We’ve been operating in our industry for over 27 years and now utilise the skills of the most competent Quality Site Inspectors (Clerks of Works) in our industry.
This is not something that has happened overnight, it’s taken thought, planning and continued hard work by our in-house resource team and wider company to ensure that the Clerks of Works and NEC Supervisors that champion quality on our projects have the correct industry skills, competence and commitment required.
There are several ways we ensure that the skills and competency of our site staff are up-to-date, and this starts with our consultant’s induction programme.
Firstly, there is an interviewing and induction process which establishes the levels of experience, skills and professional acumen the Clerk of Works holds. For example, if the project is a historical building, then specialist Heritage Works/Grade I and II listed building experience would be required to match the job. Professional attitude and approach is also key, we want our site staff to be team players—important qualities when integrating with a whole site team.
Secondly, we recruit Clerks of Works who are members of the ICWCI (The Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate of GB), the professional body that supports quality construction through inspection. A good proportion (43%) of our Clerks of Works are members of the ICWCI and we are actively encouraging non-members to consider this accreditation and the benefits it offers such as; monthly chapter meetings, wide and varied CPD, discussion on topical issues, current legislation and shared knowledge—all areas we whole-heartedly support.
Thirdly, our site staff undertake CPD which we actively encourage by sharing CPD with them. This could be via one of our information emails – Focus on Hickton, or sharing updated information obtained by IHS—an online portal which contains up-to-date documentation on British Standards and Building Regulations. We follow this up with our Clerks of Works/Site Inspectors/Construction Inspectors/Building Quality Inspectors on a regular basis. If a specialist skill is identified for a project, additional training is sourced to enable this to happen. For example, last year a team of Clerks of Works undertook specialist membrane training before carrying out inspections for an international client.
‘Having the most competent Clerks of Works representing us in our industry is key. We encourage all site staff to build solid relationships with us, 60% of our site staff have worked with us for over two years and four Quality Site Inspectors have worked on jobs for over 20 years’.
Managing Director, Tony Mobbs
To talk to us about employing a Clerk of Works on your next project or if you are a Clerk of Works with the skills required to join our site team, please call us on 01226 743959.
