How to demonstrate competence and quality to clients

18 FEATURE

www.elmhurstenergyconsultancy.co.uk

“Building owners, occupiers, and financiers are going to demand proof of quality and competence in the future.”

Dame Judith Hackitt commented in a Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) webinar in 2020.

There’s no doubt that greater levels of competency is where the industry is headed, as Building Regulations already hint at stricter rules due to come into force.

So what’s the difference between being trained and being competent?

If you have undergone training then you have attended a course and (hopefully!) gained specialist skills or knowledge in a certain area.

However being competent means that in addition to attending training, you have also either sat an exam, or submitted test cases, in order to demonstrate your proficiency. Furthermore, each year you will undergo auditing, CPD and/or submit test cases to demonstrate your continued competence and that you remain up to date with the latest guidance.

After all, someone who attended a course in 1975 might find their knowledge out of date and not adhering to the latest building regulations, should they fail to engage in regular CPD.

Elmhurst operates a series of competency schemes across domestic, non-domestic and new build sectors including:

n The Elmhurst Airtightness

Scheme (EAS)

n ESOS

n Inventory

n Legionella

n Overheating

n Section 63

n U-Values

n Thermography

Membership of one of Elmhurst’s schemes will give you access to marketing materials, software, entry onto Elmhurst’s online register of competent persons and in some cases, insurance.

Other benefits include: Stay ahead of regulation changes

Recent building regulation changes in June 2022 have led to requirements for 100% testing of new build properties, along with a new Part O for Overheating Risk Assessments. Accredited Construction Details have also been removed from the regulations meaning that SAP Assessors will be left with the option of using default Psi-Values or Modelled Psi-Values.

This has led to new opportunities for assessors who are able to meet clients’ new requirements and demonstrate competence and quality, as members of an Elmhurst competency scheme.

Grow your business

Learning new skills and exploring more areas that you can offer services in can also help you grow your business. From a business stand point, having multiple revenue streams offers a strategic advantage by appealing to more customers and being able to upsell services.

If your clients will require more than one service, for example a SAP Calculation and an Overheating Risk Assessment, or a Domestic EPC and a Legionella report, you can offer to provide both services. Not only will this be convenient for them, it might also be the most cost-effective, if you decide to offer a discount.

Professional Growth

Learning new skills and specializing in certain areas is a natural progression for industry professionals.

For some it’s following a particular interest, while others will be keen to capitalise on gaps in the market where new services have emerged. Whatever your motivation, Elmhurst has developed a wide course catalogue to help you realise your professional goals.

CPD Sale - Get 20% off

Elmhurst has announced its new year CPD sale where you can get a massive 20% off selected courses!

It’s a great way to not only complete great value CPD hours, but also to think seriously about that next step. Aine Murray, Accredited OCDEA, BPP

Aine Murray is a member of Elmhurst’s U-Value Scheme. After her manager suggested she learn more about U-Values, she decided to take the plunge and book a course.

“Now that I’ve done the course and joined the scheme I’m more confident in my abilities and gained more work as a result. For example there was a client who we were providing SAP calculations for and I happened to drop in that we also provide U-Value calculations and that I’m part of a recognised scheme. Now I get at least 5 emails from them each week asking about U-Values.”