Ahead of National Inclusion Week (14-18 September 2026), RNID is offering a range of free resources to help organisations build deaf awareness and create more inclusive workplaces. Getting involved is easy, and the resources can be used during the week and throughout the year.

In the workplace, a quarter (25%) of deaf people say they have experienced negative attitudes and behaviours from work colleagues. This figure almost doubles (49%) for British Sign Language (BSL) users, according to RNID’s ‘It does matter’ research (PDF 1.6mb).

Together we can change this. Sign up to receive RNID’s free resources to help your staff become more deaf aware – perfect for National Inclusion Week in September and beyond.

Sign up for RNID’s free resources

When you register, you’ll receive:

• Tips, posters and videos that are perfect for sharing with your colleagues during National Inclusion Week (14-18 September 2026) and throughout the year.
• Access to their exclusive events, including an upcoming webinar – Make your workplace inclusive: Build confidence talking about hearing loss, where storytellers and inclusive employers will share their top tips and experiences.

RNID is the national charity supporting more than 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. They campaign to change public attitudes and help people hear better now. They fund groundbreaking biomedical research that will stop hearing loss and silence tinnitus. And they provide practical support and information over the phone, online and in local communities.

Ahead of National Inclusion Week (14-18 September 2026), RNID is offering a range of free resources to help organisations build deaf awareness and create more inclusive workplaces. Getting involved is easy, and the resources can be used during the week and throughout the year.

In the workplace, a quarter (25%) of deaf people say they have experienced negative attitudes and behaviours from work colleagues. This figure almost doubles (49%) for British Sign Language (BSL) users, according to RNID’s ‘It does matter’ research (PDF 1.6mb).

Together we can change this. Sign up to receive RNID’s free resources to help your staff become more deaf aware – perfect for National Inclusion Week in September and beyond.

Sign up for RNID’s free resources

When you register, you’ll receive:

• Tips, posters and videos that are perfect for sharing with your colleagues during National Inclusion Week (14-18 September 2026) and throughout the year.
• Access to their exclusive events, including an upcoming webinar – Make your workplace inclusive: Build confidence talking about hearing loss, where storytellers and inclusive employers will share their top tips and experiences.

RNID is the national charity supporting more than 18 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. They campaign to change public attitudes and help people hear better now. They fund groundbreaking biomedical research that will stop hearing loss and silence tinnitus. And they provide practical support and information over the phone, online and in local communities.

FIS has expanded its industry-leading Competency Framework programme with the publication of four new frameworks covering Suspended Ceiling Installation, Complex Ceilings, Service Moveable Walls and Modular Partitions.

The latest additions build on the growing suite of FIS Competency Frameworks, providing clear, practical guidance to support competence, compliance and best practice across the finishes and interiors sector.

Developed in collaboration with FIS members, employers, manufacturers, training providers, CITB and wider industry stakeholders, the frameworks reflect real working practice and define the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for individuals working in specialist finishes and interiors occupations. 

The expansion marks another significant milestone in supporting the industry’s response to the Building Safety Act, helping organisations demonstrate that individuals have the competence required for the work they undertake. 

The following Competency Frameworks are now available on the FIS website at https://www.thefis.org/membership-hub/publications/competency-frameworks/

• Suspended Ceilings (NEW)
• Complex Ceilings (NEW)
• Service Moveable Walls (NEW)
• Modular Partitions (NEW)
• Ceilings
• Drylining
• Fibrous Plastering
• Solid Plastering
• Raised Access Flooring
• SFS (Steel Framed Systems)

 Each Competency Framework provides a consistent, structured approach to competence and includes:

• Routes to competence – recognised qualification and training pathways for the occupation.
• SKEB statements (Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviour) – detailing the competencies required for installers, including mandatory training and ongoing revalidation where appropriate.
• Implementation plans – outlining how the frameworks will be adopted across the sector, supported by assessment and training.

Together, these frameworks provide employers, individuals, clients and principal contractors with greater confidence that work is being carried out safely, competently and in accordance with both legal requirements and industry best practice.

The introduction of dedicated frameworks for Suspended Ceilings, Complex Ceilings, Moveable Walls and Modular Partitions reflects the increasing demand for greater role clarity within specialist interior fit-out disciplines. They establish consistent benchmarks for competence while supporting businesses in meeting client expectations, improving workforce capability and strengthening quality across the sector.

Commenting on the launch, Beena Nana, Head of Skills and Training at FIS said:

“These new frameworks give employers and installers a clear understanding of the skills needed for their roles. They will help improve standards across the sector and support businesses in meeting the requirements of the Building Safety Act.”

To underpin the Competence Frameworks, CITB, in partnership with Build UK and fire industry experts, have developed a free Fire Safety in Buildings e-learning course to improve an individual’s knowledge of fire safety measures in buildings. The course is suitable for anyone working in the design, construction, or maintenance of buildings, with a specific focus on installers and can be accessed here https://www.thefis.org/skills-hub/training-offers-for-members/fis-training-modules/fire-safety-in-buildings/

The full suite of Competency Frameworks is available at https://www.thefis.org/membership-hub/publications/competency-frameworks/

The CPA’s forecast for construction output has been downgraded further in its Summer forecast, due to the lagged impacts of the Middle East conflict that are starting to pass through to both the demand and cost sides of the UK economy. Construction output year-to-date so far in 2026 has already fallen by 1.6%, according to the Office for National Statistics, even before the impacts of the conflict and it is now expected to fall by 3.3% overall in 2026. This fall is due to activity weakening considerably in the key sectors of private housing new build and private housing repair, maintenance and improvement during the second half of the year. Output is still expected to rise by 1.2% in 2027 but the risks remain heavily on the downside.

Private housing is the largest construction sector and house builders have begun to report that homebuyer demand has weakened sharply in recent months in line with the increase in mortgage interest rates since the Middle East conflict. This will exacerbate the issue of affordability, which was already a problem before the conflict, especially for buyers in areas of the country with higher house prices. In lower-priced parts of the country, house builders will have to deal with sharp cost increases when site viability is already an issue. A spike in construction product prices in the second half of this year will come on top of a list of additional regulatory costs imposed over the last few years, with the Building Safety Levy coming into force in October 2026 and the Future Homes and Buildings Standard, which will be implemented in March 2027. Overall, private housing output is forecast to fall by 10.0% in 2026, a downward revision from -7.0% in the Spring forecast and output is forecast to remain flat in 2027, the same forecast as in Spring, but now from a lower level.

Private housing repair, maintenance, and improvement (rm&i) is the second-largest construction sector. Basic repairs and maintenance activities have largely continued as usual, but there has been limited activity in home improvement projects, typically the key driver of growth. Even though many homeowners had the finances for projects over the last two years, they have increasingly focused on saving rather than spending, especially on discretionary, non-essential items such as home improvement projects, and this is likely to be the case as the cost of living rises in the next 12 months. In the long term, government-funded schemes for energy efficiency in the private housing stock may drive further growth in solar photovoltaic and heat pumps, although skills shortages may hinder this. Overall, private housing rm&i output is forecast to fall by 8.0% in 2026 and remain flat in 2027.

There is still expected to be significant growth in infrastructure, the third-largest construction sector, given longer-term existing contracts, pipelines of activity and funding in place for future projects. Energy generation and National Grid distribution work are expected to continue growing strongly, as is water investment. There is greater uncertainty in rail, with the HS2 cost-saving ‘reset’ now expected to be published only in Spring 2027, and in roads, following the just-departed Prime Minister’s announcement that further defence spending would be partly funded by cuts to new roads projects. Overall, infrastructure output is forecast to rise by 3.2% in 2026, unchanged from Spring, and by 3.2% in 2027, a marginal revision down from 3.4% in Spring.

Commenting on the Spring Forecasts, CPA Head of Construction Research, Rebecca Larkin, said:

“Construction activity so far this year is already lower than a year earlier and there is still considerable concern that we are yet to see the key impacts of cost inflation on projects down on the ground or the extent to which it affects appetite for signing up to or starting new projects. The biggest questions are how rises in construction costs, financing costs and the cost of living will affect the privately-financed sectors of private housing, private housing rm&i and commercial. Consequently, these sectors are forecast to experience the largest falls in output over the next 12-18 months.

 

Even in areas where we forecast growth, there is an increased risk that rising cost inflation eats into the volume of construction work, even if the values of work are maintained. In addition, this rise in construction costs runs alongside the government’s imposition of 50% import tariffs for imported steel since 1 July 2026 and the prospect of even higher financing costs if the Bank of England raises interest rates, which make worsening viability a key barrier for new projects to progress.

 

The arrival of the new Prime Minister emphasises that the new government will have to focus on enabling house building and construction demand, as well as focus on reducing cost burdens on the whole construction supply chain if it is serious about pledges for more new homes, more and better quality infrastructure and the Net Zero transition. This is a pressing issue as essential capacity and skills have been lost in the last two years and this will only get worse as activity falls over the next 12-18 months.”

FIS is preparing a response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Call for Evidence on the future Strategy for the Built Environment Professions, Trades and Occupations. The consultation will help shape government policy on competence, accountability, behaviours and collaboration across the entire building lifecycle, with a new strategy expected in 2027.

Our draft response argues that while competence is often discussed in terms of skills, qualifications and regulation, the ability of competent people and businesses to deliver safe, high-quality and compliant work is fundamentally shaped by the conditions created through procurement and design processes. We contend that many project failures attributed to workmanship, quality, cost or programme pressures can be traced back to earlier decisions on procurement routes, risk allocation, appointment timing, design responsibility and project governance.

The draft focuses on four interconnected areas of risk:

• Procurement risk arising from late specialist engagement, unclear responsibilities and inappropriate transfer of risk.
• Design risk where specialist knowledge is introduced too late and unresolved assumptions are passed through the project lifecycle.
• Time risk created by programme pressures, poor transition from design to construction and inadequate site readiness.
• Cost and cash risk resulting from payment practices and commercial pressures that undermine investment in competence, training and quality.

A central recommendation is that procurement should be recognised as a primary control point for competence and accountability. The draft also proposes stronger use of Design Responsibility Matrices, greater recognition of specialist expertise during design development, clearer treatment of design-significant changes such as substitutions and value engineering, and the inclusion of key procurement and responsibility records within the Golden Thread.

This consultation provides an important opportunity to ensure that the practical experience of specialist contractors and the finishes and interiors sector is reflected in future government policy. To strengthen our response, we are seeking member input on whether the themes identified reflect current industry experience and to gather evidence, examples and case studies that demonstrate how procurement practices, design responsibility, programme pressures, site readiness and payment practices impact project outcomes.

We encourage all members to read the draft response and provide comments and suggested amendments to iainmcilwee@thefis.org by 10 August.

In particular, we welcome examples that illustrate the challenges and opportunities identified in the paper, as well as views on the key messages that FIS should prioritise in its final submission. Feedback will help ensure that our response accurately reflects the realities facing businesses across the finishes and interiors sector and maximises our influence on the future development of the built environment professions strategy.

Please send comments and evidence to FIS by 10 August 2026 to help shape the final submission

FIS is inviting members to take part in the Construction Showcase at this year’s SkillBuild National Final, taking place at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, on 18–19 November 2026.

The Construction Showcase is an interactive experience hub featuring hands-on activities and live demonstrations designed to inspire young people to explore careers in construction. As part of the showcase, FIS will be highlighting the breadth of opportunities and skills within the finishes and interiors sector and we are looking for members to help bring the stand to life.

Whether through interactive activities, practical demonstrations or engaging displays, this is an excellent opportunity to promote your specialist skills, engage with future talent and help inspire the next generation to consider a career in the sector.

Construction Showcase opening times:

• Wednesday 18 November: 09:00–16:00
• Thursday 19 November: 09:00–15:00

If you’re able to support the FIS stand, please contact Beena Nana at beenanana@thefis.org by Friday 11 September.

The Construction Showcase forms part of the SkillBuild National Final, the UK’s largest multi-trade skills competition. Visitors will have the chance to watch the country’s top scoring apprentices and trainees compete across a range of trades including Drylining, Bricklaying, Carpentry, Plastering, Painting and Decorating, Wall and Floor Tiling, and Joinery, with projects transforming from blank canvases into impressive displays of craftsmanship, skill and precision.