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Apprenticeship training course

Historic environment advisor (level 7)

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Information about Historic environment advisor (level 7)

Responsible for providing specialist and authoritative advice, guidance and assessment to those working on heritage assets and the legal and policy frameworks for their protection.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • relevant statutory legislation, policies, frameworks, strategies, and best practice for the historic environment.
  • standards and compliance processes for the historic environment.
  • established techniques of investigation, research, documentation and management for the historic environment, as well as new techniques or approaches and their associated risks. How to conduct these techniques, and how to monitor others doing so.
  • conservation principles and the agents of deterioration, and how to evaluate the significance and condition of the historic environment.
  • British archaeological or architectural practice and chronology, including expert understanding and recognition of archaeological site or building types, styles, and periods.
  • wider political, social and economic context of the historic environment and other sectors within the individual’s specialist area of work (e.g. construction, planning, design, tourism), their relationship to historic environment decision-making and the roles and responsibilities of statutory authorities, heritage organisations and specialists.
  • when and how to provide advice and guidance, either verbally, through written reports, publication or public speaking.
  • current academic research, and regional, national and international research agendas, developing and expanding on knowledge within their area of expertise.
  • editorial, drawing and report writing techniques required within the historic environment.
  • how to develop a personal action plan for learning and self-development with realistic but challenging objectives, expectations and priorities, and how to align this with the interests of the organisation/employer.
  • techniques for the leadership, management and delivery of projects, including complex projects with many interacting factors. Techniques include budgeting, timetabling and quality assurance, assessment of skillsets and capacity of wider teams. How to review and report on the quality of other’s work.
  • their Employer’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures and operational procedures, including risk assessment, and how those relate to industry standards.
  • the needs and expectations of a range of customers, colleagues and stakeholders. How to communicate effectively, including management of stakeholders, mediation, public engagement and partnership working.
  • how to practice in line with current theories and methodologies, and to question and reframe these to develop fresh perspectives and new ways of working to manage complex historic environmental conceptual issues at senior level in a strategic context.
  • appropriate techniques and materials for the repair of historic buildings and monuments.
  • professional ethics and codes of conduct involved in the management of projects and the historic environment, including recognising conflicts of interests and appropriate processes for dealing with these.
  • how to assess sustainability in the historic environment, and the contribution of the historic environment to placemaking, planning and economic development issues.
  • how to demonstrate critical analysis, interpretation and evaluation of complex historic environmental information, synthesising multi-source data and concepts to make high level recommendations and drive changes in historic environment practice in keeping with organisational and sectoral strategic priorities.

Skills

  • contextualise, interpret and apply relevant statutory legislation, policies, frameworks, strategies, and best practice for the historic environment.
  • establish and monitor implementation of standards and compliance processes for the historic environment.
  • provide expert advice and guidance to clients, colleagues and stakeholders, exercising appropriate judgement and decision making and recognising when to involve others.
  • prepare and deliver evidence for the enhancement or protection of the historic environment, including that required for relevant hearings, inquiries, public meetings, appeals, written statements, proofs of evidence and expert witness testimony.
  • lead and work as part of a team to manage and deliver projects of all scales and complexities. Be responsible for own work, and where applicable have significant personal accountability for others and/or the allocation of resources, in a wide variety of contexts.
  • design, execute and monitor project plans and investigations. Conduct specialist research and investigation, reformulate and interpret complex historic environment data to provide specialist analysis.
  • review and report on the quality of other’s work constructively and effectively, including technical work, be responsible for quality assurance.
  • lead on, produce, review, or update documentation and information on the historic environment using relevant analytical, editorial, drawing and report writing techniques.
  • apply policy to decision making, including developing new approaches and policy and best practice guidance. Assess and evidence gaps in knowledge or skills to support heritage protection, management and policy development.
  • raise awareness, appreciation and understanding of the historic environment, promoting good conservation practice, including through public engagement activities.
  • contribute to advances in the body of knowledge and historic environment practice, through research, publication, participation in professional and academic networks and events.
  • supervise, train and develop colleagues, external clients and stakeholders where relevant.
  • apply relevant sustainability principles to historic environment projects.
  • present verbal and written arguments clearly and effectively.
  • manage significant workloads of complex and conflicting data from multiple sources, demonstrating fluency with a wide range of historic environment theory, method and data sources, that can be used to challenge, reformulate and produced clear strategic recommendations and significant changes in historic environment advice.

Behaviours

  • take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of others, including members of the public, who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work
  • be capable of conceptual thought, independent decision-making and professional judgement in order to solve problems and tackle complex projects with many interacting factors
  • commit to quality and their continuous professional development
  • work effectively individually and as part of a team, including providing strategic leadership. Contributing to, and supporting others to, work and drive change and innovation within the context of organisational, sectoral and wider governmental and commercial strategic priorities relevant to the historic environment.
  • develop and maintain honest and constructive client and colleague relationships. Be approachable and able to communicate with all levels of their own and other organisations, as well as the general public
  • be resilient and deal with controversial issues and conflicts of interest, difficult situations and confidential data sensitively. Be sensitive to and aware of the significance of the historic environment, and the needs of its stakeholders, being conscious of integrity, honesty and professional ethical requirements.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Creative and design
Qualification level
7
Equal to master’s degree
Course duration
36 months
Maximum funding
£15,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Historic Environment Consultant
  • Heritage Consultant
  • Heritage Advisor
  • Archaeological Advisor
  • Inspector of Ancient Monuments
  • Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas
  • Heritage at Risk Projects Officer
  • Conservation Officer
  • Conservation Advisor
  • Listed Buildings Officer
  • Churches Conservation Advisor
  • Architectural Investigator

View more information about Historic environment advisor (level 7) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.