Chimney Skills Training

I was up north in Bury today helping another sweep to get properly qualified. Getting touch to start your NVQ.

Out and about with Nic Jackson of Smart Sweep in Norwich and Liam Charlson of Charlson Chimney Sweep in Southampton and Portsmouth

Couple of days in North Wales assessing two sweeps. Two more on their way to getting qualified.

Special congratulations today to Chloe Preston of Best Chimney Clean in Exeter!!! She received her level 2 NVQ certificate today making her the youngest qualified lady chimney sweep in the UK. Some achievement and very well done from us at Chimney Skills Training.

I was in Devon today with Matt Carey who’s doing his level 3 NVQ. Cracking day to be out in the Devon countryside with Matt inspecting an installation.

Get in touch to start your journey to formal qualification. Call Chris or Phil for more details.

TONIGHT! 6pm 22nd July 2026

NVQ Introduction & CITB Induction
Wednesday, 22 July · 6:00 – 7:00pm

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/vey-nmmm-ojf

FIND OUT MORE!

FIND OUT MORE!

NVQ Introduction & CITB Induction
Wednesday, 22 July · 6:00 – 7:00pm

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/vey-nmmm-ojf

Everyone is welcome — TONIGHT 7pm!

Work is now under way to define competency for domestic solid fuel installers and chimney sweeps. This important sector-wide discussion will help clarify roles, modernise standards and support alignment with the latest building safety reforms.

Chris Geeves and I will be hosting an online session on behalf of GMCS on 8 July at 7pm, exploring what these changes mean for the industry.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/355543449791976...

Everyone is welcome — pop this one in your diary!

Work is now under way to define competency for domestic solid fuel installers and chimney sweeps. This important sector-wide discussion will help clarify roles, modernise standards and support alignment with the latest building safety reforms.

Chris Geeves and I will be hosting an online session on behalf of GMCS on 8 July at 7pm, exploring what these changes mean for the industry.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/355543449791976?p=kfECQEnA90umcwjG0w

Dame Judith Hackitt’s report Building a Safer Future didn’t mince words. She described the industry’s approach to competence as “fragmented,” with different disciplines using their own frameworks — sometimes even multiple frameworks within the same discipline — and very little alignment between trades that must work together.

The Building Safety Act 2022, supported by secondary legislation, aims to change that. It embeds competency into a regulatory regime that applies to everyone working in the built environment. This isn’t limited to those involved with Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs); it reaches right across the sector, including trades responsible for service and maintenance. The approach to assuring competence places responsibilities on the individual, the bodies that oversee professional status and the organisations that carry out the work.

Under the new regulations, competence is defined through four pillars: Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours (SKEB). Anyone carrying out design, construction, refurbishment, servicing or maintenance must be able to demonstrate competence for the role they hold. Organisations, too, must prove they have the necessary “organisational capability.” Crucially, it is now a legal requirement for anyone appointing an individual or organisation to ensure those competency standards are met.

To support this shift, the Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG-2024) has been established as the evolved structure of the original Competence Steering Group. The ICSG brings together 15 working groups spanning the entire construction and built environment sector, all focused on developing robust competence frameworks. Sector Lead Group 10 — known as the Super Sector Programme — represents Installation and Maintenance. Within this sits the Domestic Solid Fuel Heating Installer and Chimney Sweeping group, part of the Engineering Super Sector (SLG 10.2).

For The Domestic Solid Fuel Heating Installer and Chimney Sweeping group (SLG 10.2), the first task is to fully understand its sector: its scope, its existing competency pathways, and the gaps that need to be addressed. From there, they will develop new competence frameworks mapped to SKEB Statements, setting out the precise Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours required for roles such as sweeping, servicing and maintaining appliances and flues, and installing chimneys, flues and solid fuel appliances. Each framework must also define clear Routes to Competence — how individuals gain initial competence, and how they maintain and develop it over time.

The Domestic Solid Fuel Heating Installer and Chimney Sweeping group (SLG 10.2) bring together a wide range of expertise from the sector, including member-led trade associations and training bodies such as NACS, GOMCS, APICS, , FBCS; manufacturer associations like SIA and BFCMA; CPS schemes including HETAS and OFTEC; recognised sector skills bodies such as NSAC and CITB; and a number of experienced sweeps and installers directly representing the trades themselves.

The outcome from this group will be the development of a recognised minimum national standard for sweeps and installers, agreed routes to achieve this and measures to confirm competence as individuals progress through their career.