I am delighted to be able to introduce myself to you all following my appointment as temporary Chair of ARB last month.

During this time, the Board has been working closely with the Executive to ensure we continue to meet our strategic and operational goals. I am heartened by the efforts of the dedicated staff team at ARB, who have demonstrated their hard work and commitment to ensuring our regulatory duties are fulfilled in light of the extreme challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be assured the Board is also fully aware of the challenges you face as a result of the pandemic and the market conditions that attend it. We acknowledge the impact this has had and will continue to have on the profession.

We are also alert to persistent issues relating to Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII), and I would like to thank those of you who provided responses to the recent survey we commissioned. This has given a real insight into the difficulties many of you are facing in finding appropriate cover. To ensure architects are able to find adequate PII cover we will continue to offer our support and advice, and will keep our guidance under review to reflect the changing PII market.

Pressing issues raised by the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster and the climate change emergency continue to shape the sector. As your regulator, we want to be sure you are prepared for challenges presented in relation to fire and life-safety and sustainable design. We are developing strategic statements that identify those challenges and explain how we intend to support you in meeting them both now and over the longer term, while maintaining a proportionate system that supports wide access to the profession.

Over the coming six months we will be working on a number of other high-level projects. Work continues to prepare for the UK’s departure from the EU, with the changes to regulation that will result. We are also reviewing the Criteria for the Prescription of Qualifications, along with the procedures around that process, and our processes for investigating concerns about professional conduct. I will keep you updated on the progress of this work.

Alan Kershaw

Chair
Architects Registration Board