The IHBC’s new Branch Committee Bulletin has been issued, updating our Branch committees on strategic developments and current priorities, while if you want to find out more just check the NewsBlogs or contact your Branch Officers or the IHBC’s National Office.
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IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly writes:
[Continued from Bulletin NewsBlog Part 2]
IHBC’s Parliamentary 5 Commitments: Interim updates
The main report on our Parliamentary briefing event itself is in the ‘NewsBlog’ update, and has framed much of the more exploratory work over the last year, and especially since our Charter success.
You can see the full list of Commitments HERE, while below are some interim updates.
On Commitment 1. Advocate: Present targeted parliamentary-level briefings across the UK and its Home Nations.
While we have plans in place for a new Westminster Briefing updating on our progress with the 5 Commitments – now likely in January 2027 – I am advancing explorations with our National Branch Committees as a first step to planning future briefings across devolved nations. Progress has been hampered by capacity, as ever, and we are looking at how targeted investment might help.
On 2. Educate: Enhance access to IHBC standards and services across all built and historic environment practices and operations.
There are many threads here, but the key strategy on which all rely is a new DRAFT Affiliate Application form, now being piloted by Sarah Homer and myself. The new form adopts an approach already agreed by the IHBC’s Board: to prioritise accessibility and educational objectives ahead of the niceties of our more sophisticated accreditation-linked concepts. This aims to ease the route to accreditation for those who would benefit from a more flexible approach: more experienced officers not yet able to invest the time in securing accreditation; those in the early stages of their career or in the practical heritage skills area, as well as professionals and specialists from other disciplines or roles that would like more structured access to the kind of services and standards we support. You’ll hear more about this very soon.
On 3. Investigate: Investigate the complex challenges in heritage management processes and skills and respond accordingly.
This Commitment ranges across a huge range of management processes, and their associated complexities. For now we have focussed on local authority conservation services across the UK. Our last Council was the first public foray, and its success pointed both to the need to expand such support, and the potential it has to help conservation outcomes for all IHBC members and conservation stakeholders.
Our linked survey, seeking suggestions for improvements from officers and advisers in local government conservation services across the UK has just ended its initial stage, to allow for data analysis. However it has not concluded, and conservation officers and service providers can still submit – or even update – your thoughts HERE.
We are working on the data received – nearly 120 responses – in time for our first data analysis, and are already gaining a deeper understanding of current work, pressures and opportunities today. There is plenty there to help the immediate and original priority in this Commitment: a simple list of low-cost, easy wins that governments could institute, to pitch to Westminster and equivalent levels of governance across devolved nations.
On 4. Celebrate: Celebrate the achievements of heritage skills in conservation, helped by our CREATIVE Conservation Fund.
This is an area with significant potential for growth, but also one in need of more substantial capacity and oversight as we extend its reach. So while we have registered in line with the regulatory requirements that our more ambitious plans demand, our investment in capacity to develop the fund is only just starting.
On 5. Integrate: Establish and host a new network, open and free, to support service leads delivering conservation-related learning, training and education.
We have set up a scoping call for prospective partnersto register their ‘Interest’ in a new ‘Leaders in Learning for Practice Network’. This reflects the more inclusive and accessible priorities of our ‘5 Commitments’ as it is aimed at service leads in any built and historic environment conservation-led learning & training programmes & courses. We have core secretariat support in place and are continuing the call for relevant parties to register interest HERE
Call for Membership assessors: Full Members only
Some will know at first hand, and some will know from others, but for a few years we have been having capacity issues in our membership assessment. This has grown more recently as our profile and membership has expanded.
We have now agreed a new model for recruitment – underpinned by a strategic fee payment option as described in our NewsBlogs HERE.
IHBC Schools, past and future
#IHBCNewcastle2026, on 18-20 June this year, brought a new level of refinement to our now familiar blended School model, withimpressive numbers and outcomes – not least the coming Early Career Network noted above – and feedback consistently positive across both online and in-person delegates: 90% of ‘Virtual’ Newcastle School at ‘5/5’ or ‘4/5’.
We also enjoyed wonderful welcomes and support from our host IHBC North Branch and an exceptional programme of speakers, while delegates now have received their CPD-linked recordings. Indeed your colleagues can still sign up for IHBC’s 2026 Newcastle School recordings with details on the linked NewsBlog and the ORDER FORM HERE.
Plans are progressing fast for our 2027 School too, hosted by our South West Branch. Any #IHBCNewcastle2026 online or in-person delegate will have seen the hugely enthusiastic and welcoming pitch from the Branch for #IHBCBristolBath2027, and with a no less exciting theme than that seen in Newcastle, now on ‘Climate Change & Significance’. More details will be out very soon!
I am also delighted to report that our East Anglia Branch has also agreed to host our 2028 School. The Branch is currently looking at the very best options for the rather complex set of needs that our new School model demands, from technical infrastructure to connected and cost-effective venues. I’m sure we’ll have more detail there in the coming months too, so do keep an eye out, and if a volunteer in the Branch is keen to help, be sure to let the Branch Committee know.
Of course if your Branch would like to explore the options to host a future School, and the benefits that can come from it, just contact me direct to start the process.
Council Update
The IHBC’s latest Council is covered above, as we advanced there the 3rd of our Parliamentary ‘5 Commitments to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation…’. This also achieved a new level of positive feedback, and we will be working with our President and Chair of Council, Rebecca Thompson and the supporting teams, to further develop the programme and continue its focus on skills, CPD and inclusive access.
CPD Branch Partnership: Reminder & update
The CPD Branch Partnership has gone from strength to strength over recent years, with a number of new topics now available and increasing demand amongst Branches, and excellent feedback too. Whilst this is of course wonderful news, the growing demand has prompted a review of the current system and how it has evolved since its launch back in 2023 – as well as related resources. One lead change is that, from January 1 2027, Branches will be allocated a base-line of one CPD Branch Partnership event per Branch per year. However Branches also will be encouraged to work together in partnerships in such events, so that access and benefits can be shared across adjacent Branches.
The format for these events will remain largely unchanged, with c.5 hours of dedicated CPD training on the chosen topic delivered by the nominated expert speaker (including, but not necessarily limited to, those listed on the website here) which includes networking and with scope to add on site visits or additional speakers as time allows. IHBC National Office will continue to fund the speaker costs (at a fixed day rate) including reasonable travel expenses, and accommodation where necessary (and agreed in advance with National Office). You can find the full ‘Terms of Reference’ on the website.
There is also a change to the list of content, with the available topics now shown below:
- Curtilage (Charles Mynors)
- Retrofit (Prof. John Edwards)
- Enforcement (Bob Kindred MBE)
- Building Regulations – March 2027 onwards (Anthony Gwynne)
- Fire Safety (Steve Emery)
- Design & Placemaking (Dave Chetwyn)
- Heritage Appeals (Alexandra Fairclough)
This list may be subject to change in future depending on speaker availability and changing priorities.
Any Branches interested in holding an event as part of the CPD Branch Partnership are welcome to make a request through their Branch Consultant.
Branch Consultants update
Our new Branch Consultant support infrastructure is bedding in well, with seven consultants in place and lots of infrastructure evolving behind the senses, all ably co-ordinated by our Branch Consultant Liaison and lead here, Sarah Homer. Details are appended below, with each Consultant typically covering 2 Branches and with an annual average of 2 hours per week allocated to each Branch, though with variations in place to test different models and reflect distinct Branch priorities.
That this Branch support service is still evolving, but is based on a small, flexible network of part-time, heritage-linked consultants helping Branches and volunteers ‘on the ground and in the background’ as needed.
Please do continue to engage and include your Consultant in your meetings and events, remembering their attendance at CPD events is in their own time, with the National Office paying event expenses, and their presence in your local communications – online or in person – costs your Branch nothing. Their presence, as representatives of the National Office, also can add hugely to the networking opportunities in any event, training or otherwise.
Feel free to connect with your designated Consultant online too and – to maximise the IHBC’s reach – encourage sharing, promoting and liking their IHBC Social Media posts (and ours!) where you can, especially on our default social media network Linkedin and on any Jobs etc adverts there.
If you have any queries on if or how this network can help your Branch, please do email your Consultant direct, or contact Sarah Homer at branchlink@ihbc.org.uk, or indeed myself as the National Office lead in this developing this initiative.
Branch finances and Branch Guidance Page
As noted above, some will be aware of the changes in Financial Year arrangements, and the sad fact that – due to growth – this did not preclude the need for a full audit of our finances, to include our Branches, for this year.
Lydia Porter, as IHBC Company Secretary, and our national Treasurer Jo Saady, as well as myself, all fully appreciate that there have been onerous and time sensitive demands made on our voluntary Branch Treasurers due to regulatory timescales that we could not adjust. As well as offering sympathies though, we would like to be clear that we are also able to offer support for extra capacity – be it from Branch Consultants able to help, or other funded support. Simply start by emailing your concerns to Lydia at admin@ihbc.org.uk, as there is no-one better placed to advise us on how best to help.
Member finances and details
Times are hard, not least for our younger and early career members. So, when fee payments come due, if you hear of payment problems or issues do remind all that there are fee reductions for members through tax relief (which may need to be claimed from HMRC), and reduced rates for lower incomes, all outlined HERE. There is also advice on our Fee Support webpage HERE, and if you know of anyone in need of support, please do direct them to these pages or to our officers and consultants.
As ever too, it is useful if you can remind members that any changes of address or employment contacts etc. should be noted to our Carmen Moran, our Membership Services Officer, using the form HERE.
The IHBC’s Branch Guidance webpage has lots of useful resources and links, but has so much it can be hard to navigate, especially when in a rush. If there’s any specific guidance needed, please do get in touch with your Branch Consultant, or myself or others in the National Office.
Wider developments and feedback
All these just a few of the new developments we will highlight to all Branch Committees in future Bulletins.
As ever, our news service and linked publications will carry the most up-to-date information, so please do keep up to date using those.
In the interim please feel free to email me on any of the points above, or indeed on any matters you’d like addressed here or elsewhere. If I’m not the best person here to respond, I’ll be sure to pass it on to the right lead.
Cheers, and as ever our thanks and appreciation for the hard work done by you and your volunteers and colleagues.
Seán
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