Recognised Qualifications for the Competent Person's Qualified Supervisor

 

Section 1 - Information for the firm

 

A firm seeking Competent Person status is required to have at least one Qualified Supervisor, i.e. someone who has direct responsibility on a day-to-day basis for the safety, quality and technical standard of the work and ensures the results of the inspection, testing and verification process are accurately recorded on the appropriate forms for certification.

Qualified Supervisors - numbers

Depending on the volume of work undertaken and the geographical spread of a firm's operations, it may be the case that a single person cannot properly exercise the responsibility expected of Qualified Supervisors for the safety, quality and technical standard of the work carried out. If that is the case, the firm will require more than one Qualified Supervisor.

A firm may be asked by an Assessor to justify the number of Qualified Supervisors it has in place. Since each firm may be different, it is not possible to give a specific answer at the start of the assessment process. Firms should be aware that an Assessor will apply the following test:

"Is the number of proposed Qualified Supervisors sufficient to safely support the firm's activities as a Competent Person given the composition, scale and geographical spread of its workload?"

Qualified Supervisors - qualifications and experience

Firms applying for Competent Person status are strongly advised to establish the appropriate number of Qualified Supervisors they require and ensure that each of them meets the criteria contained in this document.

Qualified Supervisors should have the appropriate knowledge and experience of the testing, certification and reporting procedures for the work undertaken. In addition, they must be conversant with the following:

• The Electricity at Work Regulations
• The current issue of BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations)
• The applicable Building Regulations (not just Part P, but any other part of the regulations that may apply to a particular job).

 

Section 2 - Information for the individual

 

Any individual who wishes to become a Qualified Supervisor under Part P must possess a qualification that referenced in detail the edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations current at the time the course was undertaken. This forms the essential underpinning knowledge required of a Qualified Supervisor.

A Qualified Supervisor must also be able to meet each of the following criteria:

1. demonstrate to an Assessor an appropriate level of understanding of the practical and theoretical aspects of BS 7671 (IEE 16th Edition Wiring Regulations), including knowledge and experience of inspection, testing, certification and reporting procedures. This may be achieved through demonstration of practical skills, questions and answers, or a combination of both and
2. demonstrate awareness and an understanding of the Building Regulations applicable to the type of work the firm undertakes. A Competent Person is responsible for ensuring that the work the firm carries out complies with all the applicable parts of the Building Regulations, not just Part P. This may be achieved through demonstration of practical skills, questions and answers, or a combination of both.

Where an applicant for Qualified Supervisor status is unable to demonstrate competence in each of the criterion above, he or she is advised to undertake a suitable course in order to address the deficiency.

Examples of courses suitable to develop competence for Part P Qualified Supervisor status

Examples of suitable courses, depending on the need, include:

• relevant modules from the EAL (EMTA Awards Limited) Level 2 Certificate for Domestic Electrical Installers (available Autumn 2004)
• City & Guilds 2381 (BS 7671 IEE Wiring Regulations)
• City & Guilds 2391 (Inspection & Testing).

Those who choose to undertake courses included in this section are still required to demonstrate competence during an assessment process.

Important: This list of qualifications is not exhaustive. Other courses may offer a syllabus enabling a candidate to meet the assessment criteria above. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that any course they undertake will meet their needs. Neither the scheme manager nor the ECA will accept responsibility for any course undertaken, following which the candidate fails to demonstrate the required standard of competence.

Recognised courses suitable to provide underpinning knowledge for Part P Qualified Supervisor status

The information below is important where:

1. an individual needs to acquire a qualification that meets the requirement to provide underpinning knowledge for Part P Qualified Supervisor status
2. an individual already holds such a qualification and wants to check that it satisfies the requirements of Part P.

Those who wish to acquire a qualification to become eligible for assessment for Part P Qualified Supervisor status are advised to check the availability of courses with the relevant Awarding Body (see contact details below), a local college or a suitable training provider. Some of the courses listed below may no longer be available to new candidates.

Qualifications that have been deemed suitable include:

• NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Electrotechnical Installation and Maintenance
• A registered electrical apprenticeship
• EAL (EMTA Awards Limited) Level 2 Certificate for Domestic Electrical Installers
• City & Guilds 2330
• City & Guilds 2380
• City & Guilds 2381
• City & Guilds A, B, or C certificates
• City & Guilds 236 Part 1, 2 or C certificates
• City & Guilds 2360 Part 1, 2 or C certificates
• City & Guilds 2356 Part 1 or 2
• City & Guilds 2391
• City & Guilds 2400
• Scottish Qualification Authority tailored award in Design and Verification of Electrical Installations.

Note: This list of qualifications is not exhaustive and others may be accepted after being individually considered. For further information, see 'Submission of courses for accreditation'.

Important: Only original qualification certificates awarded to the applicant seeking Qualified Supervisor status will be acceptable to the scheme managers. Applicants are reminded that certificates must be available for inspection during the assessment.

 

Section 3 - Submission of courses for accreditation

 

BRE Certification, as the manager of this Competent Person Scheme, has approved the ECA Education and Training Department to validate qualifications submitted for accreditation under the scheme.

If you hold a qualification that, in your opinion, meets the criteria for underpinning knowledge and it is not already listed as suitable or unsuitable, i.e.:

"Be in possession of a qualification that referenced in detail the edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations current at the time that the course was undertaken",

you are invited to submit a copy of your certificate(s) to ECA Education and Training for accreditation. The qualification(s) may then be deemed suitable or unsuitable and you will be informed of the outcome.

In order to submit a qualification, please provide the following information:

1. Your name, address and a suitable contact telephone number
2. A COPY of your qualification certificate
3. Details of your place of study
4. Supporting information demonstrating how the qualification referenced the criteria for underpinning knowledge, outlined above, i.e. course syllabus.

The decision of the scheme manager is final and no further correspondence will be entered into once a decision has been taken.

Submit your qualification(s) to ECA Education and Training at:

Electrical Contractors' Association, ESCA House, 34 Palace Court, London W2 4HY

Tel: 020 7313 4800   Fax: 020 7221 7344   E-mail: eandt@eca.co.uk

Further information regarding Part P of the Building Regulations can be found on the dedicated website www.partp.co.uk

Useful contact details

City & Guilds 1 Giltspur Street London EC1A 9DD	Tel: 020 7294 2800 Fax: 020 7294 2400 E-mail: enquiry@city-and-guilds.co.uk Web: www.city-and-guilds.co.uk
EMTA Awards Limited SEMTA House 14 Upton Road Watford Hertfordshire WD18 0JT	Tel: 0870 240 6889 Fax: 0870 240 6890 E-mail: customercare@eal.org.uk Web: www.eal.org.uk

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