ARB Registration (Architects Registration Board) The ARB Code of Conduct and Professional Standards Syllabus

What does competent business management require regarding staff and supervision?

Ensuring work is properly supervised, that staff are competent and adequately resourced for the tasks assigned, and that the practice has the systems needed to deliver services reliably.

What must an architect provide to a client about the terms of engagement, and in what form?

Written terms of engagement, agreed and recorded before or at the outset of the work, so both parties are clear on what is to be done and on what basis.

What core matters must written terms of engagement typically address?

The scope of work/services, allocation of responsibilities, any limits on liability, fee/method of charging, the complaints-handling procedure, and whether the architect holds adequate professional indemnity insurance.

Under the Code, when should terms of engagement be put in place?

At the outset, before substantive work begins — clients should know the basis of engagement before relying on the architect's services.

What does Standard 6 (carry out work faithfully and conscientiously) require?

Performing work faithfully, conscientiously, with due skill and care, and keeping the client properly informed of progress and of any issue that may significantly affect quality, cost, or timescale.

How does the Code require architects to manage client expectations during a project?

By communicating honestly and keeping the client informed about progress, costs, programme, and any matters (delays, additional costs, design changes) that materially affect the brief — promptly and clearly, not after the event.

What does Standard 7 require about handling clients' money?

Architects must look after clients' money properly: keep it in a separate, identifiable client account, not mix it with the practice's own funds, account for it accurately, and keep records available for inspection.

Why must clients' money be held in a separate client account, and what records are required?

To keep client funds distinct from the practice's own money and protect them; the architect must maintain proper, transparent accounting records showing receipts and payments, available to the client (and to ARB) on request.

What does Standard 8 require concerning professional indemnity insurance (PII)?

Architects must have adequate and appropriate professional indemnity insurance cover (proportionate to the work and risks), and must ensure cover is in place for the services they provide.

What PII arrangement must an architect consider when they stop practising or wind down a practice?

Run-off cover — continuing PII to protect against claims arising from past work after the practice ceases — because liability can arise years after the work is completed.

What can ARB require an architect to demonstrate about their PII?

That they hold adequate and appropriate cover; ARB can ask for evidence of insurance, and failing to hold or to evidence adequate cover can itself be a disciplinary matter.

What is the focus of Standard 5 (consider the wider impact of your work)?

Architects must have regard to the wider impact of their work, including the health, safety and welfare of those who use buildings and the public, and the environmental/sustainability consequences of their decisions.

How does the Code link an architect's duties to the public interest?

Architects must take account of the interests of those who will use or be affected by their work, including the wider community, and not act in ways that endanger public health, safety, or welfare.

What does the Code expect of an architect who becomes aware of a serious risk or wrongdoing (reporting concerns)?

They should raise/report genuine concerns about health, safety, welfare, or serious wrongdoing appropriately (e.g. to the relevant authority or ARB), acting in the public interest rather than staying silent.

What does Standard 9 (maintain the reputation of architects) require?

Architects must conduct themselves so as to maintain public trust and confidence in the profession, avoiding behaviour — even outside professional practice — that brings the profession or the title "architect" into disrepute.

What must an architect report to ARB about criminal matters under the reputation standard?

Relevant criminal convictions, cautions, and certain findings/proceedings must be disclosed to ARB, as they may bear on fitness to remain registered and on the reputation of the profession.

What does Standard 12 (respect for others) require regarding discrimination and dignity?

Architects must treat everyone fairly and with respect, not discriminate unlawfully (e.g. on protected characteristics), and not engage in bullying, harassment, or behaviour that undermines others' dignity at work.

Which legal framework underpins the Code's non-discrimination expectations in the UK?

The Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination on protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation).

What does Standard 11 (co-operate with regulation) require of architects?

Architects must co-operate with ARB and its regulatory processes — responding promptly and fully to enquiries, supplying information requested, and complying with investigations and any conditions imposed.

Define the "duty of candour" as it applies to architects.

The professional duty to be open and honest when things go wrong: promptly informing those affected, explaining what happened, offering an appropriate remedy or apology, and not concealing mistakes.

How does the duty of candour interact with co-operating with ARB?

Candour requires being open and honest both with clients/the public and with the regulator; failing to be candid — or obstructing/misleading an ARB investigation — is itself a serious breach that aggravates any underlying conduct.

What does Standard 10 (deal with disputes/complaints appropriately) require?

Architects must have a written, transparent complaints-handling procedure, deal with complaints promptly, courteously and constructively, and try to resolve disputes appropriately rather than ignoring them.

On what three principles is the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct based?

Integrity, Competence, and Relationships — supported by professional values and guidance notes that elaborate how members should behave.

What is the key difference between the ARB Code and the RIBA Code of Professional Conduct?

The ARB Code is statutory regulation binding on all registered architects (needed to use the protected title), while the RIBA Code is the voluntary professional/ethical code binding only on RIBA members, enforced through RIBA's own disciplinary procedures.

If conduct breaches both the ARB and RIBA codes, what is the consequence?

The architect can face two separate processes: ARB disciplinary action affecting registration/title, and RIBA disciplinary action affecting RIBA membership — the two run independently.

What does protection of the title "architect" under the Architects Act mean in practice?

Only those entered on the ARB Register may use the title "architect" in business or practice; using it while unregistered is a criminal offence, which is why registration (and thus compliance with the Code) is mandatory to practise under that title.

Who is subject to the ARB Code and its disciplinary jurisdiction?

All architects on the ARB Register; the Code governs their professional and, where relevant, personal conduct affecting their fitness and the reputation of the profession.

What principle guides the PCC when choosing a sanction?

Proportionality — the sanction must be the least restrictive that protects the public and maintains confidence in the profession, weighing the seriousness of the conduct against any mitigation, with public protection as the primary purpose (not punishment).

When a client's interests conflict with the public interest, how should an architect prioritise under the Code?

The architect must not advance a client's interests in a way that endangers public health, safety, or welfare; duties to the public interest and to honesty/integrity take precedence over a client's wishes.

Does the ARB Code apply only to conduct during paid professional work?

No — while most standards address professional practice, conduct outside formal work (e.g. dishonesty or criminal behaviour) can still breach the Code where it affects integrity or the reputation of the profession.

What must an architect disclose when others (associates, sub-consultants, or staff) carry out part of the commissioned work?

They should be honest with the client about who is carrying out the work and on what basis, ensure that work is properly supervised, and remain responsible for the services delivered under their engagement.