The Certified CPD Accreditation Service Organisation shall share with us the number of CPD providers which the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation have accredited, and which are published by the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation on their website and/or on The CPD Register Directory. We check this every quarter to ensure our figures are accurately displayed on the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation Overview web page.
We would expect a reputable CPD Accreditation Service Organisation to cover all sectors and have expertise and knowledge of all things CPD not just within one specific sector, however if the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation is sector specific, to be determined upon application, this is acceptable, provided sufficient evidence has been provided to us.
We would normally expect the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation to be a registered Ltd Company or Charity listed on Companies House as this provides peace of mind that the company is a genuine company with appointed and responsible Directors, whom are required, by law, to act responsibly and file annual accounts on behalf of the company which consumers are able to review and check the financial stability of the company.
If the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation is not listed registered on Companies House, this may indicate that the person(s) behind the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation do not wish to be named, have a poor business record, there is a conflict of interest which may bring the credibility of the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation into question, or the company is not financially stable. This will be determined once the Certification Mark Application has been submitted.
We would expect all CPD Accreditation Service Organisation, due to their collecting of data and therefore legal requirement to be registered with the ICO.
The CPD Register would expect a CPD Accreditation Service Organisation to have a Physical Office and a Published Address (whether a registered office or trading address). This view is formed and based upon the recent Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which has been created by UK Government, to help tackle economic crime and drive confidence in the UK economy. We have implemented the same guidance for CPD Accreditation Service Organisations and included this in our CPD Accreditation Certification Mark application. This applies for both legally Registered Companies and Non-Registered Companies.
Please read further information about the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act HERE
Being able to physically visit a CPD Accreditation Service Organisations office and meet the people and team behind the company is something we feel is important during the application process.
It is important to have a clear and non-complicated, secure website with clear terms and conditions available to view along with how data and privacy is protected by the visitor.
We would expect a CPD Accreditation Service Organisation to have an active Telephone Number, contactable during normal office hours so as potential consumers are able to speak with the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation directly. If the company does not have a main telephone number or support line, it may indicate that the company is only a small organisation or ran by a single person who is not always available to speak with. A reputable CPD Accreditation Service Organisation will have a Sales Department, Marketing Department, Assessment Department, Finance Department and Management Team whom we would expect to be available to speak with by telephone.
We would expect CPD Accreditation Service Organisations to have a secure email contact. We would expect an email response from a proactive and credible CPD Accreditation Service Organisation within 24hrs (48 allowing for weekends and public holidays). This again generally implies that the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation is only a small organisation or ran by a single person who is not always available to respond to consumers.
CPD Accreditation Service Organisations who are customer focused businesses have a live chat function where you can speak with a real person in real-time direct from their website. This may indicate that organisation does not have the staffing levels or technical knowhow.
We feel it is essential for a CPD Accreditation Service Organisation to publish its pricing to allow for a fair assessment and evaluation by consumers when looking for CPD Accreditation Services. We feel pricing should be available and visible and backed up with research so as the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation is providing the best value for money service.
This is very important as this outlines what the CPD Accreditation Service Organisation looks for when accrediting Training Providers and their training activities. Quite often the phrase ‘Internationally recognised CPD Standards’ are used to describe what a CPD Accreditation Service Organisation assess.
The CPD Accreditation Service Organisation must provide an in-depth overview of their Accreditation Criteria/Framework/Standards.
Most reputable CPD Accreditation Service Organisations will work from a framework or assessment criteria which outlines they key elements which they assess and look for to ensure CPD is of good quality.
We feel that CPD Accreditation Service Organisations should regularly review the CPD materials and Organisations they Accredit and Approve on a regular basis. This ensures that standards remain high for the end user and that CPD materials are up-to-date, relevant and therefore ensures a thorough and high learning experience for consumers.
This is an important part of CPD Accreditation. We believe that each course/ activity must be assessed and reviewed as a stand-alone CPD activity. Each Course/ Activity should be thoroughly checked and reviewed against the CPD Accreditation Service Organisations Accreditation Criteria/Framework/Standards (if in place, see above).
Following on from the successful application process CPD Accreditation Service Organisations should issue a unique Accreditation Number for every CPD Course/ Activity they have reviewed and accredited. This is important so as the end user can then verify that the CPD training course or Activity they have purchased is in date, of high quality and been fully reviewed by a reputable CPD Accreditation Service Organisation. This essentially gives the end user peace of mind that CPD materials are of a high standard.