Gas Safe Register - further details

More about the new service

• New scheme provider's presentation [120KB]
  This presentation contains important information from Capita for installers and gas consumers about key elements of the new scheme and the timetable in the run up to April 2009

Registration

The provider will create and maintain a new register that will contain details of businesses and operatives and CORGI will transfer to the provider the registration details it currently holds.

New Rules of Registration will be drawn up before re-registration takes place. These will be agreed with HSE and then made freely available to installers.

The provider will draw up Competence Criteria for registration in consultation with the awarding bodies and the agreement of HSE. These will be made freely available to installers.

New Identity Cards will be issued following registration and gas consumers will be encouraged to ask to see them.

New businesses and installers with no previous history or those returning to the industry with a history of complaints or a record of unsafe gas work will undergo a time limited Probationary Period. During that period they will be required to report gas work they are doing so that the provider can inspect one or more pieces of work

The provider will establish a field force to monitor that gas work is being undertaken competently and safely. It will deal with reactive complaints, undertaking planned inspections and handle ad hoc requests. The field force will work closely with the regulators such as HSE. The work of the field force will be informed by a new risk based inspection model.

The provider will have in place a new system to receive and disseminate safety alerts and to provide technical information to installers.

The provider will establish a contact centre accessible to installers and gas consumers. This will be accessible through the web, by telephone or post. It will handle all contacts and enquiries.

Installers and businesses will receive a monthly magazine to keep them up to date with important news, technical information and features regarding gas safety

The provider will establish complaints and independent appeals procedures for gas consumers to complain about unsafe gas work; and for installers to complain about the service they receive from the provider or decisions taken against them by the provider.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Installer satisfaction with the registration scheme will be measured annually rising to 90% by year 5.

Consumer satisfaction with the registration scheme will be measured annually. The initial target for the end of year 1 has been set at 75% rising to 90% by year 5.

The provider's risk model will be monitored through two KPIs. Firstly by testing that the provider is achieving increased effectiveness in targeting unsafe gas work. This will be done through risk based inspection by measuring the annual increase in the proportion of unsafe gas work found as compared with unsafe gas work found in random inspection The initial target is a 10% increase on a baseline set in year 1, then by 7½%, 5%, 5% and 5% up to year 5. Secondly, by reducing the amount of unsafe gas work. This will measure the reduction in the proportion of justified consumer complaints where safety defects are confirmed in inspection, and by a reduction in the proportion of unsafe gas work found through random inspection sampling

Consumer Awareness of Gas Registration

The provider will establish a marketing communications plan to raise consumers awareness of registered installers and gas registration. This will support the creation of the new gas safety brand. The objectives for the brand include championing gas safety as a hallmark for the protection of gas consumers from unsafe gas work and promoting the need for gas consumers to use only registered businesses and operatives.

The brand will be held in trust for gas installers by HSE and made available to any scheme provider in the future.

This will involve a change of branding for which detailed plans will be published when the brand is ready. The sort of support that the provider aims to offer businesses and self employed installers includes a marketing toolkit with the new logo to help with creating stationery and advertising. The provider is also in discussions with suppliers of van stickers to negotiate discounted rates.

KPIs

Consumer awareness of gas safety risks and the need to use registered installers will be measured annually against a baseline set in early 2009. A 15% target increase has been set at the end of year 1 rising then by 10% a year until year 5.

Unprompted recognition of the gas safety brand by gas consumers will be measured annually. The initial target for October 2009 has been set at 40% rising to 75% by October 2011.

Stakeholder Management

The provider will develop a stakeholder management plan to ensure there are good relations with the large number of stakeholders with interests in gas safety and the registration scheme. These relations will be measured annually. The provider will be expected to achieve continuous improvement of relations with key stakeholder groups and positive perceptions of the scheme provider. A baseline will be set during 2009. A 20% target increase has been set for the end of year 1 rising then by 15%, 10%, 5% and 5% a year until year 5.

Relations with HSE

HSE will appoint a Contract Manager to oversee the day to day relations and management of the concession agreement. Over the coming months a Concordat will be developed to deal with ways of working between the provider and the various parts of HSE which will deliver many of the detailed aspects of the agreement.

During the transition period there will be a transition plan overseen by a Transition Governance Board made up of representatives of HSE and the provider.

New strategic management of the transition in April 2009

A new Operational Governance Board will oversee the management of the agreement. Strategic management of the transition and subsequent operation of the scheme will be overseen at Board level by a Joint Steering Board in which senior managers from HSE and Capita will be involved. This body will have the final say in scrutinizing annual performance of the scheme.