The Chartered Practitioners Register – A Standard of Credibility for the Cleaning Industry

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• The Chartered Practitioners Register – A Standard of Credibility for the Cleaning Industry

31 January 2023

Major General Jeremy Rowan, Chair of the Regulatory Authority and an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, outlines the contribution of the CPR for our industry’s future.

Unveiling Hidden Experts

In many professions across various sectors, chartership status is an indicator of the highest levels of professional excellence and commitment. Chartered status in the cleaning industry is new and perhaps requires some explanation. The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) has been ordered by Royal Charter (Approved by the Privy Council) to introduce the Chartered Practitioners Register (CPR) for the benefit of the cleaning industry, both in the UK and internationally

The multi-dimensional nature of "environmental cleaning" is not obvious to the wider audience. Its diversity encompasses a myriad offerings; including pest control, building cleaning, human resources, legal services, procurement skills, and manufacturing. research, to staff operative training and management. And these represent just a fraction of the roles involved. The military also invests heavily in environmental health employing an array of specialised skills with expeditionary application.

The Tangible Expression of Excellence for the Future

The CPR was launched in 2021 and is already attracting some of the brightest and best in the industry.  It is still the "New kid on the block" in the cleaning and FM landscape. As such we expect it to evolve further and have a wider regulatory mechanism in the future. To date 36 individuals have completed the requirement or are already on their journey to join the register, and a further 60 plus are showing active interest.

It is important to clarify that being on the Chartered Practitioners Register is not a qualification, but an award that recognises the achievement and excellence of the individual It signifies that the bearer of the associated post-nominals has in-depth knowledge, experience, and expertise operating at the highest degree of professionalism in our industry. There are countless individuals in the cleaning industry who have operated without such formal recognition, with years of expertise behind them. They have helped to develop the UK cleaning industry into the unsung powerhouse that we know today. In the UK alone, cleaning and FM sectors contribute £55.5 billion to our economy, yet this contribution is rarely acknowledged consistently or overtly. We hope that Chartered status will put our industry on par with Chartered Engineers, Accountants and Financial Planners to name but a few.

The fact that a Royal Charter was granted to the WCEC to launch a Chartered Practitioners Register demonstrates a desire to cultivate better control of standards and recognition in British industry as a whole. The WCEC is therefore very honoured to be the custodian nurturing that desired standard in the cleaning and FM sectors.

Chartership in Cleaning is Open to All

To gain entry to the CPR an individual is not required to be a member of the WCEC. The Livery is the facilitator for the register, which is open to anyone who fulfils the entry criteria, both within or outside the UK.  By welcoming all applicants to the CPR, it helps to raise awareness of the contribution of cleaning professionals, and develop a universal level of respect that the cleaning industry so richly deserves. This was plainly evident on an international scale during the recent pandemic.

There is a described process for individuals to achieve Chartered status., Not all applicants will succeed the first time as the bar is deliberately set high to encourage and reward excellence. Individuals will not undertake this application journey alone as help is available through mentorship and workshops. If you become a Chartered Practitioner, it is recognition that you are now an ambassador for excellence in our industry. I do hope that many of the readers of this article will be encouraged to consider an application.

To apply to the Chartered Practitioners Register in Environmental Cleaning, contact CPR@wc-ec.com or visit: https://wc-ec.com/chartered-practitioner/

Picture: a photograph of a framed painting of General Rowan. Image Credit: CPR

Article written by Major General Jeremy Rowan CB OBE KHS | Published 31 January 2023

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