Contract Terms for the Approval of Education and the Code of Conduct and Practice for Approved Training Providers
General terms
Your attention is particularly drawn to the provisions of clause 13 (Limitation of liability).
1. About us
- Company details. PD:Approval Ltd a company registered in England and Wales. Our company registration number is 06963778 and our registered office is at 72 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 2LX (we and us and Supplier). Our VAT number is 278783635. We operate the Website PD:Approval pdapproval.com and the following subdomains:
- PD:Approval Shop pdapprovalshop.com
- PD:Approval Endorsementpdapproval.com/endorsement
- PD:Education pd-education.com
- PD:Portal pdphub.com
- PD:Verified pdverified.com
- REPs India pdapproval.com/repsindia
- REPs Ireland pdapproval.com/repsireland
- REPs UAE pdapproval.com/repsuae
- ICREPs pdapproval.com/icreps
- SPM pdapproval.com/spm
- SPMRT spm-rt.com
- STA pdapproval.com/sta
- Contacting us. In order to contact us please telephone our customer service team on +44 (0) 333 577 0908 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or write to our registered office. For any account queries, please contact our Accounts Team by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In the event you need to give us formal notice of any matter under this Contract, the procedure is set out under clause 18.
2. Our Contract with you
- Our Contract. These terms and conditions (Terms) apply to and form part of the Contract between the Supplier and the Customer to provide the required services (Services). They supersede any previously issued terms and conditions of purchase or supply. These Terms, together with the provisions of the ‘Codes of Conduct and Practice for Approved Training Providers’ (Code) and the ‘Accreditation’ or ‘Endorsement’ (Approval) on the relevant website, as well as the descriptions we give of our Services that you choose constitute together all the Terms of the Contract between us and you (Contract).
- No variation of these Terms or to an order or to the Contract shall be binding unless expressly agreed in writing and executed by a duly authorised signatory on behalf of each of the Supplier and the Customer respectively.
- Marketing and other promotional material relating to the Contract are illustrative only and do not form part of the Contract.
- Entire agreement. The Contract is the entire agreement between you and us in relation to its subject matter. You acknowledge that you have not relied on any statement, promise or representation or assurance or warranty that is not set out in the Contract.
- Your copy. You should print a copy of these Terms or save them to your computer for future reference. Should you require the latest version of our Terms please click this link.
3. Interpretations
- Approval: the act of confirming the endorsement or accreditation of education by PD:Approval
- Code: The Code of Conduct and Practice outlined in clauses 41-45 (inclusive)
- Contract: the legally binding agreement between you and us for the supply of the Services
- Customer: a person who is intending to purchase approval for their education through a PD:Approval website
- Evaluator: a PD:Approval representative reviewing an application for approval
- Faculty: qualified and approved tutors, assessors and internal quality assurers
- Your Default: The obligations listed in 6.1
- Services: the Services advertised on any one of PD:Approval’s websites (clause 1.1). The description of Services is set out on each Website
- Student: a student or learner who is undertaking an approved training course.
- Supplier: either PD:Approval or a branch of PD:Approval
- Terms: the whole of these Contract Terms for the Approval of Education
- Website: the website that hosts the Service you are purchasing
4. Placing an order and its acceptance
- Placing your order. You place an order on the site by following the onscreen prompts on our Website. You can only submit an order using the method set out on our website. Please read and check your order carefully before submitting it. You will be able to correct any errors before submitting your order to us. Each order is an offer by you to buy the Services specified in the order as submitted by you subject to the Contract (i.e. these Terms, the Code, the Approval and the contents of the Services description).
- Acknowledging receipt of your order. After you place your order, we will acknowledge it by email. This acknowledgment does not, however, mean that your order has been accepted by us. Our acceptance of your order will take place as described in clause 4.3.
- Accepting your order. Whilst we reserve the right to reject an order at our discretion and without justification and will notify you if we wish to do so, our acceptance of your order takes place when we send an invoice to you to accept it or we receive payment notification from PayPal (Order Confirmation), at which point and on which date the Contract between you and us will come into existence. The Contract will relate only to those Services confirmed in the Order Confirmation. We will only accept your order when we email you to confirm this (Confirmation Email) and you receive an invoice from us. At this point:
- a legally binding Contract will be in place between you and us; and
- If you are under the age of 18 youmay not buy Services from the site.
- If we cannot or wish not to accept your order. If we are unable to supply you with the Services for any reason, we will inform you of this by email. We may contact you to say that we do not accept your This is typically for the following reasons:
- we cannot carry out the Services (this may be because, for example, we have a shortage of staff);
- we cannot authorise your payment;
- you are not allowed to buy the Services from us;
- we are not allowed to sell the Services to you; or
- there has been a mistake on the pricing or description of the Services.
- In the event your order is not accepted, we will not continue to process it. If you have already paid for the Services, we will refund you the full amount via the original payment method.
5. Cancelling your Contract order and obtaining a refund
- You may cancel the Contract if you notify us as set out in clause 4.3 within 14 days of your receipt of the Order Confirmation. However, you do not have the right to cancel if you have paid as this triggers the performance of Services unless we have not started performance of the Services, even if the 14 day period is still running. This means that if you requested for us to start providing the Services during the cancellation period and the Services are fully performed (i.e. the work is completed) during this period, you lose your right to cancel and will be required to pay the full price under this Contract even if the cancellation period has not expired.
- The cancellation period will expire after 14 days from your receipt of the Order Confirmation.
- In order to exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision to cancel this Contract in a clear statement by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will email you to confirm we have received your cancellation.
- For any account queries, please contact our Accounts Team by writing to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please include details of your order to help us to identify it.
- Providing your cancellation is accepted, it will be effective from the date we receive your email.
- If you cancel the Contract before we have started to provide the Services, we will refund you for the price you paid for the Services by the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction. A deduction will be made for a management fee of 10% of the price you paid when you give notice of cancellation in accordance with clause 4.3.
- We reserve the right not to accept your order and for us to cancel any ongoing Contract (even if we have started providing the Services) for any reason within 14 days of your order. If we do this we shall refund you the price you paid for the Services by the method you used for payment less a deduction for a management fee of 10% of the price you paid.
6. Our Services
- Descriptions and illustrations. Marketing and other promotional material relating to the Services are illustrative only and do not form part of the Contract.
- Compliance with specification.Subject to our right to amend the specification (see clause 6.3), we will supply the Services to you in accordance with the specification for the Services appearing on this website at the date of your order in all material respects.
- Changes to specification post approval. We reserve the right to amend the specification of any of the Services for any reason. If your Contract has started we will notify you in advance of any such event. Only in the circumstances of there being a material (meaning a price increase of more than 5%) effect on the nature or quality of the Services or a material change in the format of the Services which has not been required by any regulatory, legal or good practice change will you be entitled to terminate the Contract early on the expiry of your notice of cancellation of at least 7 days (but you shall be liable and responsible for all Charges due up to the date of termination in such circumstances).
- Changes to specification pre approval. We reserve the right to amend the specification of any of the Services for any reason and if your Contract has started we will notify you in advance of any such event. Only in the circumstances of there being a material (meaning a price increase of more than 5%) effect on the nature or quality of the Services or a material change in the format of the Services which has not been required by any regulatory, legal or good practice change will you be entitled to terminate the Contract early on the expiry of your notice of cancellation of at least 7 days. We shall refund you the price you paid for the Services by the method you used for payment less a deduction for a management fee of 10% of the price you paid.
- Reasonable care and skill. We warrant to you that the Services will be provided using reasonable care and skill.
- Time for performance. We will use all reasonable endeavours to meet any performance dates specified in the Order Confirmation, but any such dates are estimates only and failure to perform the Services by such dates will not give you the right to terminate the Contract.
7. Your obligations
- It is your responsibility to ensure that:
- the terms of your order are complete and accurate;
- you co-operate with us in all matters relating to the Services:
- you provide us, our employees, agents, consultants and subcontractors, with access to your premises, office accommodation and other facilities as we may reasonably require;
- you provide us with such information and materials we may reasonably require in order to supply the Services, and ensure that such information is complete and accurate in all material respects;
- you obtain and maintain all necessary licences, permissions and consents which may be required for the Services before the date on which the Services are to start;
- you comply fully with these Terms and Code; and
- you do not do anything that would, or has the potential to, adversely affect our reputation and good standing.
- If our ability to perform the Services is prevented or delayed by any failure by you to fulfil any obligation listed in clause 7.1 (Your Default):
- we will be entitled to suspend performance of the Services until you remedy Your Default, and to rely on Your Default to relieve us from the performance of the Services, in each case to the extent Your Default prevents or delays performance of the Services. In certain circumstances Your Default may entitle us to terminate the Contract under clause 15 (Termination);
- we will not be responsible for any costs or losses you sustain or incur arising directly or indirectly from our decision to suspend the Services; and
- we will not be responsible for any costs or losses you sustain or incur arising directly or indirectly from our failure or delay to perform the Services; and
- it will be your responsibility to reimburse us on written demand for any costs or losses we sustain or incur arising directly or indirectly from Your Default.
- You warrant that you have provided us with all relevant, full and accurate information as to your business and needs.
8. Charges
- In consideration of us providing the Services you must pay our charges (Charges) in accordance with this clause 8. If you do not pay the Charges due within 30 days of the order or our sending you an invoice, then we reserve the right to terminate the order and any Contract between us, whichever is the earlier.
- If you wish to change the scope of the Services after we accept your order, and we agree to such change, we will modify the Charges accordingly and confirm the change by email.
- We take all reasonable care to ensure that the prices stated for the Services are correct at the time when the relevant information was entered into the system. However, please note clause 8.5 for what happens if we discover an error in the price of the Services you ordered.
- Our Charges may change from time to time and, if your application has been approved, we shall notify you of such changes. Our Charges are exclusive of VAT where they are required to be charged by the jurisdiction of the supply of and/or receiving the Services’ jurisdictions. Where VAT is properly due and payable in respect of some or all of the Services you must pay us such additional amounts in respect of VAT, at the applicable rate, at the same time as you pay the Charges.
- It is always possible that, despite our reasonable efforts, some of the Services on our websites may be incorrectly priced. Where the correct price for the Services is less than the price stated, we will charge the lower amount. If the correct price for the Services is higher than the price stated, we will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of this error and we will give you the option of continuing to purchase the Services at the correct price or cancelling your order. We will not process your order until we have your instructions. If we are unable to contact you using the contact details you provided during the order process, we will treat the order as cancelled and notify you in writing. However, if we mistakenly accept and process your order where a pricing error is obvious and unmistakeable and could reasonably have been recognised by you as a mispricing, we may cancel supply of the Services and refund you any sums you have paid.
9. How to pay
- Payment for the Services is made in advance of the Services being provided. We will confirm payment or request your payment by invoice as acceptance of your order.
- You can pay for the Services through PayPal, or by using a debit card or credit card, by BACs transfer or by cheque payable to PD:Approval Ltd..
- Time of payment is of the essence. We will provide you with an electronic invoice marked 'Paid' within seven days of the beginning of the month following payment at the time of order. For any incorrect, failed or cancelled payments, a £25 administration fee will be levied.
- If you fail to make a payment under the Contract by the due date, PD:Approval reserves the right to terminate your application.
- If you fail to make a payment under the Contract by the due date and are an approved provider, your approval will be at risk of Level 1 Sanction.
- If you fail to make a payment under the Contract by the due date and are already an approved provider using our certification services, your account will be locked against further registrations and status updates and no certificates will be issued until all outstanding invoices are paid. Further delay in payment if locked will result in a Level 1 Sanction.
- Should your accreditation account be locked more than four times during one annual approval period, on the fifth occurrence a Level 1 Sanction will be put in place.
- You must pay all amounts due under the Contract in full without any set-off, counterclaim, deduction or withholding, unless specified otherwise by PD:Approval.
- It is your responsibility to pay all bank fees relating to the payment.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you are complying with any payment and tax requirements in your own country.
10. Complaints
- If a problem arises or you are dissatisfied with the Services, we have a comprehensive complaints policy here.
11. Intellectual Property
- All intellectual property rights in or arising out of or in connection with the Services (other than intellectual property rights in any materials provided by you) will be owned by PD:Approval.
- We agree to grant you a fully paid-up, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence during the term of the Contract to copy the deliverables specified in your order (excluding materials provided by you) for the purpose of receiving and using the Services and such deliverables in your business. You may not sub-license, assign or otherwise transfer the rights granted in this clause 11.2.
- You agree to send us all the relevant information we are to review or what is required for us to provide the Services and that we shall not be responsible or liable to you for our failure to provide any part of the Services if that is caused by your failure to provide us with that information or if it is incomplete or inaccurate.
12. How we may use your personal information
- We will use any personal information you provide to us to:
- provide the Services;
- process your payment for the Services; and
- inform you about similar Services that we provide, but you may stop receiving these at any time by contacting us.
- Further details of how we will process personal information are set out in our Privacy Policy.
13. Limitation of liability [YOUR ATTENTION IS PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO THIS CLAUSE]
- Nothing in the Contract limits or excludes our liability for:
- death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors;
- fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
- breach of the terms implied by Section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (title and quiet possession) or any other liability which cannot be limited or excluded by applicable law.
- Subject to clause 13.1, we will not be liable to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), for breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, arising under or in connection with the Contract for:
- loss of profits;
- loss of sales or business;
- loss of agreements or contracts;
- loss of anticipated savings;
- loss of use or corruption of software, data or information;
- loss of or damage to goodwill;
- any indirect or consequential loss; and
- harm to reputation.
- Subject to clause 13.1, our total liability to you arising under or in connection with the Contract, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, will be limited to 75% of the total Charges paid under the Contract each calendar year.
- Except as expressly stated in these Terms, we do not give any representations, warranties or undertakings in relation to the Services. Any representation, condition or warranty which might be implied or incorporated into these Terms by statute, including without limitation the terms implied by sections 3 to 5 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, by common law or otherwise are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded from the Contract.
- Although we have antivirus protection in place, PD:Approval will not be responsible for any virus being transferred onto your system. As such, it is your responsibility to ensure that you also have your own antivirus and antimalware protection in place.
- This clause 13 will survive termination of the Contract.
14. Confidentiality
- We each undertake that we will not at any time during the Contract, and for a period of two years after termination of the Contract, disclose to any person any confidential information concerning one another's business, affairs, customers, clients or suppliers, except as permitted by clause 14.2.
- We each may disclose the other's confidential information:
- to such of our respective employees, officers, representatives, subcontractors or advisers who need to know such information for the purposes of carrying out our respective obligations under the Contract. We will each ensure that such employees, officers, representatives, subcontractors or advisers comply with this clause 14; and
- as may be required by law, a court of competent jurisdiction or any governmental or regulatory authority.
- Each of us may only use the other's confidential information for the purpose of fulfilling our respective obligations under the Contract.
15. Termination
- Without limiting any of our other rights, we may suspend the performance of the Services, or terminate the Contract with immediate effect by giving written notice to you if:
- you commit a material breach of any term of the Contract and (if such a breach is remediable) fail to remedy that breach within seven days of you being notified in writing to do so;
- you fail to pay any amount due under the Contract on the due date for payment;
- you do or omit to do something which, or if we may reasonably decide our association with you has, adversely (or has the potential to adversely) affect our good name and reputation;
- you take any step or action in connection with you entering administration, provisional liquidation or any composition or arrangement with your creditors (other than in relation to a solvent restructuring), being wound up (whether voluntarily or by order of the court, unless for the purpose of a solvent restructuring), having a receiver appointed to any of your assets or ceasing to carry on business or, if the step or action is taken in another jurisdiction, in connection with any analogous procedure in the relevant jurisdiction;
- you suspend, threaten to suspend, cease or threaten to cease to carry on all or a substantial part of your business; or
- your financial position deteriorates to such an extent that in our opinion your capability to adequately fulfil your obligations under the Contract has been placed in jeopardy.
- Termination of the Contract will not affect your or our rights and remedies that have accrued as at termination, particularly for Charges accrued or due or payable.
- Any provision of the Contract that expressly or by implication is intended to come into or continue in force on or after termination will remain in full force and effect.
- PD:Approval has the right without penalty to terminate any approval based on irrefutable evidence being presented of material non-compliance to these Terms or the Code of Conduct and Practice for Approved Providers.
- PD:Approval reserves the right to refuse any further request for our Services once terminated or to impose any timeframe before a new application can be accepted.
- Any organisation whose approval is terminated in line with clause 15.1 will be placed on a ‘not-recognised’ list which will be made public.
- If your organisation’s approval is terminated in line with clause 15.1 you hereby provide your consent to your company name being placed on a ‘not-recognised’ list which will be published on our website or the relevant membership organisation’s website.
16. Events outside our control
- We will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under the Contract that is caused by any act or event beyond our reasonable control (Event Outside Our Control).
- Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, Internet Service Provider failure, acts of God, epidemic, pandemic, civil unrest, fire, flood, droughts, storms, earthquakes, collapse of buildings, explosion or accident, acts of terrorism, acts of war, governmental action, any law or any action taken by a government or public authority or one of PD:Approval's partners, including without limitation imposing an export or import restriction, quota or prohibition, or any other event that is beyond the control of the party in question.
- The party affected by a circumstance beyond its control shall use all reasonable endeavours to mitigate the effect of the force majeure upon the performance of its obligations.
- If an Event Outside Our Control takes place that affects the performance of our obligations under the Contract:
- we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible to notify you; and
- our obligations under the Contract will be suspended and the time for performance of our obligations will be extended for the duration of the Event Outside Our Control. We will arrange a new date for performance of the Services with you after the Event Outside Our Control is over.
- You may cancel the Contract affected by an Event Outside Our Control which has continued for more than 30 days. To cancel please contact us. If you opt to cancel we will refund the price you have paid, less the charges reasonably and actually incurred us by in performing the Services up to the date of the occurrence of the Event Outside Our Control.
17. Non-solicitation
- You must not attempt to procure services that are competitive with the Services from any of our directors, employees or consultants, whether as an employee or on a freelance basis, during the period that we are providing the Services to you and for a period of 12 months following termination of the Contract.
18. Communications between us
- When we refer to "in writing" in these Terms, this includes email.
- Any notice or other communication given by one of us to the other under or in connection with the Contract must be in writing and be delivered personally, sent by pre-paid first class post or other next working day delivery service, or email.
- A notice or other communication is deemed to have been received:
- if delivered personally, on signature of a delivery receipt or at the time the notice is left at the proper address;
- if sent by pre-paid first class post or other next working day delivery service, at 9.00 am on the second working day after posting; or
- if sent by email, at 9.00 am the next working day after transmission.
- In proving the service of any notice, it will be sufficient to prove, in the case of a letter, that such letter was properly addressed, stamped and placed in the post and, in the case of an email, such email was sent to the specified email address of the addressee.
- The provisions of this clause will not apply to the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action.
19. General
- Assignment and transfer
- We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under the Contract to another entity but will always notify you in writing or by posting on this webpage if this happens.
- You may only assign or transfer your rights or your obligations under the Contract to another person if we agree in writing.
- Variation Any variation of the Contract only has effect if it is in writing and signed by you and us (or our respective authorised representatives).
- Waiver If we do not insist that you perform any of your obligations under the Contract, or if we do not enforce our rights against you, or if we delay in doing so, that will not mean that we have waived our rights against you or that you do not have to comply with those obligations. If we do waive any rights, we will only do so in writing, and that will not mean that we will automatically waive any right related to any later default by you.
- Severance Each paragraph of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them is unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.
- Third party rights The Contract is between you and us. No other person has any rights to enforce any of its Terms.
- Governing law and jurisdiction The Contract is governed by English law and we each irrevocably agree to submit all disputes arising out of or in connection with the Contract to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Approval (Accreditation and Endorsement)
The following clauses relate to the full process of submission and evaluation of an application for approval from PD:Approval.
20. The application
- Applicants must fulfil the evidence requirements to the satisfaction of an independent Evaluator in order to achieve approval.
- All approved training must have a pass mark of at least 70% in line with Ofqual.
- Applicants agree to the Code of Conduct and Practice and these provisions, as well as the formal Contract Terms in order to submit their application.
- If the Evaluator’s report gives an ‘Approval Pending’ status, the applicant must complete the actions detailed within the time frame provided in order to continue. If the applicant fails to complete the actions either within the time frame or not to the standard required, the report status will change to’ Further Evidence Required’.
- If the Evaluator’s report gives a ‘Further Evidence Required’ status, the applicant must pay a fee of £200 (taxes may apply) in addition to the charges already paid to continue as additional evaluation time will be required.
- If the applicant declines to pay the submission will be closed with the status of the report changed to ‘Not Approved’.
- If the applicant makes payment but fails to complete the actions either within the time frame or not to the standard required, the submission will be closed with the status of the report changed to ‘Not Approved’.
- Applicants with an evaluation report status of ‘Not Approved’ cannot reapply for approval for at least 6 months from their final report date.
- Submissions are accepted on the understanding that no member of the training company applying has been involved in any activities that have resulted in or may result in a ban or conviction which impacts on their students, PD:Approval, or their membership organisation, nor have been refused recognition by any professional body, awarding organisation or quality kitemark. Post approval, any such occurrence must be reported to PD:Approval immediately and may result in termination of the approval .
- Approval from PD:Approval or for recognition from any of PD:Approval’s membership organisation partners operates under English law irrespective of the applying training providers' location and registered business address.
21. Qualifications delivery
- PD:Approval will only approve providers whose qualifications are recognised by their membership organisation in accordance with that membership organisation's published framework and insurance requirements (if applicable).
- PD:Approval will not accept applications that contain qualifications that are delivered 100% online where PD:Approval, the recognising membership body or the awarding organisation has stipulated a practical component.
- Any approved provider offering qualifications as part of their approval whose status changes from Low Risk to either High or Medium Risk (as adjudged by their awarding organisation or approval body) or who are suspended from delivery by their awarding organisation or approval body must immediately notify PD:Approval who has the right to terminate all Services linked to that provider.
- Providers with approval choosing to use PD:Approval learning materials must use the same format i.e. electronic or hard copy, for at least the duration of one annual approval period. If a provider chooses to discontinue using PD:Approval’s materials, the new materials must be approved prior to the start of the next annual approval period in order for the change to be effective from the start of the next approval year. If approval is not in place prior to the renewal date, the provider must continue to use the PD:Approval materials they are already approved for the new approval period.
22. Faculty Team
These terms do not apply to training providers with Accredited 2, 4 or Unlimited Endorsement.
- Training Providers offering approved continuing professional development (CPD)
- The faculty team involved in the tutoring, assessing and internal quality assurance of approved CPD must have a recognised qualification both in the discipline the training relates to and their role (tutor, assessor, internal quality assurer). If a team member does not have a qualification in their role they must undertake the relevant PD:Approval training (tutor, assessor, internal quality assurer Professional Awards).
- The same person carrying out the role of tutor and assessor is permissible but where possible must be separate members of the faculty team.
- Training Providers offering qualifications through PD:Approval Accreditation
- The faculty team involved in the tutoring, assessing and internal quality assurance of approved qualifications must have a recognised qualification both in the discipline the training relates to and their role (tutor, assessor, internal quality assurer). If a team member does not have a qualification in their role they must undertake the relevant PD:Approval training (tutor, assessor, internal quality assurer Professional Awards).
- REPS India only: If any team members do not have a recognised fitness qualification appropriate to the accreditation, they must undertake the relevant Entry Qualification which will be assessed by PD:Approval.
- REPs UAE only: Qualified tutors, assessors and internal quality assurance with less than 6 months’ experience or undergoing training with PD:Approval in their chosen role/s must be shadowed for six months by a qualified professional (if in training, once qualified), evidenced by a logbook to be submitted to PD:Approval.
- REPs UAE only: Accreditation for Gym Instructor requires the faculty team to be qualified Personal Trainers. Accreditation for Group Exercise Pre-choreographed requires the faculty team to be qualification Group Exercise Freestyle instructors.
- The same person cannot carry out the role of both tutor and assessor for the same cohort of students.
- The appointed internal quality assurer cannot be either the tutor or assessor on the cohort of students they are quality assuring.
- Training Providers offering Foundation Training Awards (REPs Ireland only)
- The faculty team involved in the tutoring, assessing and internal quality assurance of approved Foundation Training Awards must have a recognised qualification both in the discipline the training relates to and their role (tutor, assessor, internal quality assurer).
- The same person cannot carry out the role of both tutor and assessor for the same cohort of students.
- The appointed internal quality assurer cannot be either the tutor or assessor on the cohort of students they are quality assuring.
- Changes to your approved faculty team must be reviewed and approved by PD:Approval before being put in place, using the Biography Template in your Dropbox and saving it with accompanying certificates in the Delivery Team folder under the person’s name, then informing PD:Approval by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Using tutors, assessors or internal quality assurers who have not been approved will result in a sanction.
23. Centres of delivery
- As part of the application process for endorsement/accreditation, training providers will be required to submit details of a centre of delivery. For additional centres of delivery, the training provider must follow the approval process provided by PD:Approval prior to using any new centres.
- Each approved centre of delivery is given a CEN number which must be used in all communications relating to the centre.
- Approved training providers are responsible for informing PD:Approval if any approved centres are no longer being used.
- All centres of delivery must be approved prior to use by PD:Approval.
- A Certificate of Centre Approval will be issued for each approved centre showing the dates of approval.
24. Intellectual Property
- Before submitting training for approval, it is the training provider’s responsibility to check they are not in breach of trademark laws (for delivery in the UK check the Intellectual Property Office at trademarks.ipo.gov.uk; training providers based outside of the UK must check their own country’s trademark organisation.
- Where an application for approval includes a trademark name in the course title or materials, evidence of permission from the trademark owner must be provided.
- PD:Approval is not responsible for any breach of intellectual property, trademark and/or copyright. We will suspend the approval in question until the training provider has resolved the dispute with any third party and has provided PD:Approval with sufficient evidence from the Intellectual Property Office and/or the owner of the trademark or copyright.
- If an approved provider authorises another provider to deliver their approved training, they cannot deliver it or claim to be able to deliver it as approved or offer CPD points (if applicable) unless they are approved by PD:Approval themselves.
- Any training programme or qualification included in a submission for approval must be the intellectual property of the applicant or the applicant’s organisation, or be supported by evidence of the permission of the intellectual property holder. Any contravention could lead to termination of approval.
- Approved providers who have been given the authority to use the intellectual property of another programme must operate all their own organisation’s policies and procedures for that programme and its students in the same way as they do for their own training.
- Where the approved provider has been given permission to use the intellectual property of a programme/s, they hold the responsibility for any sanctions PD:Approval may impose on their training company in relation to their approval.
- If the owner of the intellectual property withdraws their permission, the approved provider must notify PD:Approval immediately as the approval will no longer be valid. Delivering an approved course without the necessary permissions in place could have insurance implications for students, for which PD:Approval cannot be held liable.
- If the intellectual property permission is removed then the programme will remain approved for a period of grace to enable the current students to complete the training; this must be agreed by the provider with the person or company that holds the intellectual property before seeking approval using the PD:Approval intellectual property permission letter provided in the relevant guidance document or submission form.
- Applicants shall indemnify PD:Approval for any claims, losses, damages or expenses arising to PD:Approval caused by the applicant’s unlawful use of a third party’s trademarks or other intellectual property.
25. Insurance for approved providers
- All approved training providers must be covered by insurance to protect their employees and students, even where this is not mandatory in the country of delivery.
- All training providers applying for approval are responsible for identifying the insurances that are mandatory in their country of delivery, for delivering training to their students.
- All training providers applying for approval must comply with the insurances required in their country of delivery, for delivering training to their students.
26. Insurance for students
- It is the responsibility of each approved provider to ensure their students check their insurance to practice covers the approved training.
27. Professional register membership
- All tutors, assessors and internal quality assurers must be members of the appropriate membership organisation if stipulated in the respective guidance document.
- Where the Technical Evaluator deems it necessary for a particular professional membership to be in place, this will be detailed to the applicant as part of an action plan.
- Once approved, providers must be committed to their recognising professional register’s code of practice.
28. Logos
- PD:Approval and other applicable logos are issued only on confirmation of approval and cannot be used by the applicant until then.
- Approved providers must adhere to the logo guidelines provided at approval and accessible in their Dropbox.
- Approved providers must use the logos to promote their professional organisation and approval by adding the logos to all digital marketing, and other marketing where appropriate.
- The provided logos must only be displayed alongside approved training.
- PD:Approval is not liable or responsible for any costs incurred in printing materials with the approval logos should the logos be withdrawn or amended.
- Any unauthorised usage of the approval logos will contravene the copyright and shall result in legal action.
- If an approved provider is suspended by PD:Approval, the logos must be removed from wherever the provider has placed them, including where it involves a third party, as well as any reference to being approved or recognised. If conditions are not met to lift the suspension, this will result in a termination of approval.
- If an approval is discontinued, either by non-renewal or termination by either the provider or PD:Approval, the approval logos must be removed within five working days from wherever the training provider has placed them, including where it involves a third party, as well as any reference to being approved or recognised. If the provider fails to comply they will be added to the 'not-recognised' page on the relevant website and reported to the relevant body.
- Any organisation using approval logos without authority will be placed on the ‘not-recognised’ list which will be made public.
- If your organisation is using the approval logos without authority, you hereby provide your consent to your company name being placed on a ‘not-recognised’ list which will be published on our website or the relevant membership organisation’s website until the logos are removed.
29. Dropbox
- The Dropbox provided on approval is the property of PD:Approval.
- Dropbox does not provide antivirus or malware protection so it is the provider’s responsibility to ensure their own antivirus and antimalware protection is in place.
- PD:Approval is not responsible or liable for any consequences to the provider due to viruses, malware or phishing on their computer.
- The contents of the Dropbox must be confined to information and materials relating to the provider’s approval .
- Editing rights are granted to the Main Contact stipulated by the provider to be able to upload new material, on the understanding that nothing is deleted by the provider from the Dropbox unless with the prior permission of PD:Approval.
- If the Main Contact wishes another member of their team to have access to the Dropbox, they must apply in writing to PD:Approval with their permission for the named person to be given access.
- The Main Contact is responsible for ensuring documentation added to the Dropbox is filed in the correct folder.
- Any evidence that requires approval i.e. updates, changes or amendments must be saved in the Dropbox and PD:Approval informed.
- You must create your own Dropbox account in order to access the approval Dropbox provided by PD:Approval and by doing so you agree to abide by Dropbox’s terms and conditions.
30. Renewals
- PD:Approval will support the renewal process by issuing a timely reminder, however, it is the approved provider’s sole responsibility to ensure they renew by the expiry date and PD:Approval cannot be held accountable for reminders not received.
- Approved providers shall report any changes to the faculty team, assessment or delivery method for any approved programme to PD:Approval before they are put in place. Other changes can be reported as part of the renewal process.
- Renewal must be completed by the expiry date to ensure register members’ insurance is not invalidated (if applicable) by the provider running training outside of the approval period.
- If the renewal date is exceeded, the approval will be closed. The provider will no longer have the authority to use the approval logos and must remove them within five working days of the expiry date from their website and marketing along with all references to being approval, and in accordance with 27.9 of these Terms. The provider must also inform their current and prospective students.
Through the approval process, you may need to use some of the other Services we offer.
31. Bookings
- All bookings fees for PD:Approval activities must be paid in advance otherwise the participant will not be able to take part.
32. Resources
- Resources can be purchased and downloaded through our online Shop or may be provided by email upon payment.
- All orders for resources must be paid for in advance.
- Resources that have been downloaded from the online Shop or have been emailed to the applicant cannot be returned to PD:Approval or refunded.
33. Cancellation of PD:Approval activities
(training, consultancy, technical support and External Quality Assurance visits)
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by a participant of booked live PD:Approval activities:
- More than 14 days before the activity takes place: full refund.
- 14-7 days before the activity takes place: 50% refund and any non-refundable expenses incurred on behalf of PD:Approval.
- Within 7 days of the activity taking place: no refund; any non-refundable expenses incurred on behalf of PD:Approval will be invoiced to the applicant. However, if taking part in a group webinar, the video of the training will be made available.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by PD:Approval of booked live PD:Approval activities:
- More than 7 days before the PD:Approval activity: PD:Approval will offer a new date for the activity if available but there will be no reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the participant. If the new date is not acceptable, the full fee will be reimbursed.
- Within 7 days of the PD:Approval activity: PD:Approval will reimburse reasonable travel expenses incurred by the participant against receipts and offer a new date if available. If the new date is not acceptable, the full fee will be reimbursed.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider of external quality assurance visits taking place in the UK and agreed with PD:Approval :
- More than 14 days before the visit: no charge
- Within 14 days of the visit: a cancellation fee of £230 will be charged to cover the fee of the external quality assurer; any non-refundable expenses incurred by the external quality assurer will also be charged to the accredited provider.
- If PD:Approval is forced to cancel an external quality assurance visit, no costs incurred by or on behalf of the accredited provider will be reimbursed.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider of external quality assurance visits taking place outside of the UK and agreed with PD:Approval:
- Once travel and accommodation have been booked and paid for, or where PD:Approval is bound to make payment, all fees must be reimbursed by the approved provider. PD:Approval will make every effort to accommodate any changes to avoid the need for reimbursement however additional third party fees may apply.
- Prior to travel and accommodation being booked, PD:Approval will retain any payments made by the approved provider to rebook at an agreed time.
- If PD:Approval is forced to cancel an external quality assurance visit, no costs incurred by the approved provider will be reimbursed however PD:Approval will be responsible for any additional costs to rebook the visit.
- Non payment of any reimbursements due to PD:Approval will result in immediate termination of approval.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider of technical support visits in the UK agreed by PD:Approval with training providers or their representatives:
- More than 14 days before the visit: a full refund will be made.
- Within 7-14 days of the visit: a full refund will be made, however any non-refundable expenses incurred by the technical support consultant will be charged to the training provider.
- Within 7 days of the visit: a part refund will be made to allow for a cancellation fee to be paid to the technical support consultant, which will be a proportion of the invoiced fee; any non-refundable expenses incurred by the technical support consultant will also be charged to the training provider.
- If PD:Approval is forced to cancel a technical support visit, no costs incurred by or on behalf of the training provider will be reimbursed.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider or student of a Professional Award:
- Prior to student receiving the learning materials: a full refund less a £25 administration fee or replacement by another PD:Approval approved student within 30 days of notification of cancellation.
- After student receives the learning materials: a full refund less a £25 administration fee or replacement by another PD:Approval approved student within 30 days of notification of cancellation, however no refund or replacement by another PD:Approval approved student will be allowed if support has been given by the Guidance Assessor or marking has taken place.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider or student of attendance at a webinar (tutor/assessor/IQA) organised by PD:Approval as part of their Professional Award:
- Cancellation up to five working days before the webinar will incur no fee however cancellation within 5 working days of the webinar will result in a fee of £150 (plus VAT if applicable). The student can then choose one of the following options:
- The student can receive a copy of the recorded webinar (if other students attend and it takes place), or
- The student can be placed on a subsequent webinar when available, or
- The student can purchase a webinar from our Shop.
- The following conditions apply to cancellation by an approved provider or student of attendance at a Training webinar for CPD delivery (tutor/assessor/IQA) organised by PD:Approval:
- Cancellation within five working days before the webinar will incur no additional fee and no refund will be made. However the student may choose one of the following options:
- Receive a copy of the recorded webinar (if it takes place), or
- Attend a future webinar when available, or
- Purchase a webinar from our Shop.
34. Quality assurance
- All approved providers may be subject to quality assurance checks either as a stipulation of their approval, as part of a sampling process or through self-evaluation.
- Where we deem it appropriate and safe we shall carry out an External Quality Assurance visit where we will sample the delivery and assessment and interview students. Approved provider must pay for travel and, if outside the UK, accommodation for the External Quality Assurer appointed by PD:Approval to carry out the visit.
- PD:Approval reserves the right to choose which approved training programme to quality assure and on what date.
- Training providers who deliver approved training solely outside of the UK will be liable for all reasonable travel expenses; this does not apply to those delivering in the UK.
- The external quality assurer will apply a risk rating – Unsatisfactory, Requires Improvement, Good, Outstanding. An Unsatisfactory or Requires Improvement rating will mean an additional visit is required which will incur a further fee of £380 (taxes may apply) plus any travel expenses.
- Approved providers carrying out a self-evaluation check agree to complete it within the given timeframe and the results will be used as supporting evidence if visited as part of the quality assurance sampling process.
- If a quality assurance visit is required as a result of an investigation into the approved provider’s actions by PD:Approval, the provider agrees to pay the visit fee of £380 (taxes may apply) plus any travel expenses.
- The director of the approved training organisation is liable and responsible for any actions of their staff in relation to our approval or anything else that may affect their standing with PD:Approval or their membership organisation, in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Practice for Approved Training Providers.
- Any changes to your programme content, systems and processes, assessments, faculty team or anything else that was approved in your original submission must be submitted to PD:Approval for review and approval before being put in place (fees may apply). If the External Quality Assurance process identifies any changes that have not followed this protocol, your approved status may be at risk and sanctions may be put in place which may incur an additional fee.
35. Quality Assurance – extenuating circumstances
- If it is not deemed safe or for any other reason at our discretion, we will undertake a desk-based verification and request video and / or written evidence instead of a performing a face-to-face visit.
36. Social media
- PD:Approval has a zero tolerance policy towards social media that is used inappropriately for example but not restricted to harassment, abuse, bullying, homophobic, racist and any other defamatory language and will if necessary apply sanctions that could lead to termination of accreditation .
37. Marketing
- Providers must ensure that their approval is marketed under their own organisation name, as approved by PD:Approval.
- Providers must ensure their marketing is accurate so as not to mislead potential students about their approved status.
- Providers cannot market their approved training under the name or banner of another organisation.
- Qualifications included in an approval must be marketed under the qualification title stipulated by PD:Approval or their accrediting body.
38. Additional services
- PD:Approval provides additional services over and above the core offer for approved providers. These services are not part of the approval offer but are added value products. Access to these services is not a right of approval and PD:Approval offers no guarantee of their continuous availability. These additional services include the PD:Portal and those services offered in our online Shop.
39. PD:Portal
- The PD:Portal is only open to training providers who have been approved by PD:Approval.
- Approved providers are responsible for creating and maintaining their own account on the PD:Portal, once approved.
- User names once created cannot be changed.
- Course names cannot be changed once approved, however a new Course page with the new name can be submitted for approval.
- Approved providers are responsible for ensuring that their pages are kept up to date and represent their organisation and training accurately.
- If a schedule date for training is changed by the training provider, the provider is responsible for updating it on the PD:Portal.
- Any changes after the portal pages are first approved must be submitted for review and approval prior to going live.
- PD:Approval will not publish any unsubstantiated claims about the approved training provider or their training.
- Reviews are moderated by PD:Approval and any negative reviews will be sent to the provider in question to address.
- You hereby provide your consent for PD:Approval to post your published information on the PD:Portal through its social media outlets.
- PD:Approval is not responsible and not liable in the event there is a mistake on our social media in respect to your course information. If you notice a mistake on our social media please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- The terms listed in section 33 apply to entries on the PD:Portal.
40. Policing
- Where their actions may be to the detriment of a registered member of PD:Approval affiliates, PD:Approval is obliged to share information relating to approved providers to regulatory body/s.
- If PD:Approval receives information from an awarding organisation, membership organisation, professional association or body, or other similar institution about an approved provider that could by association affect the standing and reputation of PD:Approval and/or its affiliates, PD:Approval has the right without penalty to immediately terminate their approval.
- If PD:Approval receives information from an awarding organisation, membership organisation, professional association or body, or other similar institution about a training provider that could by association affect the standing and reputation of PD:Approval and/or its affiliates, PD:Approval reserves the right without penalty to refuse their application for approval.
41. Registration of students and certification
- All approved providers must have a secure student registration process which provides unique student numbers to each student for each approved qualification they undertake, a Course Code for each cohort of students, and records the students’ full name, date of birth, the Course Start Date, the date of the student’s registration (enrolment) on the course.
- Certificates of Achievement given to learners by the provider must include the following:
- Relevant PD:Approval logo
- Relevant membership organisation logo and CPD point logo (if applicable)
- The course title as approved by PD:Approval
- A description of the contents covered and if applicable a list of the modules
- A signature and date
- All students enrolled on a course approved by PD:Approval where such course requires students to be registered with PD:Approval, must be registered with PD:Approval using the online student registration process for which login details will be provided.
- All students must be registered with PD:Approval within 7 days of the first day of the course starting.
- For data protection purposes, all approved providers must gain permission at enrolment from their students to register their details with PD:Approval.
- Failure to register students with PD:Approval will mean that students will not be certificated so will not be able to join their chosen register or achieve an additional category (if applicable) which may invalidate their insurance, and the approved provider’s continuing approval will be at risk.
- SPM recognised providers only: Training providers whose students have purchased the Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Diploma must register those students by selecting the Comprehensive option on the online registration form to ensure they receive Certificates of Achievement for both Matwork and Comprehensive.
- When your student has passed their approved qualification and their registration fee is paid, PD:Approval will provide a secure electronic Certificate of Achievement as a downloadable pdf.
- Certificates will be processed for learners with a Pass status on PD:Approval's registration system and whose fee has been paid by the Tuesday of any week and a notification email sent to the relevant approved provider on the following Wednesday with copies uploaded to their PD:Approval Dropbox.
- Certificates must be checked as soon as they are received by the approved provider. Any missing or incorrect certificates must be notified to PD:Approval within 24 hours of receipt.
- Changes to the details of registered students which require a new certificate notified more than 24 hours after receipt will be charged at £25 (local taxes may apply) if the certificate has already been issued, unless due to an error by PD:Approval.
- Once a learner is registered, PD:Approval will invoice the training provider for the relevant fee. This fee is non-refundable. Under no circumstances can a learner with a status of Withdrawn be replaced by a new learner.
- If a student number (the unique number generated by the approved provider for each student) is duplicated in the registration process for the same qualification, the student’s details will not be registered and PD:Approval will inform the training provider.
- Should an approved provider be under sanctions from PD:Approval , the registration process may be locked and students will not be able to be registered until the sanction is lifted. PD:Approval will consider a request to unlock the account in order to register students and/or update their status.
- Should an approved provider have overdue invoices issued by PD:Approval, the registration process may be locked and students will not be able to be registered, or have their status updated, or certificates be issued until the provider's account is up to date. PD:Approval will consider a request to unlock the account in order to register students and/or update their status.
42. Approved materials
- Only the materials that are submitted and approved by PD:Approval through a formal submission process can be used to deliver the training.
- Approved providers agree to submit to PD:Approval details of any changes to the approved materials with relevant evidence for a full review before they are put in place.
- Providers using PD:Approval learning materials, for instance manuals or Addendums to Manual, agree to use the same materials for the duration of the approval year and pay any fees that are associated to their use.
- Approved providers using PD:Approval learning materials may change to their own or another organisation's learning materials if they are submitted and approved by PD:Approval before the next renewal date (fees may apply).
- Approved providers who wish to change to PD:Approval learning materials may do so at any time during the approval year, subject to agreement from PD:Approval.
- Approved providers who purchase an adapted manual from PD:Approval can only use the manual with their students once it is approved by PD:Approval and only for students who are registered with PD:Approval within a current approval period.
- Any hard copy PD:Approval manuals still in the approved provider's possession if the approval is closed for any reason must be returned to PD:Approval within one week of the date of the closure of the approval to be disposed of.
- All versions of PD:Approval manuals are the intellectual property of PDApproval unless otherwise agreed in writing by PD:Approval.
43. Technical Support
- Providers wishing to use a technical support consultant to help them with any aspect of their submission are entitled to a free no-obligation phone call or virtual session to discuss their requirements with a consultant (maximum half an hour)
- The details of the support will be confirmed in writing to the provider for their decision to proceed.
- The technical support fee must be paid in advance of the support taking place.
- No refund of any technical support fees associated with an approval application, approval period or approval termination will be made by PD:Approval, whether the provider is to continue with approval or not.
- No reimbursements of any technical support costs associated with an approval application, approval period or approval termination will be made by PD:Approval, whether the provider is to continue with approval or not. This includes but is not exclusive to the costs of additional training, consultancy, creation of materials, filming, incurred as part of the submission process or post-approval.
44. Information changes
- PD:Approval reserves the right without penalty to amend any documentation or online information relevant to approval at any time provided PD Approval is acting reasonably. If the approved provider is negatively affected by the amendment, then the approved provider has the right to end the approval with a 75% refund of all approval application fees only within the preceding 12 months.
- It is the provider’s responsibility to ensure that they have up-to-date information by referring to this website for the latest information.
- The criteria for approval may be subject to legislative change and if so any legislative changes (where mandatory) must be implemented in current approvals after approval has been granted. All approved providers will be required to comply in order to continue their approval. If the approved provider is negatively affected by the change, the approved provider has the right to end their approval with a 75% refund of the approval application fees only within the preceding 12 months.
- It is the approved provider’s responsibility to ensure that PD:Approval is informed of any change in primary contacts (Main Contact, Administrator Contact, Finance Contact) and company name or address details. PD:Approval is not responsible for any consequences should communications not reach the correct person.
- It is the approved provider’s responsibility to ensure that PD:Approval is informed of any changes relating to 29.2 of these Terms.
Code of Conduct and Practice for Approved Training Providers
PD:Approval and partner Membership Organisations have high expectations of tutors, assessors, internal quality assurers and all persons responsible for the student experience. It is understood that approved providers will carry out their duties in a manner that is accountable, professional, ethical and responsible to promote a positive learning experience.
By gaining approval, providers agree in their Contracts with PD:Approval to be bound by this Code of Conduct and Practice.
Approved providers that are in breach of one or more of the Code’s criteria will be sanctioned and PD:Approval shall be entitled to raise additional charges on them for additional quality assurance checks or other financial penalties.
45. Roles and Responsibilities
- Faculty teams will work together and communicate effectively to increase the skills and knowledge of their students.
- The approved provider’s primary function is to prepare, manage, lead, deliver and evaluate learning opportunities for individuals and groups.
- Approved providers will evaluate students’ needs or disabilities before and during the training in order to ensure that any reasonable adjustments are made.
- Approved providers will use appropriate assessment methods and tools to collect data and evaluate learning which are approved by PD:Approval.
- Approved providers will ensure that the necessary risk assessments have been completed.
- Approved providers will carry out training within facilities that meet that country’s current government health and safety guidelines and which have been approved by PD:Approval.
- Approved providers will have the relevant public liability insurance or equivalent and/or any other insurances required for delivering training in a safe and fit for purpose environment.
- Approved providers will inform PD:Approval prior to making any material changes to the training programme so that additional evaluation may take place if necessary (fees apply). No changes can be implemented without prior approval; failure to gain prior approval will result in sanctions.
- Approved providers will inform all students within a reasonable time frame of any changes to the training programme that have been approved by PD:Approval.
- Approved providers will inform PD:Approval prior to making any changes to the approved faulty team. No changes can be implemented without prior approval; failure to gain prior approval will result in sanctions.
- At all times policies and procedures that have been approved by PD:Approval will be adhered to. If any changes take place the approved provider will consult with PD:Approval before implementing. No changes can be implemented without prior approval; failure to gain prior approval will result in sanctions.
- Approved providers will check students’ qualifications and adhere to the Membership Organisation’s framework of prerequisites where applicable. PD:Approval will inform the approved provider of such prerequisites.
- Approved providers will inform the Membership Organisation or PD:Approval of any other approved provider or professional deemed to be conducting an illegal activity or breaches against this Code of Conduct and Practice.
- Approved providers will take into consideration their students’ Membership Organisation’s own code of practice when developing training.
- Approved providers will ensure that the scope of the practice of their students is not contravened.
- Approved providers will not give false statements or make any perceived judgements about other training providers, approved or otherwise.
- Approved training will be delivered over a time period sufficient to equip participants with the appropriate knowledge, skills and confidence to practice.
46. The Professional Code
- Responsibility for implementing the following professional Code falls to approved providers at all times.
- Where training is taking place there will be a provider and student agreement to ensure that all parties can be held accountable.
- At no point must learning be hampered by approved providers because of the actions of anyone in their faculty team.
- Approved providers will not intimidate, use coercion nor harass or discriminate in any way.
- Where possible best practice will be followed at all times. If approved providers are unsure of best practice they will contact a member of the PD:Approval team for guidance.
- The students’ dignity and integrity will be upheld by approved providers at all times.
- Any physical contact with the student by approved providers within the context of the training must be with their prior consent, either written or verbally.
- The use of illegal drugs, alcohol and or any narcotics by any of the faculty team during delivery is strictly prohibited.
- Approved providers will always ensure feedback on summative assessments takes place privately with students, unless the student specifies otherwise on the signed feedback form.
- Approved providers will not deliver training or offer professional advice that is outside of their scope of practice or qualification remit.
- Approved providers will ensure that what is being taught, demonstrated or observed is fit for the audience, e.g. age, religion, gender.
- Where relevant, approved providers will promote the continuing professional development (CPD) of their employees and ensure that all those employed to write, develop, deliver, assess and internally quality assure training are sufficiently qualified and a member of the relevant membership organisation (where applicable).
- Approved providers will actively promote the recognising membership organisation to students taking part in their approved training.
- Approved providers must ensure that all tutors, assessors and quality assurers involved in their approved training programme/s keep up to date with their industry CPD requirements.
47. Integrity Matters
- Approved providers will not provide false information or knowingly mislead their students.
- A prompt and accurate response regarding feedback on achievement and enquiries relating to the training will be given to students at all times.
- Approved providers will never knowingly withhold information that might change or impact on the student’s experience or achievement.
- All personal matters concerning a student will be discussed in private and kept confidential.
- Approved providers will not engage in social media regarding a student’s professional and personal status, unless with prior agreement from the student
- Approved providers will not engage in any type of derogatory behaviour in any forms of communication.
- Approved providers will not openly engage in public relations regarding PD:Approval or the recognising membership organisation without consent of either body.
- The misuse or distribution of PD:Approval and/or the recognising membership organisation’s logos is prohibited and clear sanctions will be enforced.
48. Keep It Confidential
- Approved providers will ensure that all personal data is collected, processed and stored in accordance with current data protection law in their own jurisdiction.
- All students’ and approved providers’ information (electronic or paper) will be securely locked in a cabinet or password encrypted. Contingency plans will be in place to ensure that if the lock or password is misplaced or stolen the relevant protocols can overcome such issues.
- Approved providers will keep students’ details and assessment decisions for a minimum of three years.
- If there is a requirement for the approved provider to share information then the approved provider must gain permission from the student and explain why and for what purpose it will be used.
49. Rules for Administrative and Technical Support Matters
- Approved providers’ centre contact and communication details will be kept up to date. Any changes will be communicated immediately in writing to PD:Approval.
- All appeals and complaints procedures will be followed in accordance with the approved providers’ internal policy that has been granted approval by PD:Approval.
- Approved providers will direct any students to PD:Approval where their complaint or appeal is unresolved through their own internal process.