Executive opinion Delivering for members
Group chief executive officer STEVE BRATT welcomes Certsure to the ECA family, and explains how it will enhance the association for members
T
he launch of the Electrical Safety Register was the first step in the strategic partnership agreement we announced with the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) late last year. I’m happy to report that
this partnership was formalised on 1 April, with the creation of the joint venture company Certsure LLP. As one of the parent companies, we’re pleased
to have Certsure as part of the ECA family. Set up to unite certification activity, it operates both the ELECSA and NICEIC certification schemes, and carries out the ECA membership technical assessments required to be a registered member of the association. It also operates and continues to promote the Electrical Safety Register, the one-stop-shop for anyone looking for a competent electrical contractor. The partnership brings together the industry’s
key trade association and its consumer safety body, providing a united voice to government on issues affecting the electrical sector. Unifying the major players in the certification market also allows the ECA to get on with what we do best – delivering the services and benefits that set our members apart and help their businesses to grow.
First class The ECA delivers a range of first class business support services, whether provided at a regional level or via our central helplines – including contracts and legal advice, debt recovery help, health and safety guidance, information and advice on the latest technologies and regulations, plus the association’s Guarantee of Work and Bond schemes. This level of support is unique to the ECA.
Being a registered member means that you have a comprehensive, expert back-office function supporting your business – a bit like a virtual safety net. ECA membership offers reassurance for customers
too. We will be highlighting and promoting these added benefits, so that anyone who employs an ECA registered member knows that contractor not only to be technically competent, but also to have this very powerful support network behind them. Clients get phenomenal added value and peace of mind when they engage an ECA member, and this partnership allows us to focus on promoting these key differentiators to clients and specifiers. Also, being able to concentrate on being an excellent trade association means that further focus
About the author
Steve Bratt was appointed group chief executive officer of the ECA in October 2010. He joined the ECA as chief operating officer in 2007, becoming deputy CEO in February 2010.
Being a registered member means that you have a comprehensive, expert back- office function supporting your business – a bit like a virtual safety net
can be given to positively influencing the technical and commercial environment in which our members operate. Going forward, ECA registered members will
enjoy additional benefits from the joint venture. The first of these, the Electrical Safety Register, is the largest database of registered electrical contractors for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The 36,000 contractors listed on the online Register are collectively responsible for 92 per cent of all domestic work and 90 per cent of all building notifications. Working together, the ECA and the ESC have developed this easy-to-use portal and are using our combined might to promote it widely as the definitive go-to resource for the public, clients and specifiers. The Electrical Safety Register demonstrates
that those listed on it all operate to the same high technical standards. Coupled with the ECA’s promotion of the enhanced credentials of ECA registered members, this should mean that members are even more widely recognised and highly regarded by clients. As one benefit, a free online renewables course has
now been made available to those on the Electrical Safety Register (see News, page 8). Many more benefits can be expected as the partnership develops, including access to new products and services, many of which will be provided on preferential terms. ECA registered members also retain the risk-based competency assessment, which enables those businesses that demonstrate quality work to extend their assessment frequency to up to three years. In addition, in the coming months, Certsure will recognise the ECA’s Guarantee of Work, so that ECA registered members will not have to pay an additional insurance fee when notifying work under Part P.
Way ahead One of the most important elements of the partnership is that this new corporate stucture allows us to provide the focus needed for continuous improvement to our industry. Each of the bodies – the ECA, ESC and Certsure – will be able to concentrate on what they do best, while working together to develop common approaches to policy. The ECA will be even more effective at influencing the development of the industry, while enhancing and delivering the invaluable services and support our registered members enjoy.
June 2013 ECA Today 21
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