The code of considerate practice
By registering with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, you are committing to conform to the Code of Considerate Practice.
THE CODE OF CONSIDERATE PRACTICE
The Code of Considerate Practice embodies the high standards the industry can and should achieve. The clear, attainable guidelines in the Code exist to help constructors make positive changes to the way they work and to operate more responsibly and respectfully.
Organisations, contractors, and suppliers who register with the Scheme are committing to observe and implement the Code. It focuses on three key sections: respecting the community, caring for the environment, and valuing the workforce — essential and key areas required to effectively raise standards within the industry and build trust with the public.
The Code applies equally to all activities registered with the Scheme regardless of size, type, or location.
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Respect the community
Constructors must manage their impact on their neighbours and the public to support a positive experience, by:
- Ensuring courteous and respectful language and appropriate behaviour in and around the construction activity
- Providing a safer environment, preventing unnecessary disturbance, and reducing nuisance for the community from their activities
- Proactively maintaining effective engagement with the community to deliver meaningful positive impacts.
Care for the environment
Constructors must minimise their impact and enhance the natural environment, by:
- Prioritising environmental issues to protect the natural environment and minimising negative impacts
- Optimising the use of resources, including minimising carbon throughout the value chain
- Engaging with the community to improve the local environment in a meaningful way.
Value the workforce
Constructors must create a supportive, inclusive, and healthy workplace, by:
- Actively encouraging and supporting an inclusive and diverse workplace
- Proactively supporting safe working, mental and physical wellbeing at work
- Providing workplaces that are, well maintained, clean and secure from physical and biological hazards.
CCS CODE CHECKLIST
The Considerate Constructors Scheme Checklist is used by Monitors to score registered activities against the Code. It contains prompts that highlight specific expectations the visiting Monitor may take into consideration during their review of your activity. Rather than a strict list of must-haves, the Checklist asks questions to establish how an activity addresses the expectations of the Code. This allows Monitors to make a more informed judgement of conformance.
Each section on the Checklist correlates to one of the three key sections that form the Code: community, environment, and workforce. These three sections reflect some of the biggest challenges within the industry and provide an opportunity for constructors to become more informed on their impact and on how to create positive experiences.
Monitors will use their discretion when assessing whether a question or prompt is relevant, tailoring each report to the specific site. However, it is worth noting that the Checklist is not exhaustive and other items may be taken into consideration during a Monitor visit.
A self-assessment checklist that mirrors the Monitors’ Checklist — which includes detailed guidance and prompts — is available to help registered activities prepare for their Monitor visit.
Monitoring and scoring
All construction activities registered with the Scheme will be periodically visited by a Scheme Monitor. Our Monitors have a high level of understanding of the UK and Ireland’s construction industry, including the current challenges it faces.
During each visit, the Monitor uses the updated CCS checklist to assess how effectively the activity is delivering the outcomes of the Code of Considerate Practice. The checklist is structured around clear themes and expectations, allowing performance to be assessed in a consistent, proportionate and evidence‑based way, while recognising the context and scale of each site or organisation. The Monitor will then provide a score based on their findings and, where appropriate, reference known best practices which may help the registered activity improve its considerate practice performance. If a non-conformance has been identified the Monitor will include it in their report and the registered activity will need to address the issue, ensuring conformance with the Code is achieved upon a subsequent visit.
Scoring
The Code is built around three pillars: Community, Environment and Workforce. Each pillar contains a set of outcome‑focused expectations, which are scored by the Monitor using a simple scale:
- 0 – Insufficiently met: the outcome has not been achieved
- 1 – Partially met: minimum expectations are met (conformance)
- 2 – Fully met: good practice demonstrated, with evidence of positive impact
Expectation scores are combined within each pillar, with any non‑applicable expectations removed, to produce a percentage score for each of Community, Environment and Workforce. The overall CCS score is the average of the three pillar scores and is reported out of 100%, with each pillar equally weighted.
ADVISORY VISITS
Advisory Visits offer registered sites extra support in understanding the Code of Considerate Practice and improving their performance. Led by a Scheme Monitor, these optional, unscored visits provide a chance to ask questions, explore ideas, and receive practical guidance.
During the visit, the Monitor explains the Monitors’ Checklist, scoring approach, and reporting process, while sharing best practice examples and tailored recommendations. Advisory Visits are available for an additional fee and can be especially helpful for those new to the Scheme or preparing for a scored monitoring visit.
Voluntary and independent, these visits have no impact on scoring outcomes but help sites feel confident, prepared, and better aligned with considerate construction expectations.
ADVISORY VISITS
In addition to standard monitoring visits, advisory visits are available to any registered activity for an additional fee.
These visits are not part of an activity’s assessment. During the visit, a Monitor will create a report to help an activity improve its considerate practice.
It will include specific observations and advice, along with examples of known best practices. They are intended to help build familiarity and understanding of the Code of Considerate Practice, particularly for those who are new to the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
Advisory visits can help registered activities prepare for scored visits and further clarify points relating to community engagement, environmental impacts, and workforce wellbeing. They also provide an opportunity to discuss the types of evidence which may have to be demonstrated in order to achieve a conforming score.
Advisory visits are voluntary, but undertaken independently with the same objectivity and integrity as scored visits. Deciding whether to undertake an advisory visit has no impact on the scoring process associated with standard monitoring visits.
Report score
A total of 45 points is available for a fully conforming site.
- You must score a minimum of 27 points
- You can score a maximum of 15 points for each Code of Considerate Practice section
- You must score a minimum of 9 points in each section to achieve conformance.
Innovations and best practice
A maximum 5 additional points is available for Innovations and Best Practices.
Where applicable these points will be added to a site’s score following an assessment by the Scheme’s Innovations and Best Practices review team.
This may happen up to four weeks after a monitoring visit. The site will be notified by email and an updated performance score will be reflected on the Insights Dashboard.
CONFORMANCE RECOGNITION
Outstanding performance in raising standards and building trust by registered activity is recognised by the Scheme through Certificates of Performance, and the annual national Leading Lights Awards.
By registering a construction activity with the Scheme you have already shown your commitment to raising standards and building trust, both within the industry and with the public, but are you going the extra mile?
If you are truly working to improve your impact on the community, environment and workforce then you could be a shining example of a considerate constructor, and we want to recognise you at the Leading Lights Awards.
Activities registered with the Scheme can make a submission for consideration at the annual Leading Lights Awards. If you win you will have the chance to attend our exclusive celebration event, along with other inspiring members of the industry.
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