paying at least 95% of all invoices within 60 days, including at least 95% of invoices to small businesses within 30 days
- Bronze Award – for those paying at least 95% of all invoices within 60 days
In addition, every business granted an Award agrees to abide by the Code’s principles of being Clear, Fair, and Collaborative with their suppliers.
The new Fair Payment Code replaces the Prompt Payment Code. It will be more aspirational by supporting businesses that wish to improve payment practices and helping them move up from Bronze to Silver, and to Gold over time.
The Fair Payment Code Awards are for two years, and every business will need to reapply for their Award at the end of each two-year period. There will also be a robust complaint system in place for businesses to highlight to the OSBC those not meeting the requirements of the category of their Award (Gold, Silver, or Bronze) or not following the principles of the Code.
Businesses can now apply of any Award level of the new Fair Payment Code.
Len Bunton, Owner of Bunton Consulting and FIS resident QS said:
“The Fair Payment Code will be welcomed by the construction industry as it focuses on prompt payment. The introduction of measures to reward businesses for adopting fair payment practices with their suppliers is also a major step forward. It is important to highlight the emphasis on establishing clear and fair payment terms in writing before work begins, and further, that suppliers are made aware if payment is likely to be delayed.
“The Code emphasises fairness and collaboration, with transparency being a key factor as well.”
Small Business Minister Gareth Thomas said:
“Late payments cost businesses tens of thousands of pounds and is one of the biggest reasons businesses collapse and today’s measures look to tackle the issue head on.
“This government’s primary ambition is clear: to go for growth. To do that, we must unleash the potential of our entrepreneurs.”
Liz Barclay, Small Business Commissioner added:
“The Fair Payment Code is our response to all those suppliers who begged for a more aspirational, robust and ambitious approach to changing the business to business payment culture in the UK. It also gives a clear signal of intent on the part of Government.
“We want suppliers paid within 30 days with payment beyond the due date a rare event. We want longer contractual payment term to be recognised as potentially detrimental to vital supply chains. We want businesses of all sizes to commit to fair and quick payments and to avoid harmful disputes. This new Code will drive a better payments culture and benefit everyone.”
For any immediate questions, head to the FAQs page at www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/fpc Or you contact the Small Busness Commissioner directly via email at fpc@smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk.
by Clair Mooney | 3 Dec, 2024 | Building Safety Act
The Ministry of Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has today published the Remediation Acceleration Plan.
The aim of this plan is that by the end of 2029, all 18m+ (high-rise) buildings with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme will have been remediated. Furthermore, by the end of 2029, every 11m+ building with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a date for completion, or those responsible will be liable for severe penalties.
Key measures in the plan include:
- action to identify buildings needing remediation through a review of 175,000 building records by the end of March 2025;
- the intention to introduce new legal duties on those responsible to take action and make their buildings safe;
- metro mayors convening regulators and preparing joined-up local plans to drive remediation in their areas;
- additional funding and guidance for regulators to intensify enforcement activity;
- new enforcement measures to hold those responsible to account;
- a joint plan with developers, published today, to fix buildings faster covering over 95% of buildings to be remediated by developers;
- action to begin accelerating remediation of social housing while working with the sector to announce a long-term strategy in Spring 2025;
- supply chain support to facilitate delivery as remediation pace increases;
- information on how those responsible for the building safety crisis will be held to account;
- the extension of the Waking Watch Replacement Fund until the end of March 2026; and
- further measures to ensure that residents are supported and protected throughout the remediation process.
The plan also confirms the introduction of a Building Safety Levy on new residential developments which will raise around £3.4 billion for remediation. The intention is for the levy to come into force in Autumn 2025.
In addition, a further consultation starts today to consider how to ensure that leaseholders are only charged a fair and transparent insurance fee for work done to arrange insurance. The consultation closes on 24 February 2025.
Finally, in relation to product manufacturers, action will be taken to ensure that those involved in the Grenfell tragedy will be excluded from government contracts. It also commits to system-wide construction products reform, including proposals on liabilities, robust sanctions and penalties against manufacturers.
Below are a number of additional documents from the gov.uk website on the same topic which were released on 2 December 2024.
by Clair Mooney | 21 Nov, 2024 | Sustainability
On 30 October 2024 the Government issued its response to the consultation on the introduction of a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM will ensure that UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions rather than simply displacing carbon emissions overseas. It will place a carbon price on goods that are at risk of carbon leakage imported to the UK on carbon intensive sectors, such as aluminium, cement, iron and steel. The UK CBAM will come into force on 1 January 2027. Businesses importing £50,000 or more of CBAM goods over a 12-month period will need to comply with the UK CBAM.
The glass and ceramics sectors are not in scope for this deadline to allow government and industry time to address feasibility concerns raised throughout the consultation process. It is likely that those will be included at a later date.
More details can be found here: Government Response
If you would like to join the CBAM mailing list to stay informed of policy developments please contact cbampolicyteam@hmrc.gov.uk
by Clair Mooney | 21 Nov, 2024 | Main News Feed
The Procurement Act 2023 and the supporting Procurement Regulations 2024 come into force on 24 February 2025. The Act, along with the Procurement Regulations 2024 and the National Procurement Policy Statement provide a new regime for awarding public contracts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland ending the obligation for the UK to comply with EU Procurement Directives. The Scottish Government has opted not to join the rest of the UK having transposed EU Directives into their own statute book. However, the Act does apply to contracting authorities in Scotland which are either cross-border bodies or exercise wholly reserved functions.
The reforms open up public procurement to new entrants such as small businesses and social enterprises so that they can compete for and win more public contracts. The Act also embeds transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle.
The Procurement Regulations 2024 is secondary legislation which applies a broad range of powers within the Procurement Act 2023 providing additional details concerning various aspects of the new procurement regime.
The National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) is a statement published by the Government to communicate to contracting authorities policy objectives relating to public procurement. Contracting authorities must have regard to such a statement when they are carrying out a procurement. This guidance provides some explanation about the duty. The current NPPS has been withdrawn and is currently being redrafted. To read more about the NPPS please click here.
The Procurement Act will govern new procurements started after 24th February 2025. Procurement commencing prior to the Act coming into force will continue to be governed by the current regime meaning that two regimes will run parallel for some time.
To view the Procurement Act 2023 please click here.
To view the Procurement Regulations 2024 please click here.
by Clair Mooney | 18 Nov, 2024 | Market data
The headline results for the State of Trade survey continued to signal signs of improvement for construction product manufacturing in the third quarter of 2024. Compared to Q2, product sales volumes increased for both heavy side and light side firms, on balance, for 55% of the heavy side and 8% on the light side. Comparing sales volumes with the same period of a year earlier, 27% of heavy side manufacturers still reported a fall, whilst a balance of only 8% reported an increase on the light side. These dynamics mirror those reported in official ONS construction output data, with monthly and quarterly increases in activity over Summer, but activity still lower than a year ago.
FIS members can download the full findings from the CPA State of Trade survey here.
by Clair Mooney | 8 Nov, 2024 | Main News Feed
At its AGM on 7 November, FIS announced its newly elected Board Directors, along with its new President.
Ian Strangward, Managing Director of contractor member Architectural Wallsz, has been on the FIS Board of Directors for three years and will now start his two-year Presidency, following his appointment by his fellow directors.
Ian has more than 30 years’ experience in the construction industry and at his first address to members, Ian said:
“With the committed team and strong community we have built, I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow Board members in ensuring FIS continues to be member led and is making a difference for individual members and the sector as a whole.”
Ian also thanked outgoing President, Philip Brown for his phenomenal leadership and dedication to the industry. Philip will remain on the Board as Immediate Past President.
Also joining the Board from 7 November as executive directors are, Andrew Measom of Measom Dryline and Helen Tapper of Tapper Interiors, both contractor members of FIS, and Alan Brown of Fire DNA, Lucia Di Stazio of Nevill Long, Richard Mason of British Gypsum and Nigel Watkins of Rockfon, all supplier members of FIS.
Iain McIlwee, FIS Chief Executive welcomed new Board members and said:
“We’re delighted to announce these appointments to continue the strong leadership at FIS and take FIS on to its next chapter of growth and success.”
Full details on the FIS Board is available at https://www.thefis.org/about-us/board/
FIS members can read the minutes of the AGM here.
by Clair Mooney | 16 Oct, 2024 | Awards, Skills
The shortlist for the 2024 Training Awards has been determined by our panel of judges.
Celebrating excellence and achievement in plastering, interior trades and related professional occupations, the Training Awards are a collaboration between FIS and the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers.
These awards acknowledge the accomplishments of apprentices and students who have exceeded expectations, training delivery by colleges and training providers, mentors and others who have supported sector training, and lifetime contribution to sector training.
Apprentice of the Year – Plastering Shortlist
- Paige Martin of Drywall Contracts
- Newton Robinson of Andrew J Winner Plastering
- Oliver Berwick of Decorative and Ornamental Plastering
Apprentice / Student of the Year – Interior Trades Shortlist
- Shaun McKenna of Errigal Contracts
- Jason Russell of Measom Dryline
- Jacob Jack Milsom of Tapper Interiors
Student of the Year – Plastering Shortlist
- Alicia Johnson studying at the City of Liverpool College
- Ruby Hillary, studying at Coleg Llandrillo
- Tyler Davies-Brown studying at The College Merthyr Tydfil
Professional Apprentice of the Year Shortlist
- Michael Dillon of OCL London
- Jake Jones of Measom Dryline
- Ben Holden of OCL Facades
Training Provider / College of the Year Shortlist
- Barnsley College
- Carlisle College
- Craven College
- Llandrillo College Rhos on Sea
- NPTC Group of Colleges
- Shropshire Training Academy
Formula Trophy Shortlist
- BCS Plaster Moulding
- KLLangton Decorative Plasterwork
- South Lanarkshire College
FIS Member Training Programme Shortlist
- Locker and Riley
- Optima Products
- Zentia
Training Champion Shortlist
- Kate Kerslake
- Terry McDermott
- Dan Plosky
Rising Star Shortlist
- James Brennan
- Craig Dyson
- Edward Tapper
Congratulations to all the nominees for their hard work and dedication in pursuing their academic goals!
If you’re interested in attending the ceremony and joining us in celebrating the winners, book your place here.
by Clair Mooney | 10 Oct, 2024 | Skills
This year’s SkillBuild Final event is taking place at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes on 20 -21 November 2024.
Alongside observing the competition, visitors will have the opportunity to have a go at a range of inspiring activities that highlight the construction trades at our designated careers experience hub, the Construction Showcase, open on Wednesday 20 November 2024 from 09.00 to 16.00 and Thursday 21 November 2024 from 09:00 to 15:00.
The SkillBuild National Final consists of 10 trades including Bricklaying, Carpentry, Drylining, Furniture and Cabinet Making, Joinery, Painting and Decorating, Plastering, Roof Slating and Tiling, Stonemasonry, and Wall and Floor Tiling. Visitors will be able to watch our top scoring competitors battle it out against each other to be crowned the winner in their trade and the best in the UK. The competition is a wonder to watch as the project builds progress and construction trades come to life. Blank canvases turn into pieces of art, timber is constructed into furniture from the intricate projects that our expert panel of judges has created for our competitors.
The Construction Showcase – Wednesday 20th from 09.00 to 16.00 and Thursday 21st November from 09.00 to 15.00
FIS will be having a stand as part of theThe Construction Showcase. This is an experience hub filled with have-a-go activities and demonstrations for children and young people from some of our sponsors and affiliates. If you are able to support with ‘have a go’ activities, please do get in touch with beenanana@thefis.org by Friday 25 October
by Clair Mooney | 10 Oct, 2024 | Employment
On 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection Act will come into force, which puts a new duty on employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment at work. The new responsibilities mark a shift towards a proactive, preventative approach . To help members get prepared, FIS Associate Member Citation has put together a brand-new legal update going into detail about everything you need to know.
We’ve put together a detailed guide to the new rules outlining the steps you can take to proactively prevent harassment in your business which you can access here.
What is the new duty?
Sexual harassment is defined in the Equality Act as “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the victim”
Employers are vicariously liable for acts of harassment carried out by their employees, even if they were unaware of these acts and would not have approved of them, unless they can show that they took “all reasonable steps” to prevent the harassment occurring.
Under the new rules, employers have a new, proactive duty to take ‘reasonable’ steps to prevent sexual harassment occurring. It’s intended to focus employers on putting measures in place to minimise the risks of incidents of sexual harassment arising in the first place.
How will a breach of the duty be enforced?
There are two ways action can be taken if you breach your duty:
- Employment tribunal proceedings and
- Enforcement by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
Employment tribunal proceedings
Workers can’t bring a stand-alone tribunal claim for breach of this new duty. But if they bring a successful claim which involved sexual harassment to any extent, the tribunal has to consider whether the employer failed to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent the sexual harassment occurring.
If so, the tribunal can increase the compensation awarded by up to 25%. For example, if an employee is awarded £50,000 in compensation for sexual harassment they suffered at work and the tribunal felt that the employer had not taken reasonable steps to prevent this happening, they could increase the award by 25%, bringing the total compensation awarded to £62,500. The size of the uplift will depend on the extent to which the tribunal believes the employer breached their duty to take preventative steps.
Enforcement by the EHRC
The EHRC is Britain’s independent equality and human rights regulator. The Equality Act gives the EHRC enforcement powers such as:
- The power to conduct investigations.
- The power to issue an unlawful act notice if an investigation finds an employer to be in breach of their obligations. The employer would then need to prepare an action plan setting out how they’ll remedy the breach and stop it happening again.
- The power to make action plans or enter into legally binding agreements with the employer to prevent future breaches.
- The power to apply for injunctions against a person in breach of their duties.
Unlike employment tribunals, the EHRC can take stand-alone action for a breach of the new duty – so even if no acts of sexual harassment have happened, they could take action against you for not taking reasonable steps to prevent it.
Does the new obligation cover acts by third parties?
The Equality Act originally included provisions making employers liable in certain circumstances for acts of harassment by third parties, but these were repealed in 2013.
The notes to the Worker Protection Act make it clear that the new rules don’t give workers the right to bring a tribunal claim under the Equality Act against their employer for sexual harassment by third parties. However, the EHRC updated their guidance to employers on preventing sexual harassment on 26 September 2024 and made it clear that they would consider a failure to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment by third parties to be a breach of the new duty for which they could take enforcement action. So, you should make sure that harassment by third parties is covered in your policies and procedures.
How should employers approach preventing sexual harassment in the workplace?
The EHRC guidance makes it clear that to comply with the new duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, you need to anticipate scenarios where your workers could be subject to sexual harassment and take action to prevent it.
Carrying out a risk assessment will be key to proving that you’ve complied with this new duty. Your risk assessment should:
- Assess the risk of workers being exposed to sexual harassment (including by third parties) and
- Outline what steps you can take to minimise those risks
The EHRC also recommends that employers consult with employee representatives about the measures they plan to put in place.
10 steps which can help prevent sexual harassment in your business
- Carry out a risk assessment
- Have the right policies in place
- Ensure your policies are available to all workers
- Train all workers
- Train managers
- Have clear reporting channels for formal and informal complaints
- Respond to complaints appropriately
- Monitor trends
- Review and evaluate the effectiveness of your policies on an ongoing basis
- Communicate your strategy for prevention, for example publish your completed action plan.
by Clair Mooney | 10 Oct, 2024 | Employment, Skills
The Countdown to OpenDoors25 is well and truly underway and members across the supply chain can now register the events they are planning to offer from Monday 17 ‐ Saturday 22 March! Everyone can play their part in inspiring careers in construction by opening up sites, offices, manufacturing facilities and training centres across the UK, and our Open Doors Partners have already listed an exciting range of events, including Canary Wharf Group’s Wood Wharf, Sunbelt Rentals’ Wetherby Utilities Depot, and Willmott Dixon’s Bridgend College Town Centre Campus.
Construction needs to recruit 50,000 new entrants a year and Open Doors is a unique opportunity for young people and those looking for a change of career to go behind the scenes and see just what the industry has to offer. We know that schools and colleges require advance notice to organise visits, so please register your events as soon as possible, and further information can be found in the latest Open Doors update.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Oct, 2024 | Market data
Total GB contract awards fell 0.8% in 2023, but at a regional level, growth rates were spread across a huge range of between +374% and -95%.
This annual regional report produced by the Construction Products Association in collaboration with Barbour ABI analyses construction contract awards at a high level of regional granularity, firstly to identify pockets of growth or contraction – hotspots and coldspots – in regional activity and secondly, to offer a forward-looking indication of growth by region and by sector.
Looking at contract awards data for 2023 across the 168 local authority regions in Great Britain, there are clear hotspots for upcoming construction activity over the next 6-24 months in Great Britain, with hotspots outnumbering coldspots by almost three-to-one overall and six-to-one for infrastructure.
