Feature membership benefits | PPC88 September 2017
Joining BPCA as a full Servicing Member can be an enormous benefit for you and your company, but changes to criteria, new audits and subscription fees may seem a little daunting. PPC asked Rachel Eyre, BPCA Membership Officer, to demystify the whole process.
Speed view
Talk to us
Fill out your application
Have an initial assessment
Back office processes
Full membership status!
Top 5 member benefits
Frequently asked questions
1. Talk to us
Servicing companies find their way to us through a variety of ways. Many people will have spoken to us at an event such as PestEx, a Regional Forum or a training course. Others stumble across us on the web, or get referred by a member and (occasionally) even get in touch after reading a PPC article!
Normally, your first conversation about membership would be with Kevin Higgins, our Membership Manager. Kevin worked in public health and pest control for the military. He’s worked as a consultant in Saudi, Egypt and the UAE, and owned his own pest control company. He’s sat on BPCA committees and was the President of BPCA for three consecutive terms. There really isn’t anyone that knows about pest management and BPCA like Kevin!
This first conversation is an opportunity for you to have all burning business, membership and BPCA questions answered. How’s business? What are you good at? What do you need support with? From there, I’ll explain exactly what membership benefits you’re most likely to use and how BPCA can help you grow. It’s a great opportunity for someone to see if BPCA could be a good fit for them, and vice versa!
Kevin Higgins, BPCA Membership Manager
2. Fill out your application
The application process is pretty simple. There’s a single application form available on our website (or as a hard copy sent through the post if you’d prefer).
The form includes information about the services you provide, your trading history, insurance and your employee’s qualifications. We’ll ask for a couple of references and for you to sign a declaration. You’ll also have to agree to be audited against the BS EN16636 standard.
We’ll ask for your annual turnover in pest control related products and services. From this, we can work out what your membership fees will be.
Membership applications are received in various ways, for example, at an event, by email or good old-fashioned Royal Mail. Once received, they land on my desk. I can then carry out the first checks and invoice/receipt for the processing fee.
A processing fee is required, upon application and is, if you like, a commitment fee. Don’t worry – this amount (£180) is offset against your first subscription period.
I’ll do a desktop review to check the criteria for Servicing Membership is in place – this includes checking insurances are in place and that all relevant personnel are appropriately qualified and members of a recognised CPD scheme.
3. Have an initial assessment
Initial contact is made to explain what will happen next together with a request for confirmation of points, if necessary. As part of the acknowledgement, a member of the Technical Team is made aware of the application so that they can organise a mutually convenient date for an initial assessment.
Depending on where you are, either Kevin (Membership Manager) or Natalie (Field/Technical Officer) will make contact providing information on the visit, advising what they will be looking at and alleviating any concerns you may have.
An initial assessment visit is carried out to ensure that consumers can be confident that the selection of a BPCA member represents reliability and professional service delivery.
Some people worry about the initial assessment, but really it’s a very straightforward process and we’re here to support you all the way. We’ll talk to you on the phone before the assessment, and if you’re missing anything on the list we can help you get it in place before the visit. Even if after the assessment something is ‘work in progress’ this won’t bar you from joining, as long as we have a plan in place to get it right.
Natalie Bungay, BPCA Field and Technical Officer
What does the initial assessment cover?
- Training and qualifications. Employee training and qualifications records relevant to the aspect of pest management undertaken. The training of staff for competence in their work is required by the Health and Safety at Work Act and other related legislation.
- Pesticides storage and vehicles. A company pesticide store or vehicle must be examined as part of the assessment.
- Site inspection. Access to an existing client site or customer treatment visit is required, where possible. If this is not possible then a return visit may be made.
- Documentation and equipment. Employee contracts – not relevant to sole traders. Health and safety policy, health and safety statement, accident records, environmental statement and a quality statement. Pest management records, including treatment reports, waste consignment notes and safety equipment checks. We’ll also want to see examples of a COSHH assessment, a task risk assessment and a method statement, as well as all insurance certificates. We will also ask to see appropriate licences where necessary, e.g. firearms.
4. Back office processes
Following the visit, a letter is issued which will either state that all points of criteria are met, or you’ll get a list of any items that require attention. There may be items that are only recommendations, but others could affect criteria and need to be dealt with ahead of acceptance into membership. If this is the case, we can support you getting up to criteria.
In the meantime, I’ll continue with back office processes and the application is put forward to the Chief Executive for approval on behalf of the Executive Board.
The Executive Board and existing members are also notified of an applicant’s wish to join through the members area of the website. Everyone is given a one-week deadline to respond.
Once all deadlines are passed and, on the assumption that any items requiring action have been implemented, an application will be accepted.
5. Full membership status
Subscriptions payable are calculated, and an email advising that you’ve been accepted into membership is issued with a PDF copy of your invoice. Once we’ve received your payment, our records are updated to reflect your new membership status, usernames and logins are created for our member area, your consumer search is activated, access to BusinessShield is granted, and your BS EN16636 audit is scheduled within 12 months.
You’ll get sent another email with BPCA member logos, your membership certificate, and a document containing the Articles, Regulations and Code of Conduct you’re bound to abide by. It’ll also explain how to access your member area, update your listing in the ‘Find a Pest Controller’ tool and get into BusinessShield.
This is supported by a ‘physical’ pack that is sent by post. It includes a hard copy membership certificate, information about many more benefits that you’re now entitled to, including the Member get Member scheme, the Why You Need Pest Control leaflet, free CHAS accreditation, and third party discounts, to name a few!
Finally, we’ll do a quick “welcome to membership” tweet linking to your company page.
Congratulations, you’re now a part of the UK’s leading trade association for pest management professionals. Display your member logo with pride – you earned it!
Top 5 member benefits for Servicing Members
- Use of the BPCA Member logo. Our logo opens doors. BPCA membership will allow you to bid for contracts that require membership, as well as demonstrate your commitment to quality and professionalism to prospective clients.
- Consumer referrals. Last year we gave out over £16 million worth of referrals to Servicing Members. BPCA membership helps you keep the phone ringing.
- Technical advice. Not only do members get access to guidance documents, help pages and sector news – you’ll also have the ear of our technical team. No matter the question, we’re always here to provide the right guidance to members.
- Business support. Members get access to health and safety, environmental and employment law advice through BusinessShield. Our staff team can also help you with finance, sales, marketing and legislation information.
- Discounts and freebies. You’ll benefit from discounted rates on BPCA products and services, such as training, events, advertising, accreditations and the popular jobs board.
All member benefits
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to have traded to join?
There’s no minimum trading time required for membership anymore. We scrapped the 12-month trading prerequisite as of 1 January 2017. You and your employees will still need to be qualified to Level 2 Award in Pest Management standard (or above) and meet all other membership criteria.
What if we have employees/trainees/apprentices without the right qualifications?
Trainees have 18 months to get their qualification and CPD membership. However, they must be supervised by someone who is qualified when they’re controlling and eradicating pest species.
My qualification is very old – do you accept it?
Probably! A full list of accepted qualifications can be found at bpca.org.uk/membership
How much does it cost to be a member?
Subscription fees are based on turnover relating to pest control activities. Regardless of the size of your business, we don’t want anyone to be priced out of membership. Remember, in the first year, you’re only paying for complete months between when you’re accepted and 31 December. An up-to-date table of our fees is at bpca.org.uk/fees
Can I be a member without my company being a member?
No. Our structure means we only accept applications for full membership from businesses. However, sole traders can apply for membership as a company. An individual can join our free Affiliate Scheme. It’s not membership but you get free updates, CPD and access to the Member Area of the website bpca.org.uk/affiliates
Is the EN16636 audit the same as an initial audit?
No, that’ll be conducted by a third-party organisation and will take place within the first year of membership. An assessor will contact you to arrange a mutually convenient date.
If I don’t meet membership criteria does that mean I can’t be involved in BPCA?
Not at all! In fact, we have a Probationary Scheme to help you meet full criteria. You don’t get referrals, you can’t use the logo, you’re not eligible for CHAS accreditation and you can’t join a committee or vote, but you do get lots of great discounts, advice and support. Refer to bpca.org.uk/probationary-scheme
Do you think Servicing Membership might be right for you?
If you’d like to get the ball rolling, contact Rachel today. She’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about membership. Alternatively, start filling out your application form today at.
More about Servicing Membership
Rachel Eyre
Membership Officer
15 September 2017 | PPC88
Source: PPC88