RICS APC Lifeline - Mandatory Competency - Conduct Rules, Ethics & Professional Practice

Building a better you 

Property Elite’s sole aim is to build better property professionals - supporting your career every step of the way, whether you are completing a RICS accredited degree course, your RICS APC or simply seeking engaging CPD.

Our RICS APC Lifeline blog series aims to equip you with the information, knowledge and skills to pass your RICS APC with flying colours. 

In this article, we will focus on what you need to know about conduct rules, ethics and professional practice for your final assessment interview. We've written it as a helpful crib sheet with additional links to find out further detail. 

Make sure you sign up for your free CPD certificate by submitting your answer to the following question, 'Give one example of how you have behaved ethically'. 

You'll be able to include this in your RICS APC final assessment submission - we still have limited availability for our final assessment review & feedback service if you want to ensure your submission is top notch. 

Relevant RICS APC competencies

• Conduct rules, ethics & professional practice
• Also relevant to all other competencies in terms of acting professionally & ethically

Who are RICS?

• Global leading professional body promoting the highest standards in the property industry
• Gold standard of professional regulation

Brief history of RICS

• 1792 - Surveyors Club formed
• 1868 - John Clutton elected first president of Institution of Surveyors

Incorporation by Royal Charter

• Sets out objective - to promote usefulness of the professional for the public advantage 
• Changes to byelaws (RICS constitution) ratified by UK Government Privy Council after being approved by majority at a general meeting

RICS structure

• Governing Council (GC) - sets strategic direction and deliver requirements of Royal Charter, chaired by President (2017 - Amanda Clack)
• Presidential Team - elected by GC, provide leadership on key issues
• Executive Team - CEO and other Directors responsible for products, standards, reputation etc.
• Regulatory Board - administer regulation of members
• Management Board - day-to-day operational decision making delegated from GC, subsidiaries include Finance Committee, Knowledge Board, Remuneration Committee, World Regional Boards (Americas, ASEAN China and E Asia, MENEA, Europe, Oceania, S Asia and UK), Professional Groups

Functions of RICS

• Consumer protection
• Influence policy
• Set standards
• Accredit professionals
• Quality assurance

Self-regulation

• Not regulated by Government - legislation only required if self-regulation not working
• 5 principles of better regulation (TPACT) - transparent, proportional, accountable, consistent and targeted 

Benefits of being Regulated by RICS

• Commitment to highest standards
• Open to independent scrutiny
• Ethical approach
• Protection (via Professional Indemnity Insurance - PII)
• Security (via Complaints Handling Procedure - CHP)
• Guarantee of professional training and experience

5 RICS Ethical & Professional Principles

Remember, ethical behaviour is a key part of being a professional.

1. Act with integrity
2. Always provide a high standard of service
3. Act in a way that promotes trust in the profession
4. Treat others with respect
5. Take responsibility

Rules of Conduct for Firms

• Part I - nominate a Contact Officer to liaise between the Firm and RICS, plus submit the Annual Return
• Part II - conduct of business - ensure professional behaviour, act competently, provide a high standard of service, ensure staff undertake CPD, have a Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP), preserve security of clients' money, hold adequate Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
• Part III - firm administration - advertise in a truthful and responsible manner, ensure finances managed appropriately, ensure arrangements are in place to cover incapacity/death of a sole practitioner, display Regulated by RICS designation in line with RICS' requirements, provide information to and co-operative with RICS as requested

Rules of Conduct for Members

• Behave ethically
• Act competently (with due skill, care and diligence and proper regard for technical expectations)
• Service instructions in a timely manner and to a high standard
• Keep CPD up-to-date
• Manage personal & professional finances appropriately
• Provide information to and co-operative with RICS as requested

Disciplinary procedures

Know what happens if things go wrong. Potential sanctions by RICS include fixed penalty notices, consent orders, interim measures, panel hearings and expulsion from the institution. 

PII

PII has several purposes:

• To protect firms from financial loss in the event of a negligence claim and consequences to pay third party damages
• To protect clients from financial losses which the firm cannot meet

Firms must have adequate PII cover under Rule 9 of the Rules of Conduct for Firms. This means that it must be:

• On an each and every claim basis / fully retroactive - covers claims made during the insurance cover period irrespective of when the original act occurred
• Includes the RICS minimum policy wording
• Provides a minimum level of indemnity based on turnover
• Provides a maximum level of uninsured excess
• Underwritten by an RICS approved insurer
• Covers past and present employees
• Includes run-off cover when a firm or member ceases to trade

Ensure you read the RICS guidance to check the limits for cover - you may be asked in your final assessment interview.

Bribery, gifts and hospitality

This is a key topic which we will investigate fully in a future blog. A helpful summary and associated RICS help sheets can be found here.

Conflicts of interest

We looked at this in a previous blog article.

CPD requirements

Qualified members must undertake a minimum of 20 hours' CPD each year (i.e. completed by 31 December and recorded online by 31 January). At least 10 hours must be formal, e.g. structured learning with clear objectives and outcomes. Every three years, members must undertake CPD relating to professional ethics, e.g. the RICS online ethics walkthrough. Remember, these are different to the requirements for APC candidates.

CHP

We will look at this further in a future blog on Client Care. In essence, firms must have a CHP in place to deal with client complaints. The RICS publish guidance on how to fulfil this obligation.

Money Laundering

We looked at this in a previous blog article.

Setting up in practice

We looked at this in a previous blog article. From an RICS compliance perspective, the key things to do are to:

• Advise RICS you are setting up in practice and registered for Regulation
• Ensure you meet the requirements of the RICS Rules of Conduct
• Put adequate insurance in place
• Write appropriate policies, e.g. health & safety
• Use Regulated by RICS designation appropriately

Holding clients' money

We will explore this topic further in a future blog article. However, the key principle is to ensure that clients' money (not solely belonging to the firm holding it) is kept safely, securely and can be clearly linked to the client at all times. 

Potential funds held include deposits, rent, service charge, interest (in a client account), sale proceeds, Arbitration fees etc.

Conclusion

Acting professionally and ethically is an absolute MUST for Chartered Surveyors - it is at the heart of the RICS and provides clients with the confidence that we really are the gold standard of professionalism. 

In your RICS APC final assessment interview, getting an ethics question wrong will be an automatic fail - so this mandatory competency is perhaps the most important of all. Make sure you know the detail, as well as how you apply the concepts to your daily practice. You'll need to include examples in Level 2 (how you did something) and Level 3 (why you did something, how you provided reasoned advice) - so ensure you understand how you behaved ethically and professionally in these instances.

If you're not sure about anything in this article, we are here to help you out as we provide a free 30 minute consultation to all candidates - just call 07491 252 025 or email [email protected].

Want to know more?

• Book your RICS APC final assessment review & feedback service - limited availability so contact us before it's too late

Stay tuned for our next blog post to help build a better you