Guidance

Provision of assistance from local authorities in BSR multi-disciplinary teams

Published 3 December 2025

Applies to England

First published May 2025.

This guidance details how local authorities can fulfil their legal duties under section 13 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (the act) to assist the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) in the regulation of higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and HRB work.

Local authorities must have due regard for this guidance (and any other relevant guidance) when exercising their functions under section 13.

It has been issued with the consent of the Secretary of State (SoS) under section 16 of the act.

The guidance supports local authorities on what they need to do when working to provide a relevant function as regulatory partners to BSR. A ‘relevant function’ means a function of BSR relating to:

• the regulation of higher-risk buildings (within the meaning of the Building Act 1984 or part 4 of the act),
• or higher-risk building work (as defined by section 91ZA of the Building Act 1984)
• in the case of a local authority, a function of the regulator relating to the regulation of any work for which the regulator is the building control authority by virtue of section 91ZB of the Building Act 1984

BSR may direct a local authority to fulfil a request for assistance following a written request, where BSR considers it expedient to do so and the SoS consents. BSR may issue further guidance on direction in the future.

Regulator roles and responsibilities

Regulators have specific roles and responsibilities in the provision of assistance to BSR.

Building Safety Regulator

The role of BSR as a building control authority is to:

• assess and determine building control applications
• undertake inspections / interventions
• process change control applications
• assess and determine certificate applications
• enforce building regulations

BSR will request necessary assistance from local authorities to support multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs). BSR will lead and support MDTs with the assistance of BSR:

• case officers
• regulatory leads
• senior investigators
• investigators
• assistant investigators

BSR will request assistance by:

• sending a request in writing for assistance to the appropriate regional hub
• sending that request electronically for onward transmission to the local authority
• following any regional working agreement when submitting the request

Requests for assistance will focus on professionals with the appropriate competence including skills, knowledge and experience.

Assistance will focus on new and existing buildings that are over 18 metres or 7 storeys in height and contain 2 or more residential units, or are a hospital or care home (where applicable). BSR will make induction material available for local authorities who provide MDT members.

Find out more about MDTs helping BSR’s regulatory decision making.

BSR will send requests, usually by email and specify a reasonable response time for local authorities receiving the request. Local authorities will inform BSR whether they will or will not provide the requested assistance of registered building inspectors (RBIs) of the appropriate class and competency, and other specialists.

Any local authority unable to provide the requested assistance should respond to BSR in writing, within the specified time frame, outlining the reasons why they believe they cannot fulfil the section 13 request.

This will enable BSR to comply with statutory timescales for the delivery of its regulatory functions. Find out more about BSR and its partner regulators’ response times.

BSR can direct a local authority to assist with SoS consent. The direction may specify the time frame and the way the assistance is to be provided.

SoS consent to give a direction may only be sought after BSR has made a written request for assistance and has considered any written representations made by the local authority within the stipulated time frame.

Local authorities

BSR will usually ask local authorities to assist forming a building control MDT working on new HRBs and changes to existing HRBs. The request may occasionally specify security clearance requirements at level SC.

Assistance requests may involve:

• plans assessment
• assessment of building control approval applications
• inspections (on-site and remote)
• assessment of change control applications on variations and substitution of materials on plans or on-site
• assessment of completion certificate applications
• assessment of regularisation certificate applications

Local authorities will be expected to provide MDT assistance within a reasonable time, as specified by BSR. This includes resources provided through regional working.

The multi-disciplinary teams and detailed job tasks sections explain the process fully.

Information sharing

Anyone regulating HRBs should create a shared picture of the risks by sharing relevant information in a way that supports effective regulation and each other. Section 27 and schedule 3 of the act provide legal basis for information sharing between BSR and local authorities.

Data protection law applies to all information sharing arrangements. Further guidance and resources are provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Regional working

Local authorities may assist BSR through regional hubs or directly.

A regional approach will aid capacity and capability across a geographic region and help mitigate conflicts of interest when they arise. Regional hubs are an arrangement between local authorities to provide assistance to BSR nationally and regionally.

Regional working agreements between BSR and local authorities will set out detailed arrangements. This will reduce dependency on individual local resource and enable assistance from a pool of local authorities organised through regional hubs.

All hubs will have a coordinating role and work with local authorities to provide BSR the necessary assistance with the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours.

Regional hubs will be managed and administered by the parties described in the relevant agreement, for example Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and London District Surveyors Association (LDSA).

Find out more about regional working.

Multi-disciplinary teams

MDTs bring competent professionals together to enable effective regulatory decision making. MDT members advise BSR. MDTs will include at least one BSR representative with one or more other professionals. They may be arranged for specific buildings, project work or groupings of buildings.

BSR will identify the necessary resource, competency and security clearance requirements before requesting assistance. The regional hubs will follow their procedures to identify appropriately competent resource.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring any staff involved in providing relevant assistance to BSR have the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours. 

BSR will:

• provide operational support
• commission the formation of an MDT
• provide any necessary MDT member induction
• liaise between MDT members
• coordinate with relevant stakeholders and make regulatory decisions

Find out more about MDT work in the multi-disciplinary teams and detailed job tasks annexes.

Induction

An initial induction will prepare all MDT members for what is expected when working within an MDT. Further inductions or added sections to an introduction may follow as needed.

MDT for building control

Most MDTs for building control will consist of a BSR regulatory lead, BSR case officer, RBI and a fire safety specialist.

BSR will request assistance from an RBI with the competency that is appropriate to the advice needed. This may involve supervised activities. Further information about RBI competency is available in the Building inspector competence framework (BICoF).

MDT for building assessment certificates

BSR assesses applications for building assessment certificates (BAC) of occupied HRBs and determines whether a BAC will be issued. Assessments will include at least:

• the safety case report
• the resident engagement strategy
• mandatory reporting procedure

Most MDTs for building assessment certificates will consist of a BSR regulatory lead, BSR case officer, a fire safety specialist, a structural assessor, and may occasionally include a fire engineer or RBI.

MDT for investigations and technical advice

BSR will request local authorities to provide technical assistance to carry out its function, for example in response to a major incident or an investigation.

The provision of technical assistance is also part of the role of an MDT, for example where an RBI provides specific advice to an investigator.

Most MDTs for investigations or technical advice will consist of a BSR investigator and other appropriate specialists.

Professional behaviour

Individuals working in any MDT are to be guided by appropriate codes of conduct and behaviours. These include:

• the Code of conduct for registered building inspectors (RBIs only)
• BSR’s behavioural statement for MDT members

The BSR behavioural statement is provided during the induction of any MDT. Members are expected to agree and abide by those behaviours while part of that MDT.

Conflicts of interest

BSR is the building control authority for HRBs. Any professional involved in delivering this function should not be affected by conflicts of interest, either real or perceived.

The local authority that contributes resources to an MDT is responsible for identifying, managing and declaring relevant conflicts of interest to BSR prior to and during an MDT. This includes the hubs used for regional working and any proposed or actual MDT members.

Find out more in the conflict of interest annex.

Liabilities

As the legal body, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will bear the cost of its regulatory decisions under the HRB regime.

BSR expects local authorities to discharge their duties in a lawful and competent manner and reserves the right to recover costs from any party to the MDT who has been negligent in their duties.

Local authority employees delegated to assist BSR will not be directly employed by BSR. Local authorities will retain all management functions.

Resource planning

BSR will share relevant data relating to planned regulatory work with local authorities. This aims to support them with their workforce planning. For example, BSR may share: 

• BAC assessment criteria and any planned HRB list prior to the next fiscal year
• BAC assessment quarterly updates throughout the fiscal year as applications progress

Data will be shared initially using Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) data sharing systems with local authorities. BSR will work with local authorities on data sharing developments.

Reimbursement

Local authorities may recover their costs of providing assistance from BSR. They calculate their own hourly rates, on a cost recovery basis only, and should notify BSR of these rates on request from BSR. BSR anticipate any adjustments to agreed rates will be made annually.

Details of any new rates resulting from this review will be notified to HSE and also made publicly accessible through appropriate means before the new rates come into force.

Local authorities should ensure the information used to determine their hourly rate is retained. Those rates and supporting information may be subject to audit through the authorities’ standard audit process.

Find out more about recovering costs in the reimbursement annex.

Annex A: Response times

Local authorities will provide an initial response followed by a confirmation or rejection, as specified by BSR. Local authorities will be expected to assist the MDT within a reasonable time, as specified by BSR. This assistance may be provided by local authorities directly or through regional working arrangements.

Requests for assistance are sent by email. Any request sent before 5pm on a working day is considered as having been received on that same working day.

BSR and its partner regulators have agreed to 3 key response times. Additional response times may be agreed in future.

Initial response

Within 2 working days local authorities must advise whether they will provide assistance.

Confirmation response

Within 5 working days local authorities must:

• confirm request can be resourced
• provide the requested details for allocated individuals to BSR

Rejection response

Within 5 working days local authorities must:

• decline the assistance request
• provide reason for declining the assistance request including details of any reasonable steps taken to fulfil the request

Reasonable steps

Examples of reasonable steps are:

• efforts made to liaise with other regional hubs
• projected time to supply suitable assistance from this or other regional hubs
• overview of the risk of this occurring for future project requests of this type
• those taken to remedy the situation including the provision of necessary skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to support the competency required

Monitoring

BSR may monitor requests for assistance by:

• reviewing initial, confirmation and rejection responses
• taking suitable action, for example reviewing conflicts of interests arising and prioritisation of those conflicts
• liaising with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) prior to commencing a risk review
• commencing risk reviews where non-provision of assistance is a regular occurrence

Annex B: Regional working

Local authorities may provide their assistance directly to BSR or through regional working. BSR will contact local authorities without regional working arrangements directly. Memorandums of Understanding detailing MDT arrangements have been established collaboratively by BSR, Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and London District Surveyors Association (LDSA).

LDSA coordinate all London boroughs through the London hub. City of London act as a central triage for all London boroughs.

LABC coordinate all local authorities outside of London. Their hub will administer all relevant requests for assistance within the LABC regions. These are:

• south-west
• south-east
• West of England
• East Anglia
• central
• northern
• north-west
• Yorkshire
• East Midlands
• West Midlands

Regions are subject to change.

Annex C: Multi-disciplinary teams

MDTs bring competent professionals together to enable BSR’s effective regulatory decision making. MDT members advise BSR.

BSR will induct any MDT member which may involve, for example:

• roles and responsibilities in an MDT
• expected behaviours of MDT members
• instructions on time recording and reports
• information on and declaration of any conflicts of interest, data sharing and competencies
• details on assessment approaches

MDTs are made up of 2 or more individuals. Key roles are detailed in this annex. These are not exclusive and may be supported by further specialists, for example fire safety advisors, fire engineers and structural engineers.

MDT key roles are:

• BSR regulatory lead
• BSR case officer
• BSR investigator
• registered building inspector (RBI)
• fire safety specialists such as fire safety inspectors

BSR regulatory lead

The BSR regulatory lead manages and leads multiple, concurrent MDTs. They are the regulatory decision maker for each MDT in their portfolio.

BSR case officer

The BSR case officer supports the BSR regulatory lead and is the principal contact for MDT members, accountable persons (AP) and principal accountable persons (PAP).

BSR investigator

The BSR investigator is a summary term for different investigator roles within BSR. A case appropriate investigator will lead and manage the MDT for their investigation.

Registered building inspectors on MDTs

RBIs working on MDTs are:

• competent, skilled, experienced and knowledgeable as relevant to BSR’s request for assistance
• usually as competent for 18+ metres / 7+ storeys residential and mixed-use buildings, hospitals and care homes (where applicable)

Find out more about new building safety reforms in the Building inspector competence framework (BICoF).

Project details will usually be shared via a website accessed over the internet, commonly known as ‘the portal’. MDT members will be invited to set up a password-protected account. This will enable the sharing of information and documents in a secure environment.

RBIs are usually involved with building control MDTs for building works on new builds and material alteration of existing buildings, for example, adding residential space or additional storeys creating a HRB.

Building control is required to create a new HRB and do building work to an existing HRB. This involves a range of activities, for example:

• providing building control advice to the BSR regulatory lead
• assessing plans and documents to establish whether they demonstrate compliance with building regulations within a specified period defined by BSR
• final inspection and consideration of completion certificate applications
• completing MDT reports
• attending MDT meetings (including advising and agreeing an inspection regime)
• undertaking inspections at the request of BSR
• acting as professional witness where compliance and enforcement action is required
• providing technical assistance

Key activities for technical assistance may include:

• reviewing documents
• attending MDT meetings
• undertaking of inspections at the request of BSR
• acting as professional witness
• assisting BSR where compliance and enforcement is required

The detailed job tasks annex explains RBI duties.

Annex D: Detailed job tasks

This annex provides further information on each task that MDT members from local authorities may become involved in as part of an MDT. This annex details the main tasks within the key MDT types.

Registered building inspectors

Building control approval application, known as ‘gateway 2’

1: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish if they demonstrate compliance with all applicable requirements of building regulations by:

• completing a record of assessment
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising on specialist input
• attending meetings with applicant

2: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish if they are suitable to undertake the statutory consultation with the fire service and sewerage undertaker by:

• collating relevant documents for consultation
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising on consultation responses

3: Assess plans, details, and documents to enable a determination of an application by:

• completing a record of assessment
• advising MDT lead of determination
• attending meetings with MDT

4: Assess plans, details and documents and support the establishment of an appropriate inspection and intervention schedule by:

• completing a record of assessment
• attending meetings with MDT

Inspection, commonly following gateway 2

5: Undertake inspections in line with an agreed inspection and intervention schedule to ensure adherence to a set of approved plans and documents issued by BSR by:

• completing inspection report(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

6: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether a change control application is required by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT

Change control application, commonly following gateway 2

7: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether they demonstrate compliance with the relevant functional requirements of schedule 1 of the Building Regulations 2010 by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising on specialist input
• attending meetings with applicant

8: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether they are suitable to undertake the statutory consultation with the fire service by:

• attending meetings with MDT
• collating relevant documents for consultation
• advising on consultation responses

9: Assess plans, details, and documents to enable a determination of an application by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising MDT lead of determination

10: Assess plans, details and documents and support the establishment of an appropriate inspection and intervention schedule by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT

Completion certificate application, commonly known as gateway 3

11; Undertake inspections in line with an agreed inspection and intervention schedule to ensure adherence to a set of approved plans and documents issued by BSR by:

• completing an inspection report(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

12: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether a completion certificate application demonstrates compliance with the relevant functional requirements of schedule 1 of the Building Regulations 2010 by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

13: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether they are suitable to undertake the statutory consultation with the fire service by:

• collating relevant documents for consultation
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising on consultation responses

14: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether a completion certificate can be issued by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• advising MDT of determination
• attending meetings with MDT

Regularisation certificate application

15: Undertake an inspection to assess the current stage of works and appropriate legal compliance by:

• completing an inspection report(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant
• undertaking sometimes invasive inspections as agreed by the MDT

16: Assess plans, details, and documents submitted relating to any additional work required to establish whether a regularisation certificate application demonstrates compliance with all applicable requirements of building regulations. Do this by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

17: Establish with MDT whether the applicant is required to lay open any of the completed building work to determine compliance with applicable requirements of building regulations by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

18: Undertake inspections in line with an agreed inspection and intervention schedule as determined from the initial inspection by:

• completing an inspection report(s)
• attending meetings with MDT
• attending meetings with applicant

19: Assess plans, details, and documents to establish whether they are suitable to undertake the statutory consultation with the fire service by:

• collating relevant documents for consultation
• attending meetings with MDT
• advising on consultation responses

20: Assess plans, details, and documents and building work to establish whether a regularisation certificate can be issued by:

• completing record of assessment(s)
• advising MDT of determination
• attending meetings with MDT

Compliance and enforcement

BSR does not require an MDT for compliance and enforcement purpose. However, BSR will request input from local authorities when it comes to compliance and enforcement action at various stages. Individuals involved in such projects will need to continue to be available for any compliance and enforcement action.

21: Provide input regarding a contravention of building regulations by:

• completing a written report of advice
• providing written statements and witness of fact
• acting as professional witness where required
• continuing to be available for any compliance and enforcement action

Annex E: Conflict of interest

Any professional assisting BSR in the delivery of its functions must not be affected by conflicts of interest, either real or perceived. This includes the hubs used for regional working and any proposed or actual MDT members. ‘MDT member’ means any individual who is part of an MDT with BSR, for example BSR employees, local authority employees and others.

A perceived conflict of interest is any situation in which a reasonable third party would conclude that conflicting duties or loyalties could exist. For the purposes of this guidance, examples of a conflict of interest are: 

• a situation in which the duty of an MDT member to act in the interests of BSR conflicts with a duty owed to another party
• a situation in which the duty of an MDT member to act in the interests of their organisation for whom they are employed conflicts with the interests of BSR
• a conflict between the duty of an MDT member to provide material information to BSR, and the duty of that MDT member to another party to keep that same information confidential
• a situation in which the duty of an MDT member to act in the interests of BSR conflicts with commercial advice given by the same MDT member

An interest will not always result in a conflict, and whether there is a conflict will depend on the circumstances.

Local authorities must disclose actual and perceived conflicts of interest of an MDT member to enable informed decision making for the affected MDT. This includes full disclosure on potential conflicts arising from an MDT member’s employer being involved with a relevant primary authority relationship of which the MDT member is aware.

BSR may consent to a situation where an apparent conflict of interest exists if BSR is satisfied that:

• proceeding is not prohibited by law
• the apparent conflict will not prevent the provision of competent and diligent undertaking of the requested activities

BSR will act proportionately in making decisions in relation to conflict of interest questions.

The local authority that contributes resources to an MDT is responsible for identifying, managing and declaring relevant conflicts of interest. Local authorities will do this in accordance with the operational standards rules (OSRs) and the code of conduct for RBIs. Local authorities must declare any potential conflicts of interest at the time of confirming resources to BSR, via regional working or otherwise.

A conflict can occur if a decision may have been influenced by another interest. The perception of competing interests, impaired judgement or undue influence can also be a conflict of interest.

Conflicts of interest should be avoided. This applies to all parties involved in regulating HRBs. If there is any potential doubt, this should be declared at the point of request for assistance from BSR. BSR applies 3 principles to the formation of an MDT.

Principle 1

For a local authority owned or managed HRB asset that local authority must not be part of an MDT related to that HRB asset to:

• assess a building control approval application which includes a relevant change control application or completion certificate application
• assess a building assessment certificate application following previous building control involvement by that local authority for that HRB, this only applies in circumstances where that local authority provides an RBI

That local authority may be part of an MDT related to that HRB asset if the work has been commissioned by a private occupier, for their residential unit. This is subject to:

• an appropriate conflict of interest declaration
• the relevant works not impacting on common parts
• impacting the risks of fire spread and structural stability for the wider building

Example

A local authority employs RBIs. That same local authority also owns an HRB asset which requires an MDT to be convened by BSR. This creates an actual conflict of interest for RBIs working for that local authority.

The outsourcing of the management of a local authority-owned HRB asset to a third party requires sufficient safeguards to avoid conflicts of interest. This applies to decision-making arrangements between the local authority and the third party. This may be a perceived or actual conflict of interest.

When asked to provide assistance to BSR, the local authority should not put forward any RBI they employ or contract for an MDT that will provide assistance to BSR for their own HRB asset.

Principle 2

For a new or existing HRB where an RBI and/or local authority has given pre-application advice on the design or construction of that HRB. This may have been a commercial consultancy arrangement or ad hoc support and excludes assistance provided to BSR. They must not form part of an MDT for that HRB to:

• assess a building control approval application which includes a relevant change control application or completion certificate application
• assess a building assessment certificate application following previous building control involvement by that RBI and/or local authority on that HRB

Example

A local authority employs or contracts an RBI, other individuals or organisations. The local authority, their employees or contractors have advised dutyholders on the design or construction of a new or existing HRB. This may have been a building owner, an architect, a developer or a construction firm. The advice may have been free of charge, or not. This creates an actual conflict of interest.

Advice given in a regulatory capacity may also be conflicts of interest, for example through the process of delivering a building control function. Interpretative advice from local authorities and their supply chain may conflict with BSR’s interpretation and place MDT members in a difficult position. This should be declared at the outset so that an assessment can be made.

When asked to provide assistance to BSR, the local authority should not put forward anyone who has given design or construction advice for the MDT on that HRB.

Principle 3

MDT members and their employers shall have no professional or financial interest in the work they supervise, where they:

• are or have been responsible for the design or construction of any of the work in any capacity
• are a member, officer or employee of a company or other body which has a professional or financial interest in the work
• are a partner or are in the employment of a person who has a professional or financial interest in the work

Example

An RBI is employed by a local authority that was or will be involved with design, testing, commissioning or warranty services for an HRB. This could include structural engineering, fire engineering or acoustic testing. This and other services create an actual conflict of interest.

When asked to provide assistance to BSR, the local authority should decline the request and provide detailed reasons.

Annex F: Reimbursement

BSR recover charges for, or in connection with, the performance of relevant (“chargeable”) functions.

Charges will include the costs to the regulator of reimbursing the expenditure incurred by local authorities for any action taken to comply with a BSR request or direction for assistance as detailed in the BSR charging scheme.

As set out in the BSR charging scheme, reimbursement will be based on a single hourly rate set independently by local authorities. Local authorities are responsible for setting their own hourly rates on a cost recovery basis only and calculated transparently in accordance with their normal practices.

The day-to-day administration of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), IT infrastructure and overall project management will be covered by BSR and should not be included in the calculations of local authorities’ hourly rates.

Local authorities should notify BSR of these rates on request from BSR. BSR anticipate any adjustments to agreed rates will be made annually. Details of any new rates resulting from this review will be notified to HSE and also made publicly accessible through appropriate means 7 days before the new rates come into force. Rates will be adjusted upwards or downwards as needed to reflect actual costs.

Where these rates are applied as a component of BSR’s costs, they will be identified on BSR’s invoice for transparency. Local authorities will need to input information to facilitate efficient and transparent requests for payment from duty holders and the timely reimbursement of costs incurred. BSR will provide access to the necessary systems, processes, and guidance.

Local authorities should retain the information they used to determine their hourly rate as these may be subject to audit through local authorities’ standard audit process and as part of any proposed future audit of building control teams.