The launch of the IHBC’s new category of accredited membership, IHBC Associates, offers conservation accreditation in a practitioners’ own area of built or historic environment conservation practice, so the IHBC’s officers are keen to explain some of the scheme’s principles, notably how it can serve as a route to full IHBC membership.
IHBC Membership Secretary Paul Butler said: ‘This is the most substantial innovation in our membership structures since the IHBC started in 1997. We’ve put a lot of work into making this scheme fit both our own standards and for the needs of the sector.’
‘We know that today both public and private sector operations can’t so easily invest in the long-term development of staff or help them work toward the IHBC’s full membership. So now the IHBC is offering conservation accreditation in a person’s primary discipline. Indeed for many learners and practitioners that accreditation will also offer a much more manageable route to full membership.’
‘As ever, anyone seeking formal accreditation in conservation from the IHBC can apply for full membership, but becoming an Associate is a much more accessible option that also offers formal IHBC accreditation in their main discipline. This way Associate membership is a way to have your own conservation skills recognised by IHBC while also easing the larger challenge of securing inter-disciplinary accreditation as an IHBC Full Member.
‘We are still piloting the new streamlined application forms for Associate applications, and it will get even simpler when these are in place. But for the moment anyone seeking to become an Associate should simply use the current Full and Associate Member application form. As it says there, all you need do is concentrate on including the evidence that relates to your own discipline or primary area of conservation-related work.’
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly, said: ‘Remember, too, that our assessors are highly experienced practitioners from a huge range of practices and disciplines, so they are more than able to tell if an applicant has supplied sufficient informed, credible and verifiable evidence to secure IHBC accreditation as an Associate.’
‘Our pre-registration review of applications, also offered at no cost, is another important way for us to guide applicants on their applications, so there’s lots of controls and support on offer to make sure any substantial application gets the right result.’
‘And of course using the Full and Associate application form has the added advantage that you may even be offered accreditation as a Full Member of the IHBC, precluding the need for re-accreditation that comes with being an Associate. As a Full Member you simply keep up your CPD and make sure that you abide by our Code of Conduct and associated standards, and you can enjoy the full potential of IHBC membership throughout your career, and at the same low cost too!’
Associate IHBC (AssocIHBC): Key information
Accreditation in your primary discipline: Accreditation as an Associate is offered in one of the IHBC’s three generic areas of conservation practice, each of which encompasses disciplines and practices where special conservation skills, knowledge and experience can be critical:
- Evaluation: e.g.: History; Archaeology; some Surveying roles and some general Heritage Advisory roles
- Management: e.g.: Planning; early career Conservation Officers; some Project and Building, Area or Site management
- Intervention: e.g.: Architecture; Engineering; Urban design and regeneration; some Project Management, Development, Contracting and Trade roles
You can find out more about these areas in our full membership application form and other web-based guidance.
‘AssocIHBC’ – Associates may use only use the letters ‘AssocIHBC’ after their name, such as ‘Jo Bloggs AssocIHBC’:
- No other post-nominals are approved for use in summarising this category of IHBC accreditation and membership, and professional literature must clarify the category of accreditation and the activity it covers, as described above and in the guidance
Re-accreditation takes place at least every five years
- Re-accreditation simply requires submission of a current full membership application form, in a process that may also secure full membership of the IHBC
Universal & low-cost costs and support – Associates, like Affiliates and Full Members, can apply for the same financial support and bursary opportunities, without prejudice to their membership category
- IHBC’s default support is a 50% reduction in fees for those on lower income (under £17,500) with options for 75% support for students and low waged (under £12,500), and up to 100% fee support in exceptional circumstances, such as for student members in need volunteering in the sector and members facing difficult personal, under our Hardship Support scheme
No extra charges – Once joined as an Affiliate, there are no additional charges for applications for accreditation, whether as IHBC Associate or Full member
- There are no charges for re-accreditation, while re-accreditation may well result in the offer of accreditation as a Full Member of the IHBC
Accreditation as an Associate always applies exclusively to a practitioners’ primary discipline or work practice, as with conservation accreditation schemes in all built environment professional bodies
- IHBC Full members are formally tested for multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary skills sets, so Associate membership serves also as a step towards full IHBC membership
- IHBC Associates are listed on the IHBC’s online register of accredited practitioners, linked from our home page, together with the sub-category of their Associate membership: Evaluation; Management, or Intervention.
To review conservation accreditation and related schemes available to practitioners see the IHBC’s listing of specialist registers
To see the IHBC’s list of accredited practitioners, which includes Full Members electing to use the service as well as all Associates, see our Database of Accredited Practitioners
To find out more about Associate membership and the application process, see our introduction to membership categories
Hardship support and other support
To join CLICK HERE (have your CV or similar resource to hand)
