Local authority: NRSWA and Permit Compliance Inspections - 6033, Units 301 and 321
In December 2021, STC was commissioned by a council in the English midlands to deliver the City & Guilds-approved 6033 Unit 301 and 321 NRSWA and Permit Compliance Inspections training and assessment at their venue for nine new members of staff as part of their skills development within the organisation.
Case study brief:
The programme has been specifically designed to save local authorities money by ensuring that inspectors can correctly investigate and identify who is liable for specified Highway Maintenance repair costs.
The training equips staff with the knowledge to effectively pass on costs to utility companies and other contractors, shows them how to increase revenue for the local highway authority through charges for inspections and notices for non-compliance, and how to drive up the quality of contractor and utility works in the area through consistent inspection and non-compliance noticing.
Client Background
The council is a local authority in the English midlands. Their highway department has a statutory duty to maintain highways in a safe and serviceable manner for all types of road users.
The Requirement
Following the council’s transition from a noticing to a permitting authority within street works and with the employment of new staff, they wanted a strong footing for the team to start from. The City & Guilds approved 6033 Unit 301 and 321 NRSWA and Permit Compliance Inspections training and assessment programme was needed to bring everyone’s knowledge in line and allow a consistent approach to the coordination and management of street works.
The Challenge
There were a number of new starters to the team that had various backgrounds, not all necessarily in a streetworks capacity, so the challenge was to train all members of the team up to the same knowledge level in this area.
The Delivery
The programme content includes:
-
Identifying cost savings and additional income generation opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Highway Maintenance budget.
-
Ensuring that staff are adopting best practice by using and working in accordance with the local and national Codes of Practice, HAUC, and current legislation.
-
Providing a recognised City & Guilds qualification to staff and increasing their knowledge and confidence to deal with practical inspection and non-compliance issues that arise.
-
Other local Codes of Practice, and national guidance which can also include specific organisational policies and procedures.
Programme delivery consisted of:
Desktop Review
Our trainer completed a review of the organisation's policies and procedures. The preparation work that is undertaken forms part of the Pre-Visit day.
Pre-Visit
Our trainer-assessor met with the key decision makers within the authority and those who know the most detail about their policies and procedures, to be sure that the interpretation of these are correct and can be delivered as part of the course. The trainer provided a detailed explanation of how they intend to deliver the training and assessment process and incorporates any feedback provided by the client that may affect how the course delivery is approached and the local details that go into that.
These sessions provided the council with a valuable opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity on matters that could have a very significant benefit to them in their roles and directly to the authority. The second part of the Pre-Visit is about locating suitable training and assessment sites as close to the training venue as possible. The selection of sites is important to be sure that we are giving the best training opportunity to candidates and also making sure that the assessment venue fully meets the scheme requirements.
Unit 301:
Assesses their inspector’s ability to operate safely in a highway environment and within the scope of Health & Safety Legislation and Regulations.
Unit 321:
Assesses their inspector’s ability to undertake NRSWA and Permit Compliance inspections based on the Code of Practice 2002, Draft HAUC Code of Practice for Inspections, and Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways.
The Outcome
The programme provided comprehensive knowledge of national legislation, codes of practice, and even on-site awareness. The council found our trainer to be very knowledgeable and supportive, and made the course engaging. It was adapted to all levels of knowledge and has provided invaluable skills to support the authority in gaining improved compliance on the network.
If you'd like to know more about our NRSWA training courses and the service we can provide you with, please get in touch.
