CIOB has joined a group of chartered bodies in urging government to champion professional standards to rebuild trust in public services.

The professional bodies representing more than 1.5 million people have written to the Government calling for stronger backing of Chartered and professionally registered status across key sectors, arguing it is essential to rebuilding public trust and driving economic growth. 

In an open letter to Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Chartered Week Alliance, a coalition of over 40 Chartered and professional organisations which includes CIOB, asks ministers to take a lead in expecting and promoting professional registration and Chartered status, including within the civil service. 

The Alliance argues that Chartered bodies are uniquely placed to support national renewal: raising standards, widening access to professional careers, strengthening ethical practice and underpinning confidence in public and business services. 

The call comes during the second annual Chartered Week (23–27 February 2026), a campaign highlighting the role of professional standards in public accountability and economic competitiveness. 

The letter states that partnering more closely with Chartered and professional bodies across disciplines, from science, technology, engineering and maths to environment, law, accountancy, leadership, management and procurement, will help ensure public policy has long-term credibility. 

It also highlights that active membership of a professional body represents a clear pledge of public accountability, underpinned by codes of conduct and ethical commitments - a safeguard the Alliance says is “critical in the AI age.” 

Dr Victoria Hills, CIOB CEO, said: “Chartership represents the pinnacle of professional excellence, demonstrating a practitioner’s advanced knowledge, experience, and commitment to ethical standards within their field. Importantly for the construction sector it also demonstrates a specific level of skill or competence which has become increasingly important with the introduction of the Building Safety Act for example. 

“The built environment encompasses a broad range of professions and different sectors, including many roles in the public sector, and to build and maintain the trust of the communities we build for, its important standards are set high and upheld. We see it as our role and that of other professional bodies to set those standards, help our members to meet them and develop pathways for a broader spectrum of people to gain chartered status.”