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.

Recent updates members should know about

• A few meetings took place last week on the approach and positions around the regulation of professions, following the Government’s publication of the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus in December. Of particular interest for APS is the regulation of safety critical professions, including the Principal Designer Building Regulations. Monday, 9th February, APS met with the Engineering Council to discuss the various potential approaches and expectations. On Thursday, APS participated in the CIC Competence Taskforce, where the various professional bodies have come together to agree on best practice approaches, and the standards professional bodies should have in place when regulating professions. Two working groups have been established to progress this work which needs to be fast paced to feed into Government policy development taking place over the coming months.

• Tuesday, Sofie Hooper (DCEO) took part of the ICC Task and Finish Group on Setting Expectations for competence management in organisations, where the final draft was discussed. The document is due to be approved by the ICC in the middle of March, with publication currently scheduled for April. This document will be supported by practical guidance on how to meet the expectations by guidance from the Industry Task and Finish Group, due to be published alongside the ICC document.

• The Spring APS Fellows Forum took place this week. Fellows’ insight and expertise play a vital role in refining our policy approach and shaping the development of practical tools to better support our members. Their contribution ensures our work remains both strategically informed and grounded in real-world application.

APS Fellowship is the highest level of APS membership. To become a Fellow, individuals must have held CMaPS membership for five consecutive years and demonstrated significant professional experience and contribution to the industry. Fellows meet quarterly in a forum-style setting to discuss key topics and receive important updates.

• A Welsh consultation workshop on the market review of building control closed off external meetings on Friday, 13th. With much of the new Welsh building safety regime coming into force in July 2026, the Welsh authorities are currently reviewing how the mixed public-private approach is delivering against expectations and how the local authorities could best deliver the new building safety with varying degrees of regional collaborations in place.

What’s coming up this week? (16-22 February)

Meetings APS is involved in this week include:

• The APS PDBR Assessors meet on Tuesday to update and review the application procedures, application form and guidance for the Principal Designer Building Regulations Register.

• ICC Setting Expectations - Group 2 Clients meeting

• ICSG Principal Designer Working Group

We’ll continue to keep members updated on key developments and engagement across the industry as plans for 2026 take shape.

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