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CITB Levy Payers – ‘Employer Network Funding’

Important updates to CITB’s grants and funding offer (effective 8 January 2026)

The CITB Employer Network is a new CITB funding initiative designed to make training and funding more accessible for construction employers. Through this scheme, CITB-registered employers can claim training funding each year, helping them to upskill their workforce without the hassle of complex applications.

What’s changing from 8 January 2026?

Funding for Site Safety Plus courses will have to be done via the Employer Network scheme prior to the course rather than retrospective. Bookings cannot be via a Broker or Course Re-seller to be eligible for the funding.

How can I take advantage of Employer Networks?

Providing your business is CITB registered and up to date with levy payments, you are eligible to receive this funding. The funding is split into two routes, ‘Short Course’ funding and ‘H&S Courses’ (i.e. Site Safety Plus, SMSTS, SSSTS etc).

‘Short Course’ Training

No longer funded through previous Grants Scheme, with the exception of Plant Operations, Scaffolding, MEWP (i.e. IPAF) and other specialist courses. See full list of courses –  https://www.citb.co.uk/media/dbcp14dc/december-2025-funding-update-course-exceptions.pdf

Non SSP courses listed below are classed as ‘Short Courses’ and are funded at a 50/50 split between the CITB and the Employer.

Eligible Courses (funded at 50%): –

PASMA

IOSH

CCNSG

Manual Handling / Working at Height / Abrasive Wheels

Fire Warden

Face Fit – Half Mask Testing

Face Fit Testing – ‘Train the Tester’

Pre‑8th December bookings that are completed between 8 January and 31 March 2026 will be honoured where there is evidence provided of booking date to qualify for grant payment.

H&S Courses (funded at 30%): –

H&S Awareness / SMSTS & Refresher / SSSTS & Refresher

Temporary Works Supervisor / Temporary Works Coordinator

Asbestos Awareness

First Aid training isn’t supported.

How do I Book and Access the Funding?

You must contact your local CITB advisor who will help you identify and book your training needs – we can assist you to find the correct contact. This must be done prior to the course rather than retrospectively.

Funding is available via Employer Networks only (this must be via an Approved Member such as MECsafe Limited).

NVQ Qualification Grant Changes

Level 7 qualifications starting after 8 December 2025 are no longer supported.

Achievement grant for qualifications below Level 7 is £600 where the achievement date is on or after 8 January 2026 (achievements prior to 7 January 2026 will be honoured at current rates).

Achievement grant for qualifications at Level 7 is £600 where the start date is before 8 December 2025 and the achievement date is between 8 January 2026 and 31 March 2028. CITB must be informed by 31 March 2026 (achievements prior to 7 January 2026 will be honoured at current rates).

Immediate actions for employers

If your training was already booked by December 8th 2025, or completed before 7th January 2026, no action is needed and funding remains unchanged.

If your training is booked by December 8th 2025 but takes place between 8 January and 31st March 2026, evidence of this is required to secure current grant rate.

 

If you’re planning training that is Employer Network supported, please speak to your CITB Advisor or MECsafe Limited who will help organise what you need.

An arboriculture company based in Derby has been fined £20,000 after an employee suffered life-altering back injuries when he fell over 30 feet from a MEWP basket.

An employee of AP Tree Specialists Ltd had been carrying out tree surgery from the basket of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) at a mobile site in Derby on 25 January 2024. When the machine stopped working while elevated, there was no one on site who could bring the basket safely to the ground. The employee attempted to abseil from the basket, resulting in a fall to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that AP Tree Specialists Ltd failed to plan, appropriately supervise and carry out work at height in a safe manner. The company had not completed a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work at height activities, and employees were not appropriately trained in the use of lifting equipment.

The director, Matthew Scholes, was acting as site supervisor at the time and was directly involved in decisions and actions that led to the injuries sustained by the employee.

The Work at Height Regulations require employers to ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely. Where lifting equipment is used, HSE guidance states that operatives must receive appropriate training, and that rescue planning, equipment and personnel must be considered as part of site assessment. Further guidance is freely available in HSE’s Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (LOLER) Approved Code of Practice.

AP Tree Specialists Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £6,956 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 3 December 2025.

Director Matthew Scholes pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £400 in costs.

HSE investigating inspector, Kerry Scott, said: “This incident could have been avoided if AP Tree Specialists Ltd had planned the work at height with suitable and sufficient risk assessments and safe systems of work, including a rescue plan. They should have provided the employee with the correct information, instruction and training for working at height and for using the lifting equipment. HSE will not fail to take action where companies and directors do not ensure the health and safety of their employees.”

A Cheshire property developer has been fined £45,000 after the Health and Safety Executive found multiple failures at a construction site in Manchester.

Numerous health and safety failings were found during a site inspection at a home build project being undertaken by Stockport Development Limited on Kingsley Road, Manchester, in November 2023. The inspection by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found missing edge protection on first floor landings, missing and damaged security fencing, a lack of fire alarms and extinguishers, heavily obstructed walkways, and inadequate welfare provision for workers.

This resulted in four Improvement Notices being served, requiring the company to take action to comply with the law and protect its workers and members of the public.

When it was established that there had been four previous visits to the company’s construction sites between February 2021 and March 2023, all of which resulting in enforcement action being taken in relation to poor health and safety standards, an investigation was launched by HSE.

The investigation established that the company had repeatedly failed to fulfil its principal contractor duties and had failed to take heed of previous warnings and advice given by HSE inspectors.

Principal contractors have a responsibility to plan, manage and monitor construction work to ensure that it is carried out without risks to health or safety. Further guidance on Managing health and safety in construction – HSE can be found on HSE’s website.

Stockport Development Limited, of Bird Hall Lane, Stockport, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to a breach of regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was ordered to pay a fine of £45,000 plus surcharge of £18,000 and costs of £6,297 at Manchester Magistrates court on Friday 12^th December.

HSE Inspector, Claire Whitehurst, said: “This company showed a total disregard for keeping its workers and members of the public safe by failing to meet the most basic health and safety standards.

“Principal contractors have a responsibility to ensure they identify and manage risks involved in construction work, and to put safe systems in place to protect all who may be affected by their undertaking.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecution, against those that fall below the required standards, even where no incident has occurred.”

This week, CITB announced a major change that will significantly affect how employers access funding for training: the Training Group Grant will be discontinued from 1^st April 2026.

While Training Groups have historically provided significant value, the evolving demands of the construction sector and the pressure on CITB to optimise funding have prompted this shift.

Why CITB Is Changing Its Funding Model?

CITB regularly evaluates its funding programmes to ensure Levy reinvestment delivers maximum impact. The decision to withdraw Training Group funding reflects a combination of financial and strategic considerations:

Increased Demand Without Increased Funding

CITB has seen a 36% rise in employer demand for its services over recent years, while Levy rates have remained static. This means CITB must do more with the same resources.

Cost Efficiency Through New Models

Newer support models, such as Employer Networks and the New Entrant Support Team, have proven more cost-effective and capable of engaging a broader cross-section of the industry. These models reduce overheads while still ensuring training reaches those who need it most.

Strategic Focus on High-Impact Programmes

By reallocating resources to these newer initiatives, CITB can maximise the impact of Levy funding while ensuring more employers receive valuable support. This decision aligns with long-term industry goals, including improving skills retention, fostering new entrants, and addressing skills shortages.

CITB’s Industry Funding Committee and Board emphasised that while the decision to end Training Group funding was difficult, it is necessary to deliver the greatest impact for all employers across Great Britain.

How Employers Can Prepare?

Engage With Employer Networks via MECsafe Limited

Employer Networks have become central to CITB’s new approach. These networks provide:

Up to 70% funded Training

Regionally tailored training opportunities

Networking and collaboration with local employers and training providers

Access to sector-specific courses aligned with current regulatory standards

A Northampton roofing company has been fined £16,650 after an employee suffered serious injuries when he fell through a skylight opening.

Ryan Robinson, 31, was working for Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited to recover a flat roof of single-storey extension at a domestic property on Sywell Road in Northampton.

Covers that had been installed over two large skylight openings had to be removed as part of preparation. Mr Robinson fell through one of these openings whilst removing material from the other, falling over three metres to the ground. His injuries required surgery and long-term treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited failed to properly plan work at height activities and implement measures that would have prevented their employees from falling through the skylight openings.

HSE guidance states employers must ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe. This means that control measures must be in place to prevent or protect from falls. In this case, a crash deck or safety netting under the openings would have prevented serious injury from occurring.

Further guidance for working at height can be found at Health and safety in roof work – HSE. Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited of Chartergate, Clayfield Close, Moulton Park, Northampton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £16,650 and ordered to pay £7,205 in costs and £2,000 victim surcharge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025.

HSE Inspector, Chris Bennet, said: “Falls from height are the most common kinds of fatal accidents, accounting for over a quarter of fatal injuries to workers in 2024/25. This could be avoided through proper planning and implementation of effective controls.

“The fine imposed on Kingsley Roofing Contractors should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to plan works at height extremely seriously. It is the duty of employers to ensure that everyone working on a building site returns home safely.”

A film studio in Hertfordshire has been fined £6,000 after poor management of minor building works led to the disturbance of asbestos – putting employees at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Maintenance staff at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood had been asked to remove acoustic wall panelling from one of the studio buildings in preparation for the replacement of the studio doors by an external contractor.

Employees were told that no asbestos was present and began dismantling the panels using claw hammers and crowbars on 22 July 2022.

Shortly after starting work, one employee identified a layer of insulation that he believed to be asbestos and immediately stopped. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of asbestos – Amosite/Chrysotile and Crocidolite – which required licensed removal.

Section of the removed wall panelling containing asbestos

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that neither the studio’s asbestos management surveys nor the specific refurbishment surveys had considered the wall surfaces within stages 7, 8, and 9.

As a result, the acoustic wall panelling dismantled by employees fell outside the scope of any assessment. The investigation also identified failings in training and inadequate emergency arrangements to deal with asbestos disturbance.

HSE guidance states that employers must not undertake work liable to expose people to asbestos unless a suitable assessment has been carried out and a proper plan is in place. This often includes the use of licensed contractors with appropriate controls to manage the risks.

Elstree Film Studios Limited, of Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5, 10 and 15 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,790 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on 20 November 2025. All sums are to be paid within seven days.

HSE Inspector Stephen Manley said:

“Poor management of asbestos can lead to workers being exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos. Those in control of buildings must ensure they have a suitable assessment in place, and those undertaking intrusive work should be provided with appropriate information – which, for this type of work, will often require a specific localised survey by a competent person.”

A self-employed builder from Reading has been given a suspended prison sentence after a man fell to his death while assisting with roof work.

Raffaele Vigliotti, 68, who was trading as Absolute Building Solutions, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, after the death of Andrew Layley. The 69-year-old, an acquaintance of Vigliotti, was helping with roof work as part of an extension to a domestic property in the town.

It was during this work on 8 April 2023 that Mr Layley fell and sustained serious head injuries. He died in hospital several weeks later.

Andrew Layley was photographed by the home owner before the incident

Mr Layley, from Reading, was married with three grown up children and had a love of cats. His wife of nearly 40 years and children massively feel the loss of their “caring” husband and dad, saying his loss has left a huge hole in their lives.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Vigliotti failed to put in place suitable measures to protect both Mr Layley and another worker while they were working at height. The measures that were used were inadequate to either prevent or control a fall, or mitigate the consequence of a fall.

HSE guidance requires where it is not possible to avoid working at height, action must be taken to control the risk of falling and also minimise the consequence of a fall by either minimising the distance of a fall, or having measures in place, such as soft landing systems, to mitigate the fall. Guidance on working at height is available – Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Mr Layley and another worker were both put at risk while working at height

Mr Vigliotti of The Hedges, Bath Road, Padworth, Reading, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  At Reading Crown Court on 13 October 2025 he was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.  He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 18 months and to pay a victim surcharge.

HSE inspector Nicola Pinckney said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of unsuitable or absent measures to protect workers from falls from height.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident, and if consideration had been given to the well-known risks of working at height, and suitable, readily available controls been put in place, this incident could have been avoided.

“Due to Vigliotti’s failures, a family has been left without a much loved husband and dad.

“The penalty imposed on Mr Vigliotti will hopefully serve to highlight to others the importance of taking this risk seriously and ensuring they protect their workers from this risk.”

An unregistered gas installer has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at two houses in Cheshire.

The work was undertaken on several occasions between 2021 and 2023, resulting in a gas leak inside one of the properties, leaving one of the homeowners without a working appliance for an extended period.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was alerted to Mr Williams by the Gas Safe Register following an inspection of the work carried out at one of the properties, which identified an installation was at risk. It soon became clear that the installer had also carried out work at another property, and that he had issued a Gas Safety Certificate using a false registration number.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require those undertaking gas work to be Gas Safe registered and hold the relevant qualifications to demonstrate their competence. It is an offence under these regulations to falsely claim to be a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Members of the public are reminded that all gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas businesses legally permitted to work on gas appliances in the UK. Anyone can check whether an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The sentencing hearing for Scott Anthony Williams was at Chester Magistrates’ Court on the 24 October 2025. Scott Anthony Williams of Galbraith Close, Congleton, pleaded guilty to seven separate breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, requiring 240 hours of unpaid work. Costs of £2,000 were awarded along with a victim surcharge of £144.

HSE inspector Nicola Willcox said:

“This was a deliberate breach of gas safety legislation that put people at risk.

“All gas work must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online to ensure it is valid.”

A horticultural company has been fined after an employee suffered serious injuries after falling from a ladder.

The employee had been tasked to check irrigation that was watering plants contained in hanging baskets at the site in Banbury on 7 June 2023.

As the man climbed the ladder, it fell and collapsed under him, resulting in five broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Ball Colegrave Ltd failed to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees. In this instance, there was a failure to ensure that work at height was planned and carried out in a manner which was so far as is reasonably practicable safe.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height.

Ball Colegrave Limited of Milton Road, West Adderbury, Banbury pleaded guilty to contravening a requirement of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company was fined £80,000 and was ordered to pay £7,061 costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 14 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Gibson said:” This incident highlights the duty on employers to ensure that should do all they can to minimise the risk from working at height.

“If work at height isn’t properly planned and unsuitable work equipment is used, people can fall and sustain serious injuries.

“Falls from height remains a leading cause of workplace injury and death.”

This prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Arafq Nabi and paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

A Middlesbrough man has been given a suspended prison sentence after carrying out illegal gas work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Neil Burton carried out boiler services in a home in Stockton-on-Tees on two occasions, in May 2021 and April 2022. Although Burton had previously been on the Gas Safe Register, he had allowed his membership and qualifications to lapse. A subsequent review of the boiler identified defects which meant it was classed as a risk and a danger.

Burton, 41, also carried out work at a house in Middlesbrough in September 2022 and October 2023. These works included disconnecting a gas hob and installing a new one, as well as disconnecting a gas fire. As he had done previously, he carried out this work while not registered to do so. He had also been subject of previous action taken by HSE, when carrying out illegal gas work in 2015.

Neil Burton, of Harrogate Crescent, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas said:

“All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met and to prevent injury or loss of life.

“The public should always ask to see a gas engineer’s identification and check their registration number online.”