IPHE yea or nay

[Paulus]

I'm seriously considering letting my membership of IPHE go. This has been such a bad year that the fee is no longer an inconsiderable percentage of earnings.

I just wanted to get some thoughts on this. No customer has ever queried whether I am a member. Would I be silly not to keep it up? Are you guys all members?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Gray0689]

Stopped being a member 3 years ago and never saw any difference IMHO

 

[PlumbBobBob]

not a member don't really see the point just for a few letters

 

[Halesowen1]

Never been a member nor never will.

 

[dontknowitall]

What's IPHE? (Rhetorical question to save someone some typing!)

 

[Barry98]

Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering

 

[dontknowitall]

Okay (I knew that!)

What's the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering?

I can just imagine Doris from down the road being confused by this. Does it increase her bill?

 

[Deleted member 25704]

IPHE is now CIPHE - Chartered Insititute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering

It is supposed to be the professional body for plumbing, but hardly anyone knows it exists.

I have been pondering my own membership each year in these difficult times. For me it gives a few letters after my name, which satisfies my ego, but if no one has heard of it, then its a bit of waste of time.

However, if I were a new-comer to the industry, I strongly advise membership. They have student memberships, and a bi-monthly journal.

The 'professional' issue is a bit of laugh really, it still means you have to do meaningless gas safe courses, and be a member of cps schemes at additional expense.

If you are a teacher, then have a look at your 'strategic assessment document' which lists memebership of such bodies as CIPHE as part of the centre validity for assessment.

Thus, CIPHE plays a ceromonial role for teachers, and professionals (working at management level), but there are few user benefits at installer level.

If I were to suggest one advantage at installer level, it would be 'branch training'. Each branch of CIPHE, organise lectures virtually every month, where continued professional development certificates are issued by manufacturers for training on their products.

Again, its not all CIPHE's fault that it is not so popular - it is a 'professional body' in a labour market that have been brainwashed into thinking they are professional because they are gas safe registered.

I think something is required to represent plumbers, but CIPHE isn't it.

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Never been a member nor never will.

Why? It would be nice to know your reasons for not wanting to be a member of a professional body.

 

[Paulus]

Thanks a million guys you've made my decision for me, IPHE goes and the Mrs gets a half decent Christmas present which means I get some brownie points.

 

[Gray0689]

Thats the better option I think your right lol

 

[Barry98]

Thanks a million guys you've made my decision for me, IPHE goes and the Mrs gets a half decent Christmas present which means I get some brownie points.

Yull never go wrong with brownie points

 

[Halesowen1]

Why? It would be nice to know your reasons for not wanting to be a member of a professional body.

I know a couple of colleagues who used to be part of this, they got no extra work and it costs money, so why would anybody decide to throw money away whilst getting nothing back??
Plus I am part of another worthless institute, Gas Safe, only this is a must for me.

 

[Guest123]

CIPHE isn't really relevant up here. What we all need is a UK wide governing body that looks after and promotes its members. Plumbers are too fragmented and need to co-operate more or this industry will die.

 

[dontknowitall]

CIPHE isn't really relevant up here. What we all need is a UK wide governing body that looks after and promotes its members. Plumbers are too fragmented and need to co-operate more or this industry will die.

I totally agree and have wondered whether we can kick something off from this forum - but to what end? Does it mean yet another qualification? And more paperwork?

Still got my thinking cap on.

 

[Guest123]

I totally agree and have wondered whether we can kick something off from this forum - but to what end? Does it mean yet another qualification? And more paperwork?

Still got my thinking cap on.

UK Plumbers Association? U.K.P.A abreviated.

 

[Guest123]

I'll join/support any UNITED organisation that is recognised as the plumbing governing body in the whole of the UK and actively campaigns and promotes plumbing and its members and the benefits of a professional over diy.

Sadly too many bodies fall short and are only there to promote themselves and unfortunately legislation forces you to become a member (Gas Safe being one in my opinion)

 

[Guest123]

Right lets get this on. Can we have a thread with a survey of members to see how much interest there is in this please?

DKNIA will of course have to be chairman and donate all his money to Alloa Plumbers Benevolent Fund. Steveb will have the job of delivering it.

But seriously can we start a survey about this?

 

[Paulus]

What have I started?

Count me in.arty:

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Good luck with that!

I don't want to **** on a parade, but self employed people are generally only interested in themselves - what do I get out of it?

Professional bodies or even trade bodies are about people putting in hours voluntarily - e.g. all those veterans of the CIPHE branches, give time for free for decades - so thanks to these guys a professional body exists.

In addition the whole discourse of representation is skewed because sector skills councils (summitskills) who profess to industry-led, are furnished with big firms (interested in low wages for workers) and certification bodies (interested in selling training and certification). Hence they won't let anyone else in - it is invitation only - so where is the democracy here.

Some day self-employed people will wake up and realise that we 'workers' will only get what we want if we come together in solidarity. This means giving something up, either money or time - because who is going to organise all this for free?

We are at the point of illumination - where we now know why we are subjected to forces that are out to bleed us dry.

 

[Halesowen1]

Problem is that many plumbing jobs are DIY. Gas and Electrics can kill people hence the reason we need people to oversee us and make sure we adhere to the current regs. I dont see the point in a governing body or association to oversee what plumbers are doing, do we need one for Chippys and Brickys etc, no they just work to building regs when needed. They dont have to be told how to fit a door and fill out paper work just as a plumber doesn't need to fill out paper work for changing a tap.

 

[Deleted member 25704]

I was once told that changing a tap washer was a job that the age-concern handy man could do. It was a trading standards officer doing the telling.

Within a week I had video evidence of a pair of basin taps (fluid cat 3) which were fitted to a sink (fluid cat 5), by the handy-man, which constitutes a direct danger to health, and contravenes the water ACT, which is a criminal offence.

I presented this to the local trading standards office, and they listened as I demanded that the age-concern handy man be prevented from doing jobs of this nature. In addition I asked if they were going to press charges and they all laughed. If it were me that had done this, I would be in the dock.

 

[Guest123]

Problem is that many plumbing jobs are DIY. I dont see the point in a governing body or association to oversee what plumbers are doing.

The point we're making here is not to have a governing body to oversee plumbers but to PROMOTE plumbers, plumbing and all things related to our profession. To also in a small way try to reverse the trend towards diy by promoting the real benefits and cost savings etc by getting work done by a professional.
For the last 15-20 years we have been bombarded by diy progs on TV and in the media which has had a serious effect on our industry, I can't think of one professional makeover programme that promotes tradesmen and not diy. Mr Walsh and co. can afford to promote diy on their big tv salaries, but in doing so more plumbers are put on the dole.
I'm sick of these so called governing bodies springing up all over the nations in our UK telling us that we have to pay and belong to them to be considered professional and qualified while getting very little back from them!

 

[PlumbBobBob]

well said system3

 

[Halesowen1]

But why pay for a Plumber when you can DIY?? Thats all I am saying, you can promote it as much as you want but the simple facts are, people can and do do plumbing jobs themselves, them who dont get on the phone and ring one. I see it as a ploy to try and raise plumbers wages, but as more and more people are trying DIY and succeeding I dont know what could be done. I have never done any training for Plumbing, in nearly 20 years in this game, only ever gained a qualification for Gas. But as any Tom, Dick and Harry can promote themselves as being a plumber ( No Quals needed), I can see why many choose to DIY or ring a Gas Safe Engineer (many customers tell me this) as they have at least got some sort of training and Qualification.

 

[Halesowen1]

And if you want to promote Plumbers, then get them to do a good job for a reasonable price, this will promote themselves no need for any help. You aint gonna get people to stop doing DIY, Plumbing is now seen like Wall Papering and Painting etc, many plumbing jobs can be done with little knowledge and experience.
I am sorry but many many people are struggling and turn to money saving ideaas, DIY is one, I serviced my own van this year as I wanted to save a few quid, its a very easy job if you have half a brain. I think Plumbers may have to go down the Gas route if they want higher earnings or to be promoted more. That little Gas Safe Sticker does drag in more work than any plumbing promotion, website, ad, etc.
The fact is that Plumbers have a bad name in the business at the minute, be that down to costs, bad work or just people DIYing, I dont know.
Many builders and clients I have worked for and still do many, they prefer to go with a Gas Safe guy as they see it as they have 2 tradesmen in 1, and dont need to ring both tradesmen for jobs.