Competent Person Schemes (CPS), that have been designated in Schedule 2A of the Building Regulations, allow registered installers to certify the compliance of controlled work in buildings that are subject to the Building Regulations, removing the need to seek Building Control approval.
Skills knowledge, adequate experience and the ability to apply them in the workplace are an essential part of the entry criteria for CPS registration.
An independent MTC document has been developed by industry partners, to set out the basic indicators for training, experience and knowledge to ensure that an organisation or individual, working in the Building Services sector, has the appropriate skills to undertake work within a Competent Person Scheme.
The standards for the MTC document are based on the National Occupational Standards that have been deemed the most relevant benchmark against which to measure competence for the sector, which includes plumbing, heating, hot water service, air conditioning, ventilation and related micro-generation technologies. These standards will help to define common competencies and create a consistent approach to registration.
The MTC document sets out a generic minimum base line entry criteria for those involved in the design, installation, and commissioning of relevant Building Services systems who are seeking to join a Competent Person Scheme. It also provides an ‘equivalents pathway’ for those without formal qualifications and a skills gap analysis to help all practitioners working in the Building Services sector to achieve the levels expected.
A generic assessment strategy is currently under development and, when completed, will cover all competent person schemes. Once agreed, all scheme providers will be assessed against the appropriate MTC document and assessment strategy.
Assessment against the MTC documents will give consumers an assurance that registered installers, whichever CPS they belong to, have met the competence criteria needed to install to the standards required by the Building Regulations.
Important documents
Minimum Technical Competency of Individuals undertaking Plumbing Installation work (PDF: 113Kb / 20 pages)Minimum Technical Competency of Individuals undertaking Heating Installation work (PDF: 141Kb / 25 pages)