The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 introduced the option of certification for work requiring a building warrant. Certification may only be undertaken by an Approved Certifier who is employed by an Approved Body registered with a Scheme.
Regulation 40 of the Building (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 requires scheme providers to provide Scottish Ministers with the necessary information to enable the performance of a scheme to be assessed.
Summary of key message & aims
Scheme providers and directly appointed certifiers are appointed by Scottish Ministers for a fixed period, generally one year. Re-appointment is dependent upon a successful audit of the scheme. The audit looks at a scheme provider's management and delivery of the scheme and the performance of it's members. In the event of an unsatisfactory audit a scheme may be terminated or reviewed.
Building Standards Division (BSD) appoints a team to undertake these audits. The team generally consists of two BSD staff and one independent auditor. A fee is payable by the scheme provider to cover costs.
The team reviews the management of the scheme with reference to the Building (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2004, the Certification Handbook and the requirements as set out in the relevant Scheme Guide.