Qualification Accreditation
Qualification Accreditation
This page details the general procedure for accrediting professional qualifications, typically those at an Ofqual equivalent Level 3 to 6.
AAHEP - Association for Animals, Horticultural & Equine Practitioners
All qualifications and workshops endorsed or accredited by AAHEP must adhere to a strict set of criteria to ensure the quality of training. Please be aware that when we accept a training provider for Organisational Membership, we also quality-check every course they offer.
AAHEP's primary role is the advancement of professional, ethical practice in the animal, horticultural, and equine sectors. Part of this role is to encourage all our training providers to excel in what they provide.
We cannot recommend one member's qualification over another when approached by a potential student.
The Value of Accreditation
Membership in a professional body is vital for your students; it bestows professional standing and gives your organisation a clear place in the market. Once accreditation is granted for a qualification, it lasts until the qualification is withdrawn by you or undergoes significant amendment.
- You must be an Organisational Member to apply for qualification accreditation.
- We also require at least one tutor to be a Senior Member or the business owner to be a Fellow Member.
- Accreditation status for a qualification is not transferable if the business is sold.
- Important Warning: You must not claim AAHEP accreditation or endorsement before it is officially granted in writing. You may only use our "Accredited Qualification" badge during the valid accreditation period. Misusing the badge or making false claims breaches our copyright, and we will pursue the matter.
Our Accreditation Procedure
Accreditation of a qualification by AAHEP is a robust process that can take some time to complete. We welcome applicants to contact us by email to arrange an initial, informal discussion about your proposals.
The Initial Discussion
The process begins with an initial email contact. We will then arrange a telephone meeting to discuss your qualification with a senior member of our team. During this call, we will ask a series of questions to get a clear outline of your qualification and determine if it is likely to meet our standards. We will tell you if any sections appear to fall short of our expectations.
The Formal Application
After the telephone discussion, if we both agree to proceed, we will instruct you on which materials we need to examine.
- Your qualification will be checked against our General Standards Guidelines, with specific relevance to the subject area.
- You will need to supply copies of the full qualification manual/workbook and any other supporting material (e.g., assessments, slide decks). If the course does not have a manual, you must explain clearly why it is not necessary.
- You may send us digital copies (PDFs) of all materials. Large video or audio files can be sent via secure cloud links (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive) or on digital media.
- The formal application form must be returned, signed (digital signatures are acceptable).
The Review Process
AAHEP will review all the materials you have sent.
- If any points need clarification, we will contact you. The accreditation process is paused until these have been rectified.
- When we are satisfied that your qualification meets the accreditation standard, we will notify you within two working days.
- In rare cases, we may feel a site visit is necessary. If so, the costs of this visit will be passed on to you.
Accreditation is subject to the provider continuing to meet our criteria. It must be renewed if the qualification content, delivery method, or assessment process changes.
Other Accreditation Types
Additional Qualifications
Once you have your first qualification accredited, applications for additional qualifications are usually much faster, as we only need to check the quality of the new course materials.
CPD & Workshop Validation
This process is similar to the practitioner qualification accreditation but is shorter as the courses/workshops contain less material. This process leads to "Validation" or "Endorsement" rather than full accreditation.
Amending an Accredited Qualification or CPD
If you need to amend or change a qualification or workshop in any significant way, you must inform AAHEP of these changes.
The moment a qualification is changed, its accreditation or validation is void. It is no longer the qualification we assessed. We will need to review the changes to re-validate the accreditation.
