TrustMark scheme provider forum
This week James Berry attended the Trustmark scheme provider forum at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon. The forum is an opportunity for scheme providers (like the PCA) to engage with Trustmark, hear about initiatives they are pursuing and discuss issues that are pressing for Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) sector.
Key takeways
The day featured some interesting discussions, one being the lack of labour coming into the construction industry and specifically, the RMI sector. Suggestions included the introduction of licences in this sector, an idea which may have some merit although in my opinion should only be considered as part of the solution, with more steps taken to make the sector more appealing. This is certainly required and are much more systemic.
Other interesting discussions included an update from the Building Safety Regulator, who after further discussion have acknowledged there will be a focus on compliance with ventilation. Something we have been very vocal about for a while and it was reassuring to hear.
We also heard about the introduction of ‘property passports’ in France this week, with the expectation that this will be monitored to see if a similar scheme would work in the UK.
In summary...
It was clear that the main focus of TrustMark is very much with retrofit, even the discussion about skills shortage was centred around gaining the skills for new technology. We are keen to ensure that TrustMark continues to provide value to all its scheme providers and this is something we will monitor going forwards.
We were also informed that within the coming months, scheme providers will have access to data on the volume of website searches, which might prove an interesting metric to determine the ongoing value of TrustMark association.