CLG to Investigate Accreditation Schemes

Government follow-up concerns from the Institute of Home Inspection (IHI)

Submitted by: MikeC (Admin) on 06-Apr-08 04:17:25 PM

The Minister for Housing, Caroline Flint, has written to the Institute of Home Inspection (IHI) to confirm that her Dept, the Dept for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), will conduct an enquiry into the conduct and quality of accreditation schemes, following concerns raised by institute members.

MPs wrote to the Housing Minister in response to lobbying efforts by the institute asking her to investigate claims that some accreditation schemes are disproportionately focused on their allied commercial interests, above their regulatory duties to scheme members.

DEAs are being urged by the IHI to submit their own experiences and complaints to its Council members, who will then collate and pass them on to the Minister for investigation.

IHI member, Dean Jones of Synergy Home Inspectors:

A number of MPs have contacted us and stated that they have questioned Caroline Flint, who has, in turn, contacted us. We are now trying to compile a portfolio of evidence/facts from members or non-members to support our "complaint".

Multi-accreditation, CPD and panel exclusivity

The institute is also asking the Minister to look into areas such as multi-accreditation, panel "exclusivity" - where panel membership is restricted to a schemes' own accredited DEAs - and issues surrounding CPD.

Dean Jones adds: 

If anyone has a complaint they can go to the IHI website http://ihi.org.uk/theihi.html click, 'The Council' logo on the right hand side of the page and find the Council member for their region, people can contact them whether IHI members or not

Direct link to find your local IHI Council member (pdf)

[Update (14/06/08): Enquiry extended - Institute of Home Inspection Target DEA Training Companies]

Posts: 2

Accreditation scheme investigation
Reply #1 on : Tue April 08, 2008, 09:00:14

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No organisation should be allowed to be an Accreditation Board where it is also an Examining Board for a qualification it has granted. There is clearly a potential conflict of interest in such circumstances.
Multiple Accreditation is,in my view, not desirable as you could have the situation where a party is barred for malpractice by one Board but not by another thus placing the public at risk. As far as I am aware there is absolutely nothing that requires Accreditation Board A to bar a person who has been barred by Accreditation Board B. Indeed it is quite possible that none of the boards is aware of the parties other accreditations.

Posts: 2

Accreditation scheme investigation
Reply #2 on : Mon April 14, 2008, 14:46:33

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John M is not quite correct, Accred schemes DO in fact have to talk to each other and have a mechanism in place to ensure that members struck off by one scheme are also prevented for working for another.

Whilst multi-accreditation may not be desirable, there has certainly been problems with some schemes, their lack of quality, software and communication and when one Schemes software crashes on a sunday afternoon, those DEA/HIs who have an alternative in place are certainly doing themselves and their customers a good turn by mitigating the risk of late lodgement of EPCs.