Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Heritage Skills—Fully Supported Lead and Hard Metal Roofing and Cladding

This qualification is intended primarily for experienced operatives whose normal work involves fully supported lead or hard metal roofing and cladding, particularly where the work includes traditional, historic, conservation or technically complex applications. It is not designed as a classroom-only introduction to roofing.

Typical occupational contexts include heritage roofing contractors, specialist leadwork businesses, hard metal roofing contractors, conservation contractors and roofing teams carrying out work on historic or traditionally constructed buildings.

Suitable learners may work as:

• heritage lead roofing specialists;

• heritage hard metal roofing specialists;

• fully supported lead and hard metal roofers and cladders;

• specialist leadworkers undertaking roof coverings, weatherings and decorative work;

• metal roofing operatives working on conservation and restoration projects;

• experienced craft operatives producing decorative or ornamental lead and hard metal features.

Learners are expected to have sufficient responsibility to organise their own work, interpret technical information, select resources, resolve routine occupational problems and communicate with supervisors, clients or other trades where necessary. They must also be able to recognise situations that exceed their own authority or technical competence and report them appropriately.

A genuine workplace role is essential because the qualification requires direct evidence of occupational competence. Some current specifications state explicitly that the learner must be employed, while the overarching requirement across current versions is that assessment takes place in a real work environment. A learner therefore needs an accepted workplace arrangement that provides authentic opportunities to complete the required specialist activities.

The work opportunities available must be sufficiently broad to generate evidence of installation, repair and maintenance, conservation or restoration, decorative roofing or cladding and ornamental metalwork. Access only to routine flashing work or isolated minor repairs would not normally provide the breadth of evidence required for the whole Diploma.

The qualification is itself a specialist heritage pathway for fully supported lead and hard metal roofing and cladding. Within that pathway, current specifications may use endorsements to identify the particular material or occupational area in which competence has been demonstrated. Endorsements should not be confused with optional units: the current structures compared require all nine mandatory units.

Lead

Some current specifications require the specialist roofing units to carry a Lead or Hard Metals endorsement, according to the work used for assessment.

A Lead endorsement reflects occupational evidence involving lead sheet roofing, cladding, weatherings, decorative work or ornamental features. Depending on the particular unit, work may include:

• preparing and setting out lead for fully supported roofing or cladding;

• cutting, profiling, dressing and securing lead;

• forming and maintaining joints and terminations;

• installing lead weatherings to relevant building details;

• repairing or replacing defective lead coverings;

• forming decorative profiles;

• producing ornamental lead components;

• working safely where lead dust or fume could present an exposure risk.

The exact endorsement recorded must follow the current specification under which the learner is registered.

Hard Metals

The Hard Metals endorsement is used in some current specifications where the learner's evidence is based on fully supported hard metal roofing, cladding, weatherings, decorative work or ornamental production.

Occupational standards for this work recognise materials such as copper, zinc, aluminium, stainless steel and galvanised steel where appropriate to the job. This does not mean that every learner must work with every type of hard metal. The material used must match the specification, the building, the assessment requirements and the learner's actual occupational role.

Evidence can involve setting out, cutting, profiling, jointing, fixing and terminating hard metal coverings, together with work on roof, cladding and weathering details.

Conservation and Restoration Occupational Focus

The conservation and restoration competence area may also carry an occupational endorsement in some approved structures. Current specifications provide several heritage occupations from which the appropriate endorsement is selected.

For this Diploma, the evidence must be relevant to the learner's actual heritage metal roofing work, such as roofing or leadwork, rather than an unrelated heritage trade. The exact endorsement arrangement should therefore be confirmed against the learner's registered version before assessment begins.

The Diploma depends on authentic occupational evidence. Learners need continuing access to real projects where they can carry out specialist metal roofing tasks under normal workplace pressures, restrictions and quality requirements.

The workplace should provide opportunities to work with appropriate combinations of:

• fully supported lead or hard metal roof coverings;

• pitched, low-pitched or other relevant fully supported roof areas;

• vertical cladding;

• horizontal, vertical and inclined weatherings;

• soffits, cornices, parapets or gutters where required by the assessed unit;

• existing roof or cladding requiring inspection, repair or maintenance;

• traditional or historically significant building fabric;

• decorative roof or cladding forms;

• ornamental metal features;

• underlays, ventilation components, fixings, fittings and ancillary materials;

• hand tools, powered tools and specialist forming or fabrication equipment;

• suitable access equipment and collective or personal work-at-height controls.

Projects must also provide sufficient technical information for the learner to demonstrate interpretation of drawings, specifications, schedules, method statements, risk assessments, manufacturers' information and other relevant instructions.

Heritage evidence needs to involve genuine conservation or restoration considerations. The learner may need to recognise sensitive building fabric, maintain historical or archaeological integrity, minimise unnecessary intervention, remove inappropriate or deteriorated material and repair, restore, reinstate or replace components in accordance with the project requirements.

Roofing work also exposes learners to significant health and safety risks. Evidence should show competent use of access arrangements and work-at-height controls, safe movement and storage of materials, correct use of tools and equipment and compliance with controls for occupational substances.

Lead work requires particular care. Work involving lead can create exposure through dust, fume or contamination, so the learner must follow the relevant risk assessment, method of work and workplace control measures. Where required by the work, this can involve collective controls, PPE, suitable respiratory protection and local exhaust ventilation.

The workplace must give the assessor a realistic opportunity to judge competent performance. Training rigs, workshop pieces and centre exercises may help develop skills, but the current unit assessment requirements state that workplace evidence of occupational skills cannot be simulated.

Successful completion demonstrates that the learner can apply specialist heritage roofing knowledge and practical competence to genuine work activities. Depending on the registered endorsement and projects used for evidence, the learner will be able to:

• interpret drawings, specifications, schedules, instructions, risk assessments, method statements and manufacturers' information relevant to specialist metal roofing;

• identify work activities, determine required resources and plan a logical sequence of work;

• obtain clarification where information or resources are incomplete, unsuitable or unavailable;

• select work methods that make effective use of labour, materials, equipment and time while meeting technical, contractual and statutory requirements;

• monitor progress and report circumstances requiring changes to the planned work;

• communicate effectively with clients, supervisors, other crafts and relevant project personnel;

• maintain safe working practices for roof work, access equipment, manual handling, tools, substances and other occupational hazards;

• recognise and apply appropriate controls when working with lead and other materials that may create hazardous dust, fume or contamination;

• select lead, hard metal, underlays, vents, fixings, fittings, ancillary materials, hand tools and powered equipment appropriate to the specified work;

• calculate and control material quantities, dimensions and wastage relevant to the work;

• prepare substrates and identify faults in supporting construction or interfaces that could affect the roofing or cladding work;

• set out, cut, profile, position, join, fix, secure and terminate fully supported lead or hard metal roofing and cladding;

• install or form appropriate weatherings and maintain the integrity of joints, fixings and ventilation arrangements;

• inspect existing coverings and carry out appropriate repair and maintenance work;

• fabricate decorative lead or hard metal roofing and cladding to complex profiles;

• produce specified ornamental lead or hard metal features using appropriate forming and joining methods;

• work sensitively on conservation and restoration projects, protecting significant existing fabric and applying recognised heritage principles;

• protect completed and surrounding work, control waste and minimise unnecessary environmental impact;

• identify occupational problems, defects or specialist requirements and report matters outside personal authority;

• complete work to the required specification and within the agreed work programme.

Assessment is based on demonstrated occupational competence rather than attendance at a taught course. The learner must provide sufficient evidence to show achievement of the learning outcomes and assessment requirements for every mandatory unit in the current registered structure.

The qualification is assessed in a work environment in accordance with the applicable construction-sector assessment strategy. Specialist practical competence must therefore be demonstrated through authentic activities such as installing and repairing metal roof coverings, producing decorative profiles, fabricating ornamental features and carrying out conservation or restoration work.

Workplace Observation

Direct observation is a central source of evidence for practical competence. An occupationally competent assessor can observe the learner planning and carrying out work on genuine projects.

Relevant observations may include:

• establishing safe access to a roof;

• interpreting project information before starting work;

• preparing a substrate or existing roof area;

• setting out joints and details;

• cutting, profiling and installing lead or hard metal;

• forming weatherings;

• repairing defective coverings;

• producing decorative roofing or cladding;

• fabricating ornamental features;

• protecting historically significant fabric;

• coordinating the work with other occupations.

Observation must show competent performance under realistic site conditions and against the requirements of the relevant unit.

Portfolio and Work Products

Each learner needs a portfolio or equivalent evidence record demonstrating achievement across the mandatory units.

Occupation-specific evidence can include:

• photographs of roofing, cladding and weathering work at identifiable stages;

• completed roof or cladding sections;

• fabricated decorative or ornamental components;

• drawings, patterns or templates used for specialist work;

• relevant method statements or work instructions used by the learner;

• inspection or condition information associated with repair work;

• records showing material selection or quantities;

• project records demonstrating conservation or restoration activity;

• assessor observation records;

• authenticated employer or site records;

• suitable witness testimony from people with direct knowledge of the work.

Evidence must be attributable to the learner. Photographs or documents without sufficient context or authentication do not by themselves establish occupational competence.

Professional Discussion and Questioning

Practical observation cannot always reveal why a particular material, joint, control measure or conservation method was selected. Underpinning knowledge can therefore be confirmed through professional discussion and oral or written questioning.

Questioning may explore:

• interpretation of drawings and specifications;

• properties and limitations of lead and relevant hard metals;

• methods of setting out, forming, jointing and fixing;

• causes and implications of defects;

• ventilation and underlay requirements;

• work-at-height arrangements;

• lead exposure and other health risks;

• environmental responsibilities and waste control;

• conservation principles and treatment of significant existing fabric;

• circumstances requiring specialist advice;

• communication, planning and programme responsibilities.

The assessment method must confirm that the learner personally understands the decisions and procedures demonstrated through workplace evidence.

Witness Evidence

Witness testimony can contribute where a competent person has directly observed relevant work that the assessor could not reasonably attend. It must describe what the learner actually did and be capable of authentication.

Witness evidence may be particularly useful for project activities that occur infrequently, but it does not remove the assessor's responsibility to judge whether the overall evidence is sufficient and meets the relevant assessment strategy.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Relevant previous learning or occupational evidence may be considered where it can be authenticated and mapped to the current requirements.

Recognition of prior learning does not mean that unverified experience is automatically accepted. Evidence must remain relevant, sufficient and capable of demonstrating the required competence. Where a unit requires current workplace skill, the learner must still satisfy the unit's workplace assessment requirements.

Restrictions on Simulation

The current unit requirements are explicit that workplace evidence of occupational skills cannot be simulated.

This means practical competence cannot be completed solely through:

• a training-centre roof rig;

• an artificial workshop exercise;

• a fabricated scenario that does not involve genuine workplace activity;

• written answers in place of required practical performance.

Workshop training may be useful for developing techniques before assessment, but the evidence used to prove the occupational skills must come from genuine work.

To complete the Diploma, the assessor must be satisfied that the evidence collectively covers all mandatory units, applicable endorsements, specified practical ranges and required knowledge.

The Diploma confirms advanced specialist competence within heritage lead and hard metal roofing rather than guaranteeing a particular job title or promotion. Progression depends on the learner's experience, employer requirements, project history and any additional competence required for a new role.

Specialist Heritage Roofing Roles

The qualification is directly relevant to work such as:

• heritage lead roofing specialist;

• heritage hard metal roofing specialist;

• heritage hard and soft metal roofing operative;

• experienced fully supported lead and hard metal roofer and cladder;

• specialist craft operative working on conservation and restoration roofing projects;

• leadworker undertaking complex decorative or ornamental roof work.

The actual scope of a role should remain consistent with the material endorsement and competence the worker has demonstrated.

Advanced Craft Development

Experienced workers may continue developing specialist skills in areas such as:

• complex decorative leadwork;

• hard metal roof and façade detailing;

• ornamental fabrication;

• traditional roof forms;

• conservation repair techniques;

• diagnosis and repair of historic metal roof systems;

• coordination of specialist heritage roofing packages.

Projects involving particularly significant buildings, unusual fabrication, structural alteration or specialist conservation decisions may require expertise beyond the scope of the Diploma.

Supervision and Management

With appropriate experience and increased workplace responsibility, a qualified operative may progress towards roles such as lead craft operative, working supervisor, roofing supervisor or specialist heritage roofing foreperson.

Workers moving into supervision would normally need to develop additional competence in areas such as:

• allocating and coordinating work;

• monitoring teams and subcontractors;

• site health and safety;

• progress and quality control;

• communication with conservation professionals and other trades;

• resource planning;

• reporting and record keeping.

Relevant occupational supervision qualifications may become appropriate once these duties form a genuine part of the learner's job. Further progression into construction site supervision or management qualifications should similarly reflect the individual's actual responsibilities rather than being treated as an automatic next step.