Trades and
professionals working on higher risk residential buildings need to push ahead
with plans to improve competences without waiting for Government to introduce
new regulations.
That was the key
message from Dame Judith Hackitt addressing attendees at a conference held at
the Local Government Association in Westminsterto discuss recommendations set
out in Raising the Bar – the interim report from
the Competency Steering Group (CSG), set up to tackle competency shortcomings
identified in the Hackitt Review in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Fire. The
report is out for consultation until the end of October.
Dame Judith told the
130-strong audience drawn from across the built environment and fire sectors
that the work of the CSG was “impressive” but that “Changing the regulatory
framework, which some of you are waiting for, is going to take time.”
She said: “My
personal view is that the direction of travel is right, and progress on many of
the aspects of implementing the recommendations [set out in her report Building a Safer Future] is encouraging. But
we’re not moving fast enough to change any of it. So, what are we waiting for?
Why is there still a sense of waiting to be told?
“More importantly
still, I think you need to examine why you are doing this. You should be doing
this because it’s the right thing to do. Not because the rules and legislation
make you do it.”
Dame Judith praised
the work of the CSG and its working groups in bringing the industry a
considerable way along the journey towards improving competence, adding “There
is more to do to turn this plan into real and lasting cultural change on the
ground.”
The CSG comprises
more than 150 institutions and associations working across the built
environment and fire safety sectors - the largest number of organisations that
have been brought together in these sectors for a common purpose.
In her speech, Dame
Judith acknowledged that getting insurance for working on higher risk
residential buildings was problematic. She advised the CSG to consult widely
with insurers to see if the measures being proposed would reassure them that
the industry was raising its game.
Graham Watts, chair
of the CSG, said: “This competence work will continue. We won’t rely on
regulation to make it happen. We don’t need to wait to ask about the competence
of people we’re appointing – we should be asking that now.”
Also speaking at the
conference, Chandru Dissanayeke, Building Safety Programme Director at the
Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, said that improving
building safety was the most important work on the Government agenda.
He allayed fears
that it could be blown of course by an election and possible change of
government. He said it was key for government to work with the industry
more closely to drive a culture change through the sector.
The CSG is looking
for the response to Raising the Bar – comments can be made here until 31
October https://consultations.rics.org/consult.ti/Raisingthebar/consultationHome
