Self-certification schemes: mandatory technical competence requirements
Use this guide if you work in a self-certification scheme (previously known as competent person scheme). This guide sets out the mandatory requirements for individuals and organisations.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
This guide explains the mandatory knowledge, skills and behaviours you need to carry out regulated work under the building regulations.
Self-certification schemes allow registered businesses and people to self-certify that certain building work complies with building regulations, instead of seeking building control approval before work starts.
What the document covers
The mandatory technical competence (MTC) framework document sets out the assessment requirements that self-certification scheme operators will use to assess businesses and individuals working within a business certified by the scheme operator.
MTCs are task-based. They describe what a competent installer must know and be able to do in order to carry out, and then certify, a type of controlled work to the standard the building regulations require.
The framework:
- set clear expectations for the level of expertise required for the work
- support a consistent approach to assessing individuals and organisations applying for registration with scheme operators
- keep installers aligned with evolving regulations, standards, industry practice and new technologies
The framework includes:
- air conditioning
- electrical
- fenestration
- heat producing gas appliances
- insulation
- liquid fuel
- plumbing and heating
- roofing
- solid fuel and biomass
Each category has its own criteria, assessment methods and technical expectations.
Joining a self-certification scheme
To join a scheme, installers must demonstrate that they meet the relevant MTC criteria and the associated assessment procedures.
For some work, an installer will be assessed against several criteria at once. For example, installing a solar photovoltaic system in a dwelling draws on more than one area of competence. This is covered through skills matrices, which should be used alongside the MTC criteria.
Scheme operators must maintain a public register of all certified individuals and organisations, including sole traders. A business cannot be certified until it has been fully assessed against the competence requirements set out in the MTCs.