BESA Competency Toolkits

The Background - "Competence: A Legal Imperative"

Legal Obligation: Competence isn't just a choice; it's a legal requirement. Under the Act, the Regulator has the authority to enforce competence requirements on individuals undertaking building work. Paragraph 5C of Schedule 1 of the Building Act 1984 defines competence as possessing the appropriate "skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours," and mandates that all individuals engaged in design, construction, refurbishment, and maintenance work must demonstrate competence in their respective roles.

Individual Competence: All appointed individuals must possess the required skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours for their roles. This competency must be demonstrated through recognised assessments and for example, ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It is important that their work adheres to the Building Regulations and any other relevant laws. Additionally, individuals must only undertake work within the limits of their competence and capacity.

Organisational Capability: Organisations must demonstrate and evidence their (and their supply chain) capability, competence, and capacity to fulfil their obligations under building regulations. This includes ensuring suitable support, management, and supervision, along with providing necessary resources to ensure competent outcomes.

Documentation and Reporting: Comprehensive documentation and evidence of both individual and organisational competence must be recorded and reported, ensuring transparency and accountability. This is particularly critical when managing the Golden Thread, a legally required framework for maintaining building safety information and complying with Mandatory Occurrence Reporting requirements to identify and address safety risks.

This emphasis on competence highlights the critical importance of ensuring that all individuals and organisations involved in building services are adequately skilled and equipped to fulfil their roles and can evidence it.

The importance of competence being a legal requirement is the: You Can’t Plead Ignorance episode of the behind the build environment podcast. This episode looks beyond the charges to the impact of a justice process that spanned 15 years and a Proceeds of Crime hearing still ahead in 2026. In that time, Andrew’s business collapsed, his pension disappeared, and the emotional cost fell heavily on his family.

World Ventil8 Day - 8th November

Taking place every year on 8th November, World Ventil8 Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of ventilation as a crucial part of enabling health and wellbeing of people. It also seeks to recognise and celebrate the ventilation and indoor air quality community. We want you to be part of it, whether you are a ventilation professional or someone with a passion for fresh air in your buildings.

As a champion of the importance of ventilation in improving our health and wellbeing, BESA are a founding member of World Ventil8 Day