The CPD Standards Office - The CPD Register Overview

Commercial identification and contactability

Yes — identification and contactability disclosed.

The organisation publishes the legal entity, company number, registered office and VAT number in its website footer, and a working telephone number, email and postal trading address are provided. The legal entity is The Professional Development Consortium (T/A CPD Standards Office) Limited, company number 08293321, registered at 21 Navigation Business Village, Navigation Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 2YP. A separate trading address is published at Cygnet House, Market Square, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4RH. This satisfies Companies Act 2006 sections 1200–1206 (trading disclosures) and section 1141 (appropriate registered office).

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/membership-terms/ and https://www.cpdstandards.com/ (footer). Accessed 6 May 2026.

Transparency of assessment framework

Partial — assessment policy is published, but the specific accreditation criteria are not.

The organisation publishes a structured Assessment Policy describing scope (instructor-led courses, online courses, coaching, speakers and events), the use of external assessors, sampling, double-marking, and a published appeals route. The policy states that assessments are made "against the criteria derived from the [CPD Research] project and subsequently acquired experience" but the criteria themselves are not enumerated on a public page that a prospective applicant or consumer can read in advance.

Good practice under our methodology is the publication of the actual assessment criteria, not only the process by which they are applied. Prospective applicants are advised to request a written copy of the current criteria from the organisation before entering into a contract.

Sources: https://www.cpdstandards.com/about-us/assessment-policy/ and https://www.cpdstandards.com/become-accredited/how-the-process-works/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Pricing transparency

No — accreditation pricing is not published.

The organisation's "How the Process Works" page states: "Our accreditation prices vary depending on the type of certification you select and the number of activities (courses) you are looking to accredit." Pricing is obtained only by booking a call with a CPD Advisor. The Membership Terms confirm that the Annual Subscription Fee and payment terms are set out in the individual Registration Form rather than published on the website, and that the fee may be increased annually in line with RPI. A "Spring Offer – Ends May 14th" is promoted in the site banner without published baseline pricing against which to evaluate the offer.

Under our methodology, transparent published pricing — including one-off fees, recurring fees, and any optional charges — is the indicator of good commercial practice. Prospective applicants should request a written quotation, with all inclusions and exclusions itemised, before entering into a contract.

Sources: https://www.cpdstandards.com/become-accredited/how-the-process-works/ and https://www.cpdstandards.com/membership-terms/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Terms and conditions

Yes — accreditation-specific terms and conditions are published.

The organisation publishes detailed "Membership Terms and Conditions" which are specific to the accreditation/membership relationship rather than generic e-commerce terms. The terms cover: contract formation via Registration Form acceptance; a 12-month minimum period with automatic 12-month extensions and a 60-day notice requirement; consumer rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; intellectual property and trademark licensing; data protection and confidentiality; force majeure; suspension and termination rights; refund mechanics; annual fee increases linked to RPI; liability caps; and English law jurisdiction.

Note: clause 3.5 (auto-renewal) and clause 15.5 (RPI-linked fee increases) operate alongside a 60-day notice window and should be reviewed carefully by prospective members. The terms are dated by reference to a "modified" timestamp at the URL footer rather than a clearly labelled version date.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/membership-terms/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Individual course assessment

Individual activity assessment is described in the published Assessment Policy.

The Assessment Policy states that submissions are assessed against the agreed criteria using information provided by the provider, that information is cross-referenced for verification, and that "depending upon the type of activity, sampling will be undertaken to further verify the detail contained in the submission." For online activities, assessor access to the course is required; for face-to-face activities, a site visit may be undertaken. The policy also notes that the provider and any claims made are verified, including references obtained.

This represents an individual-activity assessment model (rather than a blanket-provider model), but applicants should note that "sampling" — referenced in the previous CPD Register record from May 2025 — means not every individual course element is necessarily reviewed in equal depth on every renewal cycle. The CPD Register's published guidance on blanket accreditation is at thecpdregister.com/blanket-accreditation.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/about-us/assessment-policy/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Review and renewal

Partial — a renewal contract cycle is published, but a defined re-assessment cycle for accredited activities is not.

The Membership Terms describe a 12-month minimum period with automatic 12-month extensions, billing milestones (with a 15% second-year loyalty discount), and the requirement for 60 days' notice to terminate. The Assessment Policy describes ongoing assessor performance monitoring and process review.

What is not separately published is the cycle on which existing accredited activities are proactively re-reviewed against current criteria after initial accreditation has been granted. Under our methodology, good practice is a stated, published cycle for proactive re-assessment of accredited content (for example, annual or multi-year), with a process for handling material changes between cycles. Prospective applicants are advised to request written confirmation of the proactive review cycle for their accredited activities.

Sources: https://www.cpdstandards.com/membership-terms/ and https://www.cpdstandards.com/about-us/assessment-policy/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Sale of training courses or materials

Yes — the organisation markets training products in addition to its accreditation services.

The website promotes a "British Certified Trainer Masterclass" and offers downloadable templates and a "CPD Research Project" output to providers. The Masterclass is marketed alongside the accreditation services and is presented as a paid programme available to training providers and prospective members.

Under Criterion 8 of our methodology, where an accreditation organisation also offers training to the same audience it accredits, a structural question arises about the independence of the assessment function, particularly where the organisation's own training may overlap with subject areas or commercial markets occupied by providers it accredits. We record this as a factual observation. Prospective applicants and consumers may wish to consider how the organisation manages any such overlap and whether it discloses governance arrangements separating its training and assessment functions.

This finding is consistent with the CPD Register's previous review (Last Updated 1 September 2025) which recorded a related connection to the Training Provider "International Medical Training Academy" and applied a similar structural caution.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/british-certified-trainer-masterclass/ (linked from primary navigation at https://www.cpdstandards.com/). Accessed 6 May 2026.

Financial relationships with third-party service providers

No published affiliate or referral arrangements identified at the time of review.

The website does not, on the pages reviewed, disclose affiliate referral arrangements with insurance providers, payment processors, or other commercial third parties. The Privacy and Cookie Policy and the Membership Terms describe contractual relationships with members and standard data-processing arrangements. Should any affiliate or referral relationship exist that has not been publicly disclosed, our methodology requires clear disclosure of the nature of any commercial relationship and any compensation received.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/ (footer policies); https://www.cpdstandards.com/membership-terms/. Accessed 6 May 2026.

Ownership or control relationships with aligned commercial interests

Connection previously recorded between the organisation and the Training Provider "International Medical Training Academy".

The CPD Register's previous review of CPD Standards Office (Last Updated 1 September 2025, in the supporting reference document held at the project) recorded that "The CPD Standards Office are associated with the Training Provider 'International Medical Training Academy'. The CPD Standards Office accredit all of their courses." This finding is reproduced here as a previously documented observation. Prospective applicants and consumers are advised to carry out their own Companies House search of director and Person with Significant Control records on company 08293321 (THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM (T/A CPD STANDARDS OFFICE) LIMITED) to verify any ongoing director appointments or significant control relationships with training providers receiving accreditation from CPDSO.

A well-governed accreditation organisation may have many commercial relationships, all properly disclosed and managed. The absence of transparency, or the presence of undisclosed structural connections, is the more material concern under our methodology.

Sources: The CPD Register prior review reference (1 September 2025); https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08293321 . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Consistency of filings with advertised activity

Consistent — Companies House filings are aligned with the advertised commercial activity.

The Professional Development Consortium (T/A CPD Standards Office) Limited (08293321) is registered under SIC code 94120 (Activities of professional membership organisations), which is consistent with the accreditation and membership services advertised on cpdstandards.com. The company is recorded as Active and is filing accounts and confirmation statements on the public register. There is no inconsistency between dormant-account filings and advertised commercial activity in the way this criterion is designed to detect.

Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08293321 . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Companies House status

Active.

The Professional Development Consortium (T/A CPD Standards Office) Limited, company number 08293321, is recorded on Companies House as an active private limited company, incorporated on 14 November 2012, with registered office at 21 Navigation Business Village, Navigation Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 2YP. There is no recorded liquidation, strike-off action or dissolution event. The registered office is a serviced business address that meets the "appropriate address" requirement under Companies Act 2006, section 1141 (as amended by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, in force from 4 March 2024).

Source: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08293321 . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Website status

Active.

The website at https://www.cpdstandards.com/ loads and serves recognisable commercial content related to the accreditation service, including a Become Accredited journey, member directory at directory.cpdstandards.com, About Us pages, Assessment Policy, Complaints Procedure and Membership Terms. The page modified-time metadata indicates active editorial maintenance.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/ . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Regulatory rulings and public enforcement records

Yes — a formal Advertising Standards Authority ruling has been published against the organisation. Both issues investigated were Upheld.

Issuing body: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
Ruling reference: A25-1322754
Date of ruling: 6 May 2026
Named party: The Professional Development Consortium Ltd t/a CPD Standards Office
Outcome (regulator's terminology): "Upheld" on both issues investigated
CAP Code rules cited as breached: rule 3.1 (Misleading advertising); rule 3.7 (Substantiation); rule 3.35 (Comparisons with identifiable competitors)
Required action (regulator's terminology): "The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told The Professional Development Consortium Ltd t/a CPD Standards Office to ensure that future comparative claims made with identifiable competitors were not misleading, were supported by adequate documentary evidence and could be verified by consumers."
Regulator's note on context: the ASA records this ruling as forming part of "a wider group of investigations on companies offering CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accreditation services"
Full ruling: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/the-professional-development-consortium-ltd-a25-1322754-the-professional-development-consortium-ltd.html
The CPD Register's published commentary on the ruling: https://thecpdregister.com/blog/asa-upholds-complaint-against-cpd-standards-office-why-uks-leading-body-claims-require-evidence-not-assertion

Under our methodology we record the ruling factually and direct readers to the regulator's published decision as the authoritative source. Readers are advised to consider the recency, nature and subject matter of the ruling in the context of any planned engagement.

Sources: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/the-professional-development-consortium-ltd-a25-1322754-the-professional-development-consortium-ltd.html ; https://thecpdregister.com/blog/asa-upholds-complaint-against-cpd-standards-office-why-uks-leading-body-claims-require-evidence-not-assertion . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Distinguishing CPD from regulated qualifications

The organisation positions itself as a CPD accreditation body and uses the terminology of accreditation, certification and CPD throughout its public-facing material. The pages reviewed do not, in the principal accreditation journey, advertise courses using terms such as "Level 2", "Level 3", "Diploma" or "Qualification" in a way that could be mistaken for an Ofqual-regulated qualification. The organisation does, however, market its own "British Certified Trainer Masterclass" — see Section 7 above.

Under our methodology, we recommend that all CPD accreditation organisations include a clear statement that CPD accreditation is independent of, and does not constitute, a regulated qualification, and that any "equivalent to" language be supported with a clear explanation of the basis for the equivalence. Prospective consumers of any CPD-accredited course should verify the awarding body, qualification number and entry on the relevant regulator's register before treating a course as a regulated qualification.

Source: https://www.cpdstandards.com/become-accredited/what-is-cpd-accreditation/ ; https://www.cpdstandards.com/ . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Use of sensitive words ("Standards", "Accreditation", "Office") under gov.uk Annex A

The trading name "CPD Standards Office" combines terms that are or may be material under the gov.uk Annex A guidance on sensitive words and expressions:

"Standards" — Annex A, item 122. This word may be used "provided its use does not imply the organisation is an established national standard setting body for an activity, trade, business or profession." Where it does so imply, the application "should include evidence of its status as this type of body, including, if appropriate, support from a government or other relevant body."

The CPD Register's published commentary on the recent ASA ruling references a Freedom of Information response received from Companies House (November 2025) in which Companies House stated that the business name "CPD Standards Office" was approved on the basis that "it was determined that the business name did not suggest that the company was a national standards-setting body. On that basis, no further supporting evidence was requested and the name was approved." That FOI record is in the public domain via The CPD Register's blog.
This is a factual record. Prospective applicants and consumers should not infer official, government, or national-body status from the trading name alone, and should rely on the entries on Companies House (08293321) and the ICO register (ZB662297) for the verifiable identity of the legal entity.

Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/incorporation-and-names/annex-a-sensitive-words-and-expressions-or-words-that-could-imply-a-connection-with-government (items 2 and 122); https://thecpdregister.com/blog/asa-upholds-complaint-against-cpd-standards-office-why-uks-leading-body-claims-require-evidence-not-assertion . Accessed 6 May 2026.

Reference to The CPD Register's prior findings

This listing updates The CPD Register's previous record for The Professional Development Consortium t/a The CPD Standards Office, last updated 1 September 2025, which recorded the following matters at that date: connection to the Training Provider "International Medical Training Academy"; pricing not published; accreditation criteria not published; activities individually assessed by sample; review frequency unknown; ICO registration ZB662297 confirmed; physical office, telephone and email confirmed.

Material changes since 1 September 2025 reflected in the present review:

The publication of an upheld ASA ruling (A25-1322754, 6 May 2026) is added under Section 13.
A published Membership Terms document is now identified, materially upgrading Section 4 from the prior record.
A published Assessment Policy is now identified, materially upgrading Section 5 from the prior record.
A published Complaints Procedure is now linked from the website footer.
Pricing remains unpublished and underlying accreditation criteria remain unpublished as discrete documents.

Sources: The CPD Register prior published listing (1 September 2025) referenced in the supporting project document; current site review at https://www.cpdstandards.com/ accessed 6 May 2026.

Further Information about this organisation

Website

https://cpdstandards.com/

Companies House Number

08293321

Companies House Incorporation Date

14th November 2012

ICO Number

ZB662297

ICO Registration Date

20th February 2024

Physical Office Published

Yes (registered: 21 Navigation Business Village, Navigation Way, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, PR2 2YP; trading: Cygnet House, Market Square, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4RH)

Telephone

Yes

Live Chat

Yes

Pricing Published

Accreditation Criteria Published

Partial — Assessment Policy is published; underlying criteria are referenced as derived from the CPD Research Project but not enumerated as a specific accreditation framework

Activities Individually Accredited

Partial — sample-based assessment per Assessment Policy (with site visits for face-to-face activities)

Review Frequency

Stated minimum 2-year membership commitment; annual renewal thereafter; published assessment policy notes ongoing review of processes, but a defined re-assessment cycle for accredited activities is not published

Last Updated

6th May 2026

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We do our best to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date. If you are part of the above-mentioned organisation and some of the information, we have found is inaccurate please contact us at [email protected] so we can rectify this for you.

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