APS has increased its sector-wide engagement to better support members in developing and maintaining professional competence. Each week, we’ll share an update from APS HQ so you can see the breadth of work being carried out for your benefit.

What happened last week? (1-7 December)

APS activity remained strong across several key areas last week. Andrew Leslie, APS CEO, attended the Compliance Plan Manager Accreditation Scheme Working Group, contributing to discussions on developing a future CPM competency scheme in the post-Grenfell building standards regime for Scotland. Andrew and Sofie Hooper, APS Deputy CEO also took part in the Building Safety Alliance Trustees meeting, where funding for the next six months was confirmed along with plans to welcome additional supporters. The Alliance provided updates across its workstreams, including the CLC building safety occupation portfolio, led by the BSA Chair, Anthony Taylor.

Sofie chaired the second post-survey Steering Group meeting of the Industry Task & Finish Group, focusing on how consultation feedback will shape the next draft of the guidance on meeting ICC expectations for organisational competence. The group explored how best to reflect feedback on organisational culture, evidencing competence, and potential publication options for the final document. Sofie also met with Tom Stack from BSI to discuss the next steps towards developing the ITFG guidance into a British Standard. Discussions covered who will be the convenor for the BS drafting panel and hosting options for the ITFG guidance, including the BSI Built Environment Competence Hub.

A major milestone for APS this week was the successful achievement of ISO 14001 accreditation. Led by Nicola Lally, APS Head of Operations, the HQ team completed the Stage 2 audit, confirming APS’s alignment with internationally recognised environmental management standards. This achievement strengthens APS’s commitment to environmental best practice and supports members as sustainability becomes increasingly central within the construction sector. Read the full details here.

Andrew also represented APS at the Scottish Building Contracts Committee, where APS has been invited to review SBCC guidance on CDM and the Building Safety Act.

To round off the week, the APS Temporary Works Peer Review Group met to review the developing APS guidance designed to support good practice in temporary works for CDM practitioners. This work is nearing completion, with publication expected in early 2026.

And finally, Sofie attended the ICC expectations for organisational competence working group, which discussed its own survey feedback and next steps towards publication.

Department spotlight – Events

Last week marked the close of the Autumn Webinar Series, completing APS’s 2025 events programme. Charlotte Hughes, our Events Coordinator, has successfully coordinated and delivered more than 40 hours of CPD across 36 events, 26 of which were free to members and attracting over 7,000 registrations.

APS’s events offer has grown significantly in recent years, with a dramatic increase in CPD opportunities for members. Charlotte’s work has been central to enhancing both the quality and reach of our professional development programme.

Recent updates members should know about

BSR publishes update on pilot processes

The Building Safety Regulator has released new data and insights from its pilot processes for high-rise residential building control applications, sharing early findings from the initial rollout. Read it here.

Seasonal pause in building control application processing

The BSR will pause processing new building control applications submitted via the GOV.UK portal from 19 December to 5 January 2026. Applications submitted before 19 December will continue to be progressed, and no new directions for Building Assessment Certificates will be issued during this period. Access useful building safety resources when making applications.

Asbestos consultation – member input invited

Next week APS will begin drafting a response to the ongoing asbestos consultation. Members who wish to contribute are warmly invited to get in touch at sofie.hooper@aps.org.uk. Read more here.

What’s on this week (8–14 December)

Tuesday: Andrew will attend the Industry Competence Steering Group – Principal Designer Working Group, focusing on PD Building Regulation competencies and the review of PAS 8671.

APS Director Helena Knight will represent APS at the Construction Industry Council Housing Panel meeting.

Wednesday: APS Academy Course: Fire Safety in the CDM Pre-Construction Phase (England) takes place.

If you would like to contribute or share expertise on issues that matter to you, please contact APS HQ at info@aps.org.uk.