This occupation is found in the built environment including in the new build, refurbishment and heritage sectors. Projects vary in size, type and duration, ranging from spraying and wallpapering for a domestic customer to the repair of a listed building to a large-scale commercial project using multiple, painting and decorating skills and application techniques and materials. Employers of craft painters and decorators vary in size from small companies to large commercial contractors. Craft painters and decorators are masters in their field and often provide technical leadership and supervise the work of others.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to work in the domestic, commercial and public sectors and is responsible for the external and internal appearance of a building and its protection from water, rust, corrosion, mould, and insect infestation. There is a direct relationship between the nature and quality of the service required and the payment made by the client. Therefore, the craft painter and decorator has a continuing responsibility to work professionally and interactively with the client in order to provide good quality services and satisfaction for clients and thus maintain and grow the business. Craft painting and decorating is closely associated with other parts of the construction industry, and with the many products that support it. The craft painter and decorator works internally and externally in very diverse environments, for example in companies, factories, schools, hotels, the homes of clients, and on building sites in all weather conditions. They may offer a range of services, from interpreting client requirements to the environmental and sustainability of materials/drawings, advising on designs/colours, painting, spraying, decorative coatings, wallpapering, gilding, and sign writing to a high standard. Work organisation and self-management, communication and interpersonal skills, problem solving, innovation, creativity, and the ability to prepare surfaces thoroughly with meticulous care including hazardous surfaces such as lead and asbestos are all required. These are the universal attributes of a craft painter and decorator. In a mobile labour market, the craft painter and decorator may work in teams or alone. Whatever the structure of the work, the trained craft painter and decorator takes on a high level of personal responsibility and autonomy. From carefully determining the requirements of the client, working safely and tidily, complying with relevant legislation, exceptional planning and scheduling, precision and attention to detail to every process matters, and mistakes are largely irreversible and costly. With the international mobility of people, the craft painter and decorator faces rapidly expanding opportunities and challenges. For a craft painter and decorator there are many commercial and international opportunities; however, these carry with them the need to understand and work with diverse cultures, trends, and fashions. The diversity of skills associated with craft painting and decorating is therefore likely to expand.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with their immediate team and the site management team on all painting and decorating aspects of the construction programme including planning, technical and progress. They often liaise with other construction trades such as site carpenters and plasterers who could work for their own organisation or another contractor. As the technical lead for craft painting and decorating they are also expected to liaise with other construction professionals for example the clerk of works and site manager and in the case of smaller specialist projects, the client, architect and interior designer.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for ensuring the finishes they and their team create are of a high quality and meet standards, specifications and design plans. They are expected to do this with due regard to all safety aspects involved with working on a construction site, ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others at all times. With sustainable construction at the forefront of all projects, it is expected they would give consideration and advise others on the environment and sustainability of materials, waste awareness and recycling. Level 3 has a relationship with level 2 and is a natural progression route for those who have completed Level 2 painting and decorating.
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Duty 1 work in compliance with occupational health, safety and environmental requirements to ensurethe health, safety and wellbeing of self and others at all times |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K8 K9 K15 K16 K17 K39 K40 K41 K42 K44 K45 |
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Duty 2 carry out their work in compliance with all current and relevant building regulations and quality standards, where appropriate checking the work of others for compliance. |
K1 K2 K3 K18 K19 K29 K30 K42 K44 K45 |
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Duty 3 Lead the painting and decorating team in the delivery of the construction programme including interpreting technical specifications, manufacturers’ instructions and drawings, including digital information |
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Duty 4 plan and organise the work site including setting out the work site materials and tools appropriate to the project for self and others |
K3 K7 K8 K9 K21 K22 K23 K24 K29 K30 K31 K33 K34 K35 S6 S8 S9 S10 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S24 S25 S26 S29 S31 S33 |
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Duty 5 plan the work to obtain optimum environmental, quality and schedule performance from the team, hand tools, power tools and associated equipment |
K2 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K20 K21 K23 K24 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K43 S3 S7 S9 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 S26 S29 S34 S35 S36 S38 |
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Duty 6 carry out complex painting and decorating tasks using specialist materials to industry standards and specifications. |
K10 K11 K12 K13 K14 K15 K22 K23 K24 K25 K26 K27 K28 K29 K30 K31 K42 K44 |
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Duty 7 work effectively on their own and supervise others. |
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Duty 8 maintain a clear and safe worksite at all times, promoting sustainable building practices |
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Duty 9 carry out continuous professional development to maintain knowledge of current and future developments affecting the role and share with others. |
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Duty 10 proactively collaborate with stakeholders, clients and other construction trades, including programming and technical matters |
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Duty 11 repair, modify, maintain or replace a variety of painting and decorating defects to different substrates and circumstances |
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K1: Awareness of health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance and impact on role of the team and other construction trades. Employer and employee responsibilities. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH). Fire safety. Health and Safety at Work Act. Asbestos awareness. Manual handling. Signage, Situational awareness. Slips, trips, and falls. Working in confined spaces. Lone working. Electrical safety (electrical equipment and hand soaking) Hand arm vibration (HAVS)and Lead at work. Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR), Provision and use of work equipment regulations (PUWER).
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K2: Safety Control equipment and safety techniques: personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and dust suppression (LEV).
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K3: Working at height equipment: selection and safe use.
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K4: Incident management techniques: accidents, near misses, hazards, damage and environmental incidents. Mitigation methods. Reporting methods.
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K5: Safe systems of work, site specific inductions, risk assessments, method statements, control measures -implementation and monitoring techniques, hazard identification in the work area.
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K6: Principles of team working.
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K7: Hand tools and equipment use and maintenance: preparation tools, application tools and equipment.
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K8: Power tools and equipment: preparation, use and storage.
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K9: Power tools and equipment: maintenance, fault finding and fault reporting.
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K10: Spray-painting equipment, components and function: airless, high-volume low-pressure, high-volume low-pressure turbines, high-volume low-pressure compressor and power rollers.
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K11: Preparation methods of spray painting materials: viscosity, straining.
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K12: Preparation and use of spray painting equipment: hazards and risks of incorrect use, spray tip and filter selection and air pressure.
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K13: Spray painting application techniques: pressure, distance, movement, internal and external angles.
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K14: Cleaning, maintenance and storage of spray painting equipment.
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K15: Preparation for spray painting internal locations: environment, temporary surface protection, masking materials, powered ventilation; surface conditions, sound and noise levels.
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K16: Preparation for spray painting external locations: variable climate conditions, environment, temporary surface protection, masking materials.
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K17: Sustainability and environmental management systems and standards. Environmental Protection Act. Surface water management plans, signage and notices. Types of pollution and control measures: noise, air pollution, smells, spills, waste and disposal of hazardous waste. Segregate resources for re-use and recycling.
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K18: Heritage buildings: principles and considerations of specialist materials and equipment, application techniques, impact assessment, minimum intervention, honest repairs, moisture permeable, breathability, like for like, preservation, reversibility, reinstatement, traditional techniques, conservation, heritage legislation.
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K19: Standards and regulations associated with painting and decorating activities: British Standards, building regulations and product manufacture guarantees.
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K20: Interpreting relevant information from drawings, specifications, manufacturer’s safety data sheets and information including, programmes of work and work instructions. Digital and written formats.
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K21: Costing and pricing principles: budgeting, labour and material costs, VAT, overheads, transport, access and equipment (hire or purchase) and profit.
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K22: Wallcoverings and their characteristics: patterns, set and off set (drop) match, adhesives.
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K23: Surface preparation methods and techniques for architecturally complex surfaces: chemical strippers, infra-red paint strippers and abrasives.
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K24: Application techniques for hanging wallcoverings (foundation papers and matching patterned finishing papers) to surfaces with architectural complexities, including ceilings.
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K25: Materials and equipment for broken colour paint effects.
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K26: Characteristics of timbers and marbles for pattern replication.
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K27: Application techniques for broken colour paint effects: rag rolling, sponge stippling, pre-cut single and multi-plate stencilling, basic straight graining, basic marbling, colour washing, dragging, glazing and wiping.
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K28: Materials and application techniques for metal leaf: transfer, loose leaf, metallic powder.
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K29: Water-borne and solvent-borne coatings application techniques and sequencing for spindles and handrails and doors with panels, mouldings, rails, stiles and muntins.
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K30: Solvent-borne and water-borne coatings application techniques and sequencing for surfaces with architectural complexities: mouldings, decorative architectural features, panels and period windows.
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K31: Use of colour schemes, colour charts, notations, colour terms for identification and in different environments: domestic, commercial, health and education.
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K32: Principles of presenting colour schemes: mood boards, digital media.
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K33: Material quantity calculation, wastage, and recycling allowance: wallcoverings, coatings, sundries.
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K34: Time management techniques and methods: planning work and resources, scheduling tasks for self and others.
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K35: Stock control processes: availability, lead times, value, faulty stock and returns process, stock rotation and quality control.
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K36: Written communication techniques. Plain English principles. Painting and decorating terminology.
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K37: Verbal communication techniques: Giving and receiving information and adapting style for recipients. Painting and decorating terminology.
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K38: Defects, causes and remedies: wet and dry coatings, substrates, preparation, materials, application, workmanship, environment.
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K39: Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults within the working environment.
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K40: Wellbeing: mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support.
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K41: Equity, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
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K42: Preparation materials, characteristics and use: fillers, resin fillers, sealants, stabilisers, caulks, primers, decontaminants, abrasives.
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K43: Principles of quality assurance.
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K44: Specialist wallcoverings characteristics, manufacturer’s setting out guidance, application techniques and tools: non-standard widths, murals and digital prints, adhesives.
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K45: Construction phase plan (CPP): content, management and controls.
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S1: Comply with health and safety regulations, standards, and guidance.
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S2: Select and use safety control equipment including respiratory protective equipment (RPE), dust suppression (LEV) and personal protective equipment (PPE), when carrying out tasks, including high-volume low-pressure spraying tasks.
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S3: Apply environmental and sustainable principles in compliance with regulations, standards and systems. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
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S4: Apply and monitor safe systems of work and control measures. Risk and hazard identification and escalation.
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S5: Comply with painting and decorating industry standards, regulations and guidance.
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S6: Select, check and use working at height equipment for example steps, ladders, hop-ups, podiums and mobile towers.
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S7: Interpret and extract information using paper based or digital techniques from drawings, specifications, manufacturer’s safety data sheets and information and provide work instructions.
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S8: Calculate material and quantities: wallcoverings, coatings and sundries.
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S9: Calculate costs for materials and resources: For example, budgeting, labour and material costs, VAT, overheads, transport, access and equipment (hire or purchase) and profit.
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S10: Apply time management techniques and methods to tasks for self and others.
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S11: Apply team working principles.
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S12: Use and maintain hand tools and equipment.
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S13: Prepare, use and store power tools and equipment.
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S14: Maintain power tools and equipment, reporting and escalating defects and faults.
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S15: Prepare architecturally complex surfaces for coating using either chemical strippers, infra-red or abrasives.
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S16: Apply coatings, water-borne and or solvent-borne to a range of surfaces with architectural complexities: mouldings, decorative architectural features, panels and period windows.
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S17: Apply water-borne and solvent-borne coatings to spindles and handrails and doors with panels, mouldings, rails, stiles and muntins.
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S18: Apply broken colour paint effects including rag rolling and dragging.
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S19: Prepare internal building surfaces and surrounding work area for spray painting.
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S20: Check and set up spray painting equipment for example, airless, high-volume low-pressure, high-volume low-pressure turbines, high-volume low-pressure compressor or power rollers.
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S21: Select and prepare spray paint materials.
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S22: Apply water-borne coatings using spray painting equipment.
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S23: Clean, maintain and store spray painting equipment.
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S24: Prepare surfaces with architectural complexities to receive wallcoverings.
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S25: Prepare and apply specialist wallcoverings, for example non-standard widths, murals and digital prints.
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S26: Prepare and apply wallcovering to staircase, and behind radiator.
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S27: Prepare and apply wallcoverings (foundation papers and matching patterned finishing papers) to surfaces with architectural complexities, including ceilings.
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S28: Applies quality assurance procedures.
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S29: Manage time and tasks to meet deadlines.
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S30: Communicate verbally with others, apply painting and decorating terminology.
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S31: Manage construction phase plan (CPP) identifying and reporting risks to completion, communicating progress, resolving issues.
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S32: Communicate in writing with others, use painting and decorating terminology. For example, internal and external customers, colleagues.
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S33: Obtain, monitor and rotate stock and supplies.
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S34: Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques to common painting and decorating problems.
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S35: Apply the use of colour schemes, colour charts, notations, colour terms for identification and in different environments: domestic, commercial, health and education.
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S36: Apply the principles of colour schemes: mood boards, digital media.
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S37: Prepare external locations for spray painting.
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S38: Prepare internal building surfaces and surrounding work area for water-borne and solvent-borne coating.
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B1: Promote environmental and sustainability principles in their work and with others.
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B2: Take responsibility for health and safety for themselves and others.
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B3: Take responsibility for the quality of work and encourage others to work to high standards.
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B4: Collaborate and promote teamwork across disciplines and external stakeholders.
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B5: Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.
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B6: Support equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the workplace.
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Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Occupational standard and end-point assessment plan revised | 16/10/2024 | Not set |
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 17/07/2024 | 15/10/2024 |
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