PPC114 | Annual report

BPCA is run by members, for members. Here, the Chairs of BPCA's various Committees update you on the work they've been doing in 2023. 

Servicing committee report

“Remember, we’re trying to convince people with little or no knowledge of our industry that we are protecting public health and safety.”

In some ways, 2023 was an unusual year for the committee, with projects being set for the coming year progressing to a point, but being stalled due to circumstances.

However, there was good work done this year, led by BPCA’s Natalie Bungay, with us reviewing and introducing more Codes of Best Practice.

The tender support package was released, which is worth exploring.

The BPCA team has done an amazing job of putting together the Big Book of Benefits, which you all should have received. Many political discussions and lobbying work took place on the subject of glue boards, where we await the outcome in Scotland after bans were confirmed in England and Wales.

That’s why filling in surveys and putting your point of view when asked is massively important. Remember, we’re trying to convince people with little or no knowledge of our industry that we are protecting public health and safety.

The job is also perhaps going to be even more difficult with manufacturers not registering their products or active ingredients banned – we have to try our best to protect our toolbox any way we can, so your support is needed.

A few subjects mentioned at last year’s backend were safeguarding technicians and environmental risk assessments, and what training resources could be made available. These will be on the horizon in 2024.

Finally, I would like to thank all the Servicing committee members for their support over this past year, but also know they would like to convey their thanks to Ian and all BPCA staff for their help and for representing BPCA Members and the industry as a whole.  

Malcolm Stowell
Servicing Committee Chair
[email protected]

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee report

“Have we got career paths in place for those who want to progress, or will they leave for better progression elsewhere?”

The EDI Committee was set up primarily to deal with recruitment and retention industry challenges. Recent research shows that over 40% of the industry is due to retire in the next 10 years creating thousands of vacancies in the industry.

At the same time, there are demographic groups that are massively under-represented. For example, women form 52% of the UK population and only around 4% of the pest control industry.

Member companies regularly report difficulties in recruiting staff and applications tend to come from the same talent pools, white, male, between 30-40. As an industry, we are not attracting enough young people, we are not attracting enough women, and we are not attracting more diverse applicants. The pest control industry is missing out on significant talent opportunities.

However, are we ready as an industry to welcome more diverse applicants? I’ll take the uniform as a simple example. Do your supply chains offer uniforms which fit women? Have we got insurance companies which are willing to insure young drivers? What other challenges will there be in retaining a more diverse workforce? Are there sufficient training programmes for new unqualified staff coming into the industry? Have we got career paths in place for those who want to progress, or will they leave for better progression elsewhere?

The EDI Committee worked hard in 2023 to create the strategy and charter documents for member companies. We are now working on adding EDI to your toolkit, which will give you the means to support more diverse recruitment and retention in your businesses. Once completed, we will be launching the charter for member companies to sign up to. The charter will show your commitment to recruiting and welcoming a more diverse workforce.

Our businesses are all about our people, and we are only as good as those people. Recruiting the right personnel, training them well and retaining them are all critical to the success of the industry and our businesses.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the EDI Committee members for their ideas, enthusiasm and commitment over the last year, and I’m excited to see what 2024 will bring.

Julia Pittman
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair
[email protected]

Professional Standards committee report

“The standard of technicians after onboarding is fantastic! The Professional Standards Committee will continue to support the development and improvements to this member offering.”

At each update, I always feel lucky that I get the opportunity to work with like-minded industry colleagues who volunteer so much time for the betterment of our industry. I am always amazed that the dedicated staff team at the BPCA achieves so much in a relatively short period.

2023 was no exception: when I looked back at the committee’s role, I was struck by how many projects have reached fellow members and how many are due to be implemented.

CPD is at the heart of our industry. As a fellow technician, I take pride in presenting myself to customers with a depth of knowledge and when I speak to like-minded colleagues, it is clear that my passion is shared. The Professional Standards Committee has continued its work on changing the culture of CPD, influencing the BPCA Registered scheme, helping implement the BPCA Registered app  and improvements to magazine articles across the sector. This work will continue into 2024 and beyond!

The Committee has supported the industry trailblazer group developing the Level 4 Apprenticeship. This work is planned to continue into 2024. The BPCA Onboarding programme is in full swing with incredible uptake; what is clear from early analysis is how beneficial new technician onboarding is. The standard of technicians after onboarding is fantastic! The Professional Standards Committee will continue to support the development and improvements to this member offering.

Throughout 2023, the Committee worked with the BPCA staff team on the project to establish the licensing of BPCA trainers and third-party training courses. Courses have been identified, and applications for trainers to apply are out.

The Qualification Framework is now in place, and we’ve moved to the next phase of identifying existing courses and developing new courses to fit the framework. This is one of the most exciting projects we’ve worked on and has incredible potential for individuals as we continue to professionalise our industry.

We completed the review of the BPCA complaints procedure, one of the outcomes of which was BPCA applying to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to be recognised as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body which will allow impartial assessments of complaints.

In late 2023, we completed the review of the incredibly popular BPCA Certificated Advanced Technician. By adding new scenarios and tweaking the assessment, we believe the improvements will improve the CAT assessment for technicians seeking to achieve ‘advanced’ status.

Finally, BPCA committees are only as good as the volunteers who attend. The Professional Standards Committee and other BPCA committees are always looking for new members to bring fresh ideas and help us all create a professional industry for us, technicians, and companies to be proud of.

Martin Rose-King
Professional Standards Committee Chair
[email protected]

Outreach and Communications committee report

“This year saw my first year as chair of this (or indeed, any) committee.”

It’s been two incredible years since the inception of the BPCA Outreach and Communications Committee! 

This year saw my first year as chair of this (or indeed, any) committee.  It has been a year of getting our feet under the table and making some solid progress with many of our strategic objectives. We’ve worked on projects such as creating a template pack for speakers, liaison with local councils, and feedback on various projects such as a new member-to-member app and member recruitment.  

In addition to our strategic objectives, the Committee also regularly discusses less structured objectives, such as bringing the ideas, concerns and innovations of the pest management community forward for discussion with the BPCA team. 

It is this second aspect (along with our strategic objectives, of course) that I wish to expand on further in 2024: making the Committee a window for the membership to see how the committees support them and play a critical role in the running of BPCA. It is my hope that by doing so, we can reach more pest managers, include more members, and communicate more effectively and transparently with the industry as a whole.

All of this work could not be achieved without the support of the volunteers who make up the Committee. The time, effort and enthusiasm they bring to each meeting make me proud to be the chair of this Committee.

Alex Wade
Outreach and Communications Committee Chair
[email protected]

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