The new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) registration process has caused “annoyance, reluctance and worry” among building control surveyors, according to survey
Since the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017, there have been numerous enquiries, reports and regulatory changes in the building industry. One of these changes involves the formation of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), an arm of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to ensure all practising building control surveyors are registered by April 2024. Anyone not registered will not be able to carry out the building control function unsupervised, however, registration involves submitting portfolios of evidence to prove one’s experience to a relevant grading, and taking exams or sitting interviews to prove competencies.
This has caused a great deal of discontent and anxiety within the sector, and many individuals are proposing to take early retirement or change professions to avoid the process. This, in turn, means that an already under-resourced sector could be put under further strain, resulting in a required programme of apprenticeship training to ensure the future of building control remains stable.
Hertfordshire Building Control recently conducted a research paper and carried out an online survey inviting building control professionals to respond. A variety of questions were posed to gauge how individuals felt towards the registration process, with an analysis made towards culture within the sector, and what the audience’s main motivations were to successfully complete this. The results highlighted an obvious audience demographic of more senior surveyors who appeared generally supportive of the process.
Concerns for a decline of building control surveyors
When asked for the respondent’s single main motivation for registering, 62% responded that it was to remain in the building control profession, ie, to keep their job. With the largest concern for the requirement to register being the loss of surveyors from an already under-resourced sector, it further highlighted that individuals were not necessarily looking at what opportunities it would offer them by being one of fewer registered surveyors in the sector, suggesting a lack of personal motivations to seek career progression. This is highlighted in reviewing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, suggesting that security must be encountered prior to an individual seeking motivation for personal growth or pursuing progressive opportunities.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow (1946), Image: (Sodexo 2023)
The survey results confirmed that the registration process, although seen by many to be a positive step forward, was met by feelings of “annoyance, reluctance and worry” due to the short time frames imposed on the registration process and because of the lack of communication, support and accurate information provided by the enforcing authority. This appears to have led to a culture of discontent and uncertainty causing animosity and worry throughout the profession, as surveyors are in doubt over how the building control profession will react to what is still unknown, with much of the finer detail yet to be fully established.
Summary of the key findings of the study suggests the following:
The audience was more senior and in the middle to later stages of their careers.
Nearly 80% of the audience supported or fully supported the registration process.
The audience felt poorly informed and supported by the industry as a whole, but felt better informed and supported by their companies.
The respondent’s main motivation for registration was to remain in the building control profession.
The audience’s largest concern with the registration process was the loss of surveyors from an already under-resourced sector.
Nearly half of the respondents answered that they have considered leaving the building control profession as a result of the registration process.
Over 60% of those surveyed were annoyed, reluctant or worried about having to register.
Taking account of the numbers proposing to leave the sector in the coming years, it is crucial that the building control sector takes charge and focuses on shifting the culture from feelings of uncertainty and discontent to ensure individuals feel secure, supported and motivated to undergo change. Communication is key to ensuring a smooth transformation, with acceptance of feedback from those affected, and for leading authorities to promote growth mindsets and attitudes in a timely and responsible manner.
Individual motivations for personal growth appeared to take a back seat during this time of uncertainty, with individuals keen to concentrate on the basics and attain registration in order to remain in the building control profession. Cultural and personal motivations for progression could develop and become more positive once the registration deadline has passed. If successful, it could provide building control companies and building control surveyors with ample opportunities for improving confidence, growth and sustainability, allowing much-improved conditions and cultures within the sector for years to come.
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