What it evidences
An accreditation on a learning activity evidences four things about the activity itself.
- Its learning outcomes are stated specifically enough to be assessed.
- Its stated CPD hours reflect learning time rather than elapsed time.
- Its deliverers had evidenced subject competence at the point of assessment.
- There is a mechanism for showing that a learner achieved the outcomes, and the certificate says whether it evidences achievement or completion only.
Where the certificate says achieved, the provider assessed the outcomes. Where it says completed, it did not. That distinction is the single most useful thing on the certificate for your purposes.
What it does not evidence
Accreditation says nothing about the individual. It does not confirm that a named person is competent, that they can apply the learning in your setting, or that they meet a statutory requirement. It is a statement about a course, not about a colleague.
It also does not sit on a national qualifications framework, and it is not a regulated qualification. If a role requires one of those, accreditation does not substitute for it.
Checking a record
When a member or employee submits an accredited activity, three checks take under a minute using the register.
- Does the accreditation reference exist, and does it name the same activity?
- Does the date they attended fall inside the accreditation period?
- Does the certificate wording say achieved or completed, and is that enough for what you are crediting?
If any of the three fails, tell us. Patterns of mismatched references are usually a provider problem rather than an individual one.
Writing it into a policy
The wording that works is specific about the limits. As a starting point: accredited CPD is accepted towards the annual requirement where the certificate evidences achievement of the stated outcomes, the accreditation reference verifies on the public register, and the attendance date falls within the accreditation period.
Avoid policy wording that accepts anything from an accredited provider. Accreditation attaches to activities, so a provider level test lets unaccredited courses through.
Using it in procurement
Requiring accreditation in a tender is legitimate, and it narrows the field usefully. Two cautions are worth stating in the specification.
- Require accreditation of the specific activity being procured, and ask for the reference. Otherwise you will receive references for something else the supplier accredited.
- Do not treat accreditation as a substitute for your own evaluation of fit, level and value. It tells you the activity is honestly described, not that it is the right one.