by Clair Mooney | 19 Oct, 2022 | Contractual and Legal, Lens Blog, Main News Feed
FIS Consultant Len Bunton continues with the theme of getting paid, and what options are open to FIS members. These monthly Blogs are designed to help FIS Members avoid common traps and build on our focus on collective experience.
One of the things you need to do is to make sure your invoice goes to the right person in the organisations who you are working for on a project, so establish that from the outset before work commences on site. In fact, I would encourage you to have this in the minutes in the Pre-Start Meeting Minutes, so there is absolutely no disagreement on this.
There has been an interesting survey recently which looked at why invoices are often rejected as follows…
by Iain McIlwee | 13 Oct, 2022 | Building Safety Act
This week FIS submitted our response to the consultation on implementing the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings and wider changes to the building regulations for all buildings. The consultation was split into 12 consultation sections relate to the proposed changes to Building Regulations under Part Three of the Building Safety Act 2022. It starts to give greater insight into how the Building Safety Regulator intends to manage the Building Control Process for Higher Risk Buildings alongside the wider Building Regulatory Process, where the two will align, the additional informaton requirements for Higher Risk Buildings and provide a bit more context in terms of Gateways, Competence, Compliance and Enforcement.
The key areas covered were:
- New dutyholder and competence requirements on all building work and additional duties for those working on higher-risk buildings. These new roles and requirements aim to ensure a stronger focus on compliance with the regulations
- A series of robust hard stops (“gateway points”) to strengthen regulatory oversight before a higher-risk building is occupied
- The approach to Regulator’s notices to support building projects which comprise both higher-risk building work and non-higher risk building work
- Stronger change control during the construction of higher-risk buildings
- Additional requirements for building work carried out in existing higher-risk building work e.g. refurbishments
- The process of certifying building work that have been carried out without building regulations approval (regularisation)
- Establishing greater record keeping and management in higher-risk buildings (golden thread of information)
- A mandatory occurrence reporting system in higher-risk buildings
- More rigorous enforcement powers for building work in all buildings to focus incentives on the creation of reliably safe buildings from the outset and the approach taken to the review and appeal of building control decisions
- Wider changes to the building regulations to align the existing system with the new system
- The transitional provisions for changing to the new higher-risk building regime
You can access all the consultation information here (now closed).
FIS responded to 11 of the 12 consultation areas. In the response FIS raised concerns about some of the timings associated with the Building Control Approval Process and particularly the impact of decision times in the hard-stop gateways. The FIS also called for support from Government to ensure consideration as to how this will be managed in the standard form contracts, particularly in the initial periods as the process develops and becomes more efficient. The FIS also noted that the Regulator needs to be prepared to provide quick and clear determination of issues and agile guidance is required to support the transition period.
FIS repeated throughout the response that procurement needs to change and there should be checks and balances through the supply chain to assess the practicality of delivery and ensuring that time and resources is available.
FIS was supportive of Mandatory Reporting requirements, but noted the importance of clarity and potentially the need for anonymity in the process. The organisation also some concerns around proportionality related to historic prosections and impact on future supply chains.
The final note of caution was around competence and the need to manage the transition to the new era of proving competence as the infrastructure to support evolves.
Commenting on the consultation FIS CEO Iain McIlwee stated:
“Reading through this gives real insight into how much the construction process is going to change and how much resources is going to be required to support it. This is not just about High Rise Buildings, but in this consultation we see profound change to the entire process and findings from our research into procurement and tender processes were very relevant – this is more about setting up than signing off. The direction of travel is something we can applaud and we agreed with the vast majority of the statements in the consultation, where we have advised caution is largely around ensuring that we don’t tie ourselves in buerecratic knots and we deliver a streamlined compliance regime that is resourced to enforce – at the end of the day good legislation with bad enforcement is perhaps the worst of all worlds. We have also emphasised in the transition period the regulators are going to need to work closely with the industry – the delays could criple companies and guidance needs to be agile as it is a complex process and the early guidance will be tested. We don’t want to be stepping over the bodies of those that were first to the breach as we step forward into a better lanscape for construction!”
If you wish to see a full copy of the FIS Consultation response, email iainmcilwee@thefis.org.uk
For more information on the Buidling Safety Act, click here – this is a regular item at all upcoming FIS Regional Events and Working Groups and you can quiz FIS staff and external experts.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Health and Safety
FIS members can access a template Drugs and Alcohol Policy which can be adopted by the whole supply chain to provide a consistent approach to the use of drugs and alcohol.
The policy has been developed by Build UK, working with Eurofins Workplace Drug Testing.
The policy recognises that there are different legal limits across the nations and workplace environments, along with various ways of testing and has been developed in response to calls from members to provide a consistent framework for drug and alcohol testing as well as dealing with instances of misuse, eliminating unnecessary duplication and waste across the industry.
The template policy can also be used to meet the relevant requirement in the Common Assessment Standard ‐ question 173 which asks ‘Do you have a drugs and alcohol policy?’.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Main News Feed
The Small Business Commissioner has issued a self‐declaration form to signatories of the Prompt Payment Code, which are required to show they pay 95% of invoices to SMEs within 30 days and 95% of other invoices in 60 days.
Signatories will have until 9 November 2022 to return their self-declaration forms to certify they are still compliant with the Code.
Build UK’s payment performance table provides information on over 100 of the industry’s largest companies.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Main News Feed
The Joint Code of Practice for Fire Prevention on Construction Sites, published by CIP Books, has been updated and made freely available to download. The 10th Edition of the code applies to all activities during design, procurement and construction to help projects design out risks and adopt safe working practices. Often used as a condition of construction insurance, the scope of the code applies to projects with an original contract value of £2.5 million or above, including smaller value contracts on these projects.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Skills
The Government has commissioned a review of the Shortage Occupations List (SOL) to identify whether other occupations need additional support when recruiting workers from outside the UK. The SOL, which lists the job roles where a worker can be paid 80% of the usual going rate whilst still qualifying for a Skilled Worker visa, will be reviewed to determine whether the current occupations should continue to be included and any new occupations with a RQF level 3 or above qualification should be added. Build UK will be contributing to the review through the reconvened CLC working group on immigration, and it is scheduled to be completed by March 2023 with any changes implemented by autumn 2023.
Under the Points‐Based Immigration System, most workers from outside the UK in construction are ‘skilled workers’ and require a Skilled Worker visa to work in an eligible occupation. Build UK has updated its flowchart providing an overview of the process of employing a worker from outside the UK, as well as its detailed guidance on How to Get a Sponsor Licence and How to Get a Skilled Worker Visa.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Main News Feed
The new generation of Pagabo’s refit and refurbishment framework, will replace the current framework, which expires in February.
The new generation will run for four years from April 2023 and provide a compliant and collaborative route to market for public sector clients to procure refurbishment works valued at £50,000 and above.
SMEs are encouraged to apply for positions on the five value based lots
With a total value of £1bn and to meet the demand for Pagabo’s growing base of national clients across all major business sectors, the framework will be split into five value-based lots as follows:
- Lot 1 – £50k to £500k
- Lot 2 – £500k to £1m
- Lot 3 – £1m to £5m
- Lot 4 – £5m to £15m
- Lot 5 – £15m+
Under these lots, up to nine contractors will be allocated to regional sub lots, comprising six core and three reserve suppliers.
A number of these places are reserved for SMEs to ensure fair access for organisations of any size, to provide choice for clients, and to ensure the generation of maximum positive social impact for communities.
Client organisations will be able to both direct award and further compete their requirements
Suppliers on the core list will be eligible for direct appointments and further competitions, and those on the reserve list will only be eligible for direct appointments. However, they will be included in further competitions should not enough from the core list respond to a further competition expression of interest.
Red Kite Learning Trust (RKLT) will be the contracting authority for the new agreement, continuing its role from the current iteration of the framework.
Maintaining social value and adhering to the Construction Playbook with the refit and refurbishment framework
Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo, said:
“The performance of the original Refit and Refurbishment Framework shows that there is a definite requirement for this type of procurement solution, and after lots of work we are now pleased to be inviting suppliers to submit tenders.
“As this is a second-generation framework, we have liaised with the contracting authority, existing client organisations and potential suppliers to gain feedback on the current version. This has allowed us to examine what has worked well, and where through changes more organisations can benefit from use of the framework – along with any changes to keep our processes at the forefront of the procurement golden standard and adherence to the Construction Playbook.
“As always, social value remains at the centre of our actions. Both client organisations that use this – and our other frameworks – and the appointed contractors will have access to a free version of Loop’s social value software for all Pagabo procured projects. This access will allow them to report on and demonstrate the social value being generated by the project and their actions.”
by Clair Mooney | 13 Oct, 2022 | Skills
Despite concerns about a recession, the industry’s skills shortages have shot up the agenda once again, with ‘People and skills’ identified as one of the four most important strategic priorities in the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) new vision and leadership summary published in September.
The CLC has stated that it will focus on people issues within the industry, with a big push on attracting talent and enhancing skills for the future. It is also very keen to ensure that, if construction business insolvencies do start to increase, workers at risk of redundancy are quickly redeployed and not lost to the sector.
The issue of recruiting enough people into the sector isn’t a new one, but it is becoming increasingly urgent. In 2017, it was predicted around 500,000 workers are expected to retire from the industry over the next 10 years which doesn’t leave long to fill this gap.
As well as replacing the exiting skills and experience, the industry also needs to recruit 53,200 additional workers every year to keep pace with the levels of demand, according to the CITB’s Construction Skills Network report, including people with new skills in digitalisation, sustainability and offsite manufacturing.
How can employers attract new people into construction?
While it might sound like a mammoth task, there are lots of ways for employers to attract new people to join the industry.
Apprenticeships, traineeships, graduate jobs, placements and internships, T Level courses, work experience and taster opportunities, and any well supported entry-level jobs, all provide great ways for young people to gain the skills and experience they need to forge a career in construction.
If your organisation is currently offering any opportunities like this, make sure they are added to Talentview Construction (TVC), a free online platform that helps individuals to get started in the construction industry.
This month marks the first anniversary since TVC was launched, supported by CITB industry levy funding and backed by Government.
Over the last 12 months, more than 11,600 early careers vacancies have been added to the site, attracting more than 48,000 views from potential applicants.
How can Talentview Construction help FIS members with recruitment?
By using TVC to support with early-careers recruitment activities, you can:
- Promote information about your business
- Upload unlimited vacancies and training opportunities
- Search for local candidates
- Create saved searches and alerts for people who match your criteria
- Have direct contact with individuals
- Manage the recruitment of numerous positions
- Integrate with existing recruitment systems
The platform can also help you build links with local schools. There are 148 universities, university technical colleges (UTCs), FE colleges and schools across the UK registered on the platform – including the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, Chesterfield College, South and City College Birmingham, and the United College Group London – all of which will be incorporating student registration onto TVC as part of their 2022/2023 intake.
To help you promote vacancies on Talentview Construction, there is a handy Comms Toolkit which has free videos and social media graphics, as well as text that can be used across websites, newsletters and other comms: https://bit.ly/CTRS-TVC-employers-toolkit
For more information on how TVC can support your organisation with recruitment, visit: www.talentview.org/construction
by Clair Mooney | 12 Oct, 2022 | Skills
Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) and the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers are delighted to announce the annual Training Awards will be presented by the Lord Mayor of London.
The 694th Lord Mayor of the City of London, Nicholas Lyons will be attending the Training Awards on 22 November, where he will be continuing the tradition of the Lord Mayor presenting the worthy winners with their awards.
Held at the Plaisterers’ Hall in London from 12:00 – 15:30, the Training Awards recognise excellence and achievement in plastering and interior trades and will celebrate:
- The achievement of apprentices
- Students who have exceeded beyond expectations
- The delivery of training by colleges and training providers
- Training delivery by an FIS member company
- Mentors and others who have supported sector training
- Lifetime contribution to sector training
Commenting on the awards, FIS President Helen Tapper and Member of The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers Industry Committee, said:
“We are delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor to the annual training awards. The event showcases the very best of the sector’s occupations and the achievements of students and apprentices, supportive employers and mentors, colleges and training providers.”
Garth Manger OBE, Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers said:
“The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers is delighted to be partnering with FIS and hosting the Training Awards in our Hall. Having the Lord Mayor present the prizes will make it a very special day for the worthy winners and we look forward to welcoming him and the winners on 22 November”.
The awards, which traditionally covered plastering and drylining, have expanded to cover the wider finishes and interiors sector and include the following occupational areas: Dryliners, Ceiling Fixers, Partition Installers, Plasterers, Carpenters and Joiners, Access Flooring Installers and Steel Framed System Erectors.
Trade-specific sponsored awards include the British Gypsum Trophy – which recognises the highest achievement in drylining skills education – and the Formula Trophy, for contributions to the development of skills and long-term future of Fibrous and GRG plasterwork.
For more information on the awards, visit www.thefis.org/training-awards-2022 or https://plaistererslivery.co.uk/industry-support/plasterers-training-awards/ or call 0121 707 0077.
