Governance
Nobody signs off their own work.
Four separate functions. Each one can be overruled by another.
Separation of duties
Office of the Registrar
The public register, provider verification and certificate issuance.
Decides
- ·Whether a provider organisation is verified
- ·Final countersignature on every certification decision
- ·Issue and withdrawal of certificate numbers
Cannot: Assess a course it has itself prepared or advised on.
Assessment Panel
Technical assessment of every course submission against the standard.
Decides
- ·Whether a submission meets each clause
- ·The level a course is certified at
- ·The correction list returned to a provider
Cannot: Countersign its own decision, or assess a provider it has a declared interest in.
Compliance & Surveillance
Delivery evidence checks, unannounced observation and complaint investigation.
Decides
- ·Whether delivery evidence supports certificate issue
- ·Whether a complaint is upheld
- ·Whether certificates are withdrawn
Cannot: Rule on an appeal against its own finding.
Certification Council
The standard itself, and appeals against any decision.
Decides
- ·Annual revision of the Course Quality Standard
- ·Appeals — upholding, substituting or remitting a decision
- ·Removal of an assessor from the panel
Cannot: Include any member of the team whose decision is under appeal.
The rules we hold ourselves to
Every decision is attributable
Certification, correction and withdrawal each carry the name of the assessor who made it and the date. Nothing is decided anonymously.
Assessment and issuance are separate
The panel that assesses a course does not issue its certificate numbers, and the office that issues them does not assess.
Appeals leave the original chain
No one who took part in a decision takes part in the appeal against it. There is no fee to appeal.
Interests are declared and recused
An assessor with any interest in a provider is removed from that file. Declarations are logged against the submission.
Fees do not follow outcomes
Assessment is charged per submission and is not contingent on approval. No one is compensated on approval volume.
The record is permanent
Withdrawn and expired certificates stay on the public register, marked. A register that deletes its own history is not worth checking.
Who assesses
Assessors are practising professionals in the subject they assess, not career reviewers.
- ✓Minimum eight years of occupational practice in the assessed subject
- ✓Completion of ADRIG assessor training before taking a live file
- ✓Annual calibration against worked example submissions
- ✓A conflict-of-interest declaration on every file, with automatic recusal
- ✓Two independent assessors on any Level 6 or Level 7 submission
- ✓A rolling sample of decisions moderated by the Council
What they assess against
A published checklist, so decisions are consistent and can be argued with.
ACQS-01
Curriculum integrity
ACQS-02
Occupational competence of trainers
ACQS-03
Assessment and moderation
ACQS-04
Learner protection
ACQS-05
Delivery environment
ACQS-06
Evidence of delivery
ACQS-07
Continuing surveillance
ACQS-08
Truthful representation
If you disagree with us
Write within 30 days
State which clause is disputed and why.
Council receives it
No member of the assessing team takes part.
Outcome
Upheld, substituted, or remitted for reassessment.
No fee, no prejudice
Appealing costs nothing and affects no other certificate.
Appointments
Council members are appointed for three-year terms and may not hold an interest in any certified provider. Appointments are published here as they are confirmed, with the appointee's name, term and declared interests.
Express an interest in the assessor panel →