Getting It Right – The Practical Application of Insurance in Building Contracts
An Essential CPD Session that’s FREE for ALL Architects
📄 Download the CPD Session Flyer (PDF)
Presenter
Jenny Carter-Vaughan FCII FPFS Cert CII (SMP & ER) DipM MCIM
Chartered Financial Planner | Chartered Insurance Broker
About the Session
Insurance obligations under JCT, RIBA, FMB, CIBSE and NEC contracts are often misunderstood — and the consequences can be costly.
In this engaging and accessible talk, Jenny Carter-Vaughan draws on over 30 years’ experience insuring complex building projects to explain how to apply insurance terms effectively in practice, ensuring both the client’s protection and the Architect’s Professional Indemnity (PI) cover are properly aligned.
Key Learning Points
- Understanding contract insurance terms — what they mean and how they work in practice.
- Linking duties and insurance — how your obligations as contract administrator or project manager shape the insurance structure.
- Protecting your PI cover — recognising clauses and warranties that can compromise your insurance.
- Joint Names insurance — why it’s essential, and how it protects all parties.
- Party wall agreements & non-negligence insurance — how to use them effectively to manage risk.
- Structural warranties & architects’ certificates — understanding their application and the implications for you and your client.
- Cascading risk, “To Whom It May Concern” letters and phoenixing — identifying and avoiding hidden dangers.
- The importance of practical completion — and the insurance consequences if it’s mishandled.
Why Attend
- Real-life examples from building projects and PI claims.
- Actionable insights you can apply immediately.
- Guidance to balance contractual compliance with PI protection.
Who Should Attend
Architects | Project Managers | Contract Administrators | Employers’ Agents | Practice Owners
Duration: 1 hour (including Q&A) | Format: In-person or online presentation
What You Will Learn
In an increasingly complex regulatory and liability environment, understanding how insurance operates within building contracts has never been more critical for architects. This engaging and practical session explores the real-world application of insurance requirements in JCT, RIBA, FMB, CIBSE and NEC contracts, focusing on how contractual duties and insurance structures intersect to protect both client and architect.
The talk unpacks the professional responsibilities of the contract administrator and project manager, explaining how these roles influence—and are influenced by—the insurance provisions within building contracts. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the main contract insuring clauses, how to structure cover effectively, and why the most obvious insurance solution isn’t always the right one.
Key topics include the role and mechanics of Joint Names cover, party wall agreements, and non-negligence insurance, as well as how these tools can be used to manage real project risks. The session also tackles the dangers of cascading risk, “to whom it may concern” letters, and phoenixing, alongside the critical importance of practical completion and structural warranties.
Packed with real-life case examples, this session provides architects with practical guidance to navigate insurance obligations confidently, avoid common pitfalls, and safeguard both their clients’ interests and their own Professional Indemnity protection.
Practical, professional and proactive — this is essential knowledge for every Architect.
About the Speaker
Jenny Carter-Vaughan FCII FPFS Cert CII (SMP & ER) DipM MCIM is a Chartered Financial Planner and Chartered Insurance Broker with over 30 years’ experience in the financial services and insurance sectors.
As a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII) and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society (FPFS), Jenny’s credentials reflect the highest professional standards across insurance, risk management, and financial planning. She has extensive experience in structuring and placing insurance for complex building and construction projects, including professional indemnity, contract works, and non-negligence cover for architects and developers.
Her work is driven by a commitment to integrity, transparency, and professional excellence. She strives to provide ethical, evidence-based advice, explained in simple and unambiguous terms so clients understand the risks they face and how they will be protected.
What Architects Are Saying
“Thanks again for the CPD session this afternoon. It was really helpful to gain a better understanding of the insurance requirements, the different scenarios that can arise, and the potential implications of having inadequate or inappropriate insurance cover in place. It was also useful to understand the additional types of insurance that may be required or recommended, which aren’t necessarily stipulated within the JCT contracts but can provide valuable additional protection and ensure that all potential eventualities are adequately covered.”
— DM, Senior Architectural Designer MA Arch(Hons) PGDip Arch – Falkirk
“Thank you for the CPD. There is a lot of conversation going on right now (in a good and thought provoking way). We really learnt a lot!”
— MJ, RIBI Architect, Environmental Engineer – Oxford
“Thank you so much for the talk yesterday, we all found it really interesting and informative. What was really good was your open and friendly approach – and all of the real life examples which really brought the subject to life.”
— AH, BA (Hons) BArch ARB Architect – London
“We all really enjoyed the CPD session for Architects today – well done on bringing a very dry subject to life. Thank you so much – we all learned a lot.”
— PW, BA (Hons) BArch ARB – Leeds
Talk to the Experts
📄 Download the CPD Session Flyer (PDF)
Arrange a FREE CPD session today: 01825 745 410 | enquiries@jctinsurance.co.uk | www.jctinsurance.co.uk
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