Welcome

As my time as President draws to a close, I look back with pride at what CABE has achieved and reflect on what an honour it has been to lead the Association over the past year.

The Association has accomplished a significant amount in a short space of time, with much of the work during the past 12 months focusing on professional competence and raising industry standards.

The establishment of the Building Safety Act (2022) in England saw the introduction of clear accountability and statutory responsibilities for accountable persons. The team at CABE has worked with the Engineering Council, and other professional engineering institutions, to create a Higher-Risk Building Registration. This gives professionals a way to demonstrate that they are competent to work on these types of buildings.

A significant amount of time and resources have gone into developing the CABE Building Inspectors Competency Assessment Scheme (CBICAS) to support the building control sector as it becomes a regulated profession. The scheme gives building inspectors a route to prove their proficiency, while successful applicants gain the necessary evidence of competence required to register with the Building Safety Regulator.

I have been humbled to hear how our professional assessors are giving up their time to help support as many building inspectors as possible through the scheme before the deadline of 6 July 2024. Everyone at CABE is incredibly grateful for their support.

We understand that there is continued pressure within the building control industry. I would like to remind you of the CABE Benevolent Fund’s partnership with Anxiety UK, which may be able to provide support to any members struggling with stress at this time.

Last month the new CABE App was launched. Free to download from your app store, the CABE App allows you to upload your CPD record, access Building Engineer and take part in the CABE Community Forum directly from your phone. This is a great addition, and if you have not yet downloaded it I encourage you to do so.

Over the past six years, CABE has developed a stable operational base and strong governance, which has allowed the Association to grow and contribute to the future of standards of the industry, as well as enabled our members’ voices to be heard. It will be exciting to see CABE continue from strength to strength. May I thank everyone at NHBC, my wife Jane and my loving family for all their support during my Presidential year. I wish Richard Flynn the best as he takes over the role of CABE President.

Richard Smith PCABE FCABE CABE President

Image credit | Sam Kerr