SAVA/NHER CPD Requirements for DEAs and Course Providers

How many hours of CPD does your accreditation scheme require from members?

All our Scheme members are required to carry out lifelong learning to ensure they remain competent and up-to-date with the skill set required for activities they offer under their membership agreement.

For Home Inspectors the requirement is 20 hours lifelong learning over a year with appropriate weighting in different areas of the NOS. For Domestic Energy Assessors we recommend 10 hours lifelong learning a year.

Given that all first year DEAs will have spent considerable time training, qualifying and learning on-the-job, do they still need to complete their full CPD quota this year?

Members have to take responsibility for ensuring they maintain technical competence and are fully conversant with Best Practice. On renewal for this first year, we will expect each member to have a Personal Development Plan and we will expect to see evidence that it has been reviewed regularly.

Home Inspectors will need to demonstrate that they have achieved the required hours for their pro rata membership year. 

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Can your members attend courses given by external third-parties, or must they attend your own in-house offerings?

Members can use a variety of methods as Lifelong Learning, such as reading from a book, learning from colleagues as well as attending traditional short courses. The NHER Compliance team do approve courses for lifelong learning from third parties as well as the courses offered by NES.

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Do CPD courses need to be pre-approved by your scheme to be recognised?

No courses do not need to be pre-approved by the Scheme. It simply wouldn't be possible for the Scheme to source or approve courses to cover all the possible requirements of it's members. Personal Development Plans must record the activities undertaken and the learning outcomes from those activities which should relate to the objectives identified on the Plan.

What guidance can you give to your members as to whether a course is worth attending, and how can they determine how much CPD credit you will award, before attending?

We would advise members to have a clear idea about their own individual requirements before registering for any course. They should ensure the course clearly states what it is setting out to achieve, what resources are being used and how it will improve candidates knowledge or working practices. An additional bonus for any course would be some sort of objective method to measure the amount of knowledge that has been transferred - something like a test or exam.

Are there any advertising guidelines that course providers should adhere to and DEAs should look out for to ensure the course is legitimate? For instance: should the advertisement quote something like: "This course is approved by NHER"; "This course awards 3 CPD credits" etc...)?

Approved courses can bear our logo plus we also maintain a list on our website. Regardless of accreditation scheme, DEAs should generally exercise caution to ensure the course advertised provides the outcome they seek. Non-approved courses advertising x amount of CPD hours should be treated with a pinch of salt.

Is there a cost for submitting course material for review?

Yes. Details and information can be found on the NHER website (see link below).

How long does the review take?

Contingent primarily on the speed of the course provider supplying the necessary - and correct - course information. It can otherwise usually happen quite quickly. There is a guide to help training providers with the types of information we would look for at the link below..

Do you advise how much CPD credit will be awarded (if you approve the course)?

Absolutely. Our list of approved courses all show the numbers of hours allowed.

Who should course providers contact to submit their proposed material?

Any course provider who wishes to submit an application to the NHER for Lifelong Learning approval should contact the Compliance Team on 01908 672787.

The approval criteria is clearly set out on our website for all to see: NHER Course Approval Criteria

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Are you particularly focused on a particular range of topics DEAs can study, or would you consider periphery subjects like business development, accounting, and internet marketing, for example?

So far we have had applications for Lifelong Learning approval for technical courses such as heating systems, non-traditional construction and asbestos awareness as well as commercial courses on basic contract law and compliance issues facing HI's and DEAs.

Members must also be aware that changes in legislation, technology and practices may all prompt a lifelong learning requirement either mandatory or optional but linked to specific activities. 

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Would you support an open standard amongst accreditation schemes whereby a course acceptable to one, would be acceptable to all?

Yes ­ but clearly it isn't something that we can deliver on our own!

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The objective of the lifelong learning / CPD requirement is not to impose additional costs on members or create a hurdle for them to trip over. The objective is to ensure that individuals maintain and, ideally, enhance their competence over time. We have taken a lead by providing members with the regular Technical Bulletin and through the provision of on-line training and evaluation such as the Sampling and Cloning Module. We will continue to look for ways to assist members to achieve their development goals in an efficient and cost-effective way that suits them.

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