Which Accreditation is best for my business?

The question which accreditation is best for my business is asked on a daily basis, as a consultant that is not a question we can answer for your business. There are a number of factors you should take into account when you are making the decision:

• Have you been asked by a client to have a particular one?
• Are you looking to get on a certain clients supplier list – they may have a preference?
• What is the purpose of the accreditation?
• Do you have a budget in mind?
• Do you have all the necessary paperwork?

If you have an answer to any of the above then that accreditation is the best one for your business as there is already the promise of a return on your investment.

Our advice where a client has no preference and there is a possibility that they will need both in the future is to follow this process:

Which assessment company do you select?

CHAS
PQS
Construction line
Safe Contractor
SMAS
CQMA
Builders profile
Avetta

The most expensive is CHAS, and the least costly is PQS. Due to the Deem to Satisfy system by SSIP, a PQS accreditation is equivalent to a CHAS accreditation, and for a small fee, you can obtain certificates for both.

The driver for selection usually is your customer; if they insist on CHAS, you can get accredited with PQS and request a certificate for CHAS within the process.

Impartial advise

Feel free to call us, and we can advise you on the best selection for your needs. We have completed thousands of applications and understand the market inside out. We don’t mind which company you select; the assessment process is the same, thanks to SSIP.

Who is Seguro

Seguro Health and Safety Management employs qualified health and safety consultants who complete the application to obtain accreditation from all the assessment companies. Seguro removes the pain of completing all the documentation and ensuring you comply.

Stage one: Apply for your PQS accreditation as this can be used for the Health & Safety Section of CHAS or Constructionline as well as being able to be used for many deem to satisfy schemes under the SSIP umbrella scheme.

Stage Two: Once you have your certificate for PQS apply for your CHAS and Constructionline status.

Each business is individual so if you want to get bespoke advice, please give us a ring on 0800 031 5404

 

CHAS and Constructionline Enquiries

CHAS and Constructionline Enquiries – Over the last few months we have had a large influx of clients that have been asked for an SSIP accreditation as well as Constructionline. There are a number of ways you can achieve this:

Constructionline

You can start your Constructionline Application as normal but request that you also get assessed for Acclaim. This will mean that your health & Safety will be assessed by Constructionline. The assessor will feedback and further information they need and the process can take up to 3-5 weeks to complete.

CHAS and Constructionline

In order to get both accreditations we would recommend that you start the process for CHAS first, this can take an average of 4 weeks from start to completion. Once you have your CHAS certificate you can then apply to Constructionline when you apply you would tick yes to having an SSIP certificate and upload your CHAS certificate here.

There is then no need to apply for acclaim and you would go ahead with you constructionline application as normal.

If you looking for help with applying for both accreditation’s we can help with that here at Seguro.

Applying for CHAS and Constructionline

If you looking to apply for both CHAS and Constructionline there is a process to follow to make the application a little less daunting:

CHAS

CHAS is an assessment of your Health & Safety documentation, this is assessed remotely through an online portal. This accreditation is also part of the SSIP umbrella group so you are able to use this if you are asked for any other accreditation that falls under the group should you need too.

Constructionline

Constructionline is an online assessment of your Business this includes finance, quality, equal opportunities and Health & Safety. You can use your CHAS certificate to satisfy the documentation needed for the Health & Safety Section of Constructionline.

In order to get both accreditations it is recommended that you get your CHAS first and then Constructionline. Both need to have the assessment fee paid upfront and then you are able to access your application to see the documentation needed to complete. If you feel you need some help to get everything needed please get in touch.

Common Constructionline Questions we get asked

As a consultant we get asked alot of questions on the phone for people who think they are speaking to Constructionline Direct and not to us. Although we don’t know the answer to everything we do try to help.

1.    I can’t remember my login details?

• You will have registered with login details when you created your account. These will be your email address and the password you picked.
• If you have forgotten your details you can go Constructionline and request them to be reset.

2.    Can I register with Constructionline if I’m a new company?

• Constructionline require financial information for all companies but for new start ups you are able to submit a set of forecasted accounts with your application.

3.   Do I need to get Liability Insurance

• You will need insurance before you can complete your application. This will need to be in date.

4 .  I’ve got another certificate will that help with my constructionline application?

• If you have any of the SSIP certificates such as CHAS, you will be able to upload the certificate and you will not need to fill in the main Health & Safety Section.

5.   What are the fees i have to pay ?

• The fees for are based on your turnover and as you are signing up Construcionline will tell you what they are.

If you have any other Constructionline Questions or think we may be able to help you with your application get in touch with us today.

Who is Seguro and why do we get confused with CHAS and Constructionline?

We get a number of calls on a daily basis from companies who are looking to speak to CHAS or Constructionline direct. We are a third party consultant that helps with CHAS and Constructionline applications. Our service is to assist companies that may not have the paperwork in place to show their competency with regards to Health & Safety.

Our web listings highlight our service as well as how we can assist you with your application.

Looking for products and services on the internet can be a minefield the best thing to do is to make sure you know who you want to contact and read the information before you click through and contact a company direct:

• Always read the link before you click on it.
• Check the url in the link to make sure it is the one you expect to contact.
• When you click and land on a web page make sure it is the company you are looking for, you will always see a logo and contact details.
• If your not sure phone the number instead of sending all your contact details to a company that might not be the one you want.

If you are looking to contact CHAS direct their number is 0208 545 3838 and Constructionline is 0844 892 0313

Acclaim Accreditation

What is a Acclaim Accreditation

Acclaim was created in 2012 and is a member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement)

SSIP is an umbrella organisation formed in 2009 to reduce the duplication of health and safety assessments.

Acclaim is the accreditation arm of Constructionline. When you join Constructionline, you will be directed to Acclaim to complete the Health and safety accreditation process to obtain the SSIP certificate.

Do I have to apply for an Acclaim at the same time as I do for a construction line?

Yes. Acclaim has been included within all paid Constructionline memberships and is no longer offered as a standalone product.

Constructionline Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum memberships include Acclaim but also offer a ‘Deem to Satisfy’ certificate for those who hold a valid SSIP with an alternative provider.

What will an Acclaim accreditation cover?

All assessments are completed using the SSIP Core Criteria as the threshold standard and cover the following:

• Health & Safety policy
• Competent Advice
• Training arrangements
• Monitoring, audit and review
• Workforce involvement
• Accident reporting and enforcement action
• Subcontracting/consulting
• Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work
• Cooperations with others
• Welfare provision
• Hazard elimination

How much does an assessment cost?

Fees charged by our members vary and take into account other membership fees. It is essential to recognise that all assessments are equal and all are carried out against the same standard.

If you are not sure feel free to call us for support.

How long will it take to get a certificate?

This varies from scheme to scheme and is dependent on you providing everything needed for the assessment. Typically, schemes will try to complete their initial assessment within ten working days.

Who is Seguro and how can you help me?

Seguro is a health and safety company that specialises in SSIP accreditation. We completed over 500 applications per year. Our success rate is 100%.

We are here to support you through the acclaim accreditation process; we can prepare all the documents, complete the registration forms, and simplify the process. CHAS is expensive, but other providers are very economical. The best thing to do is chat with us and learn more; we can tell you about the costs and the time frame. Our number is 0800 031 5404, or you can request a quote.

 

Constructionline is the largest pre-qualification database in the UK

Being a member of Constructionline can be beneficial for all sized companies you just need to know what you want to get out of it to make sure it can deliver an ROI for your company.  Constructionline is used by the big contractors and public bodies to pre qualify your business and your ability to carry out a project in terms of financials as well as operational process including Health & Safety.

Constructionline has  over 8,000 key decision makers from over 2,000 buying organisations. They  use Constructionline to select quality suppliers so constructionline can be a great tool to promote your services and gain new work opportunities.

1. Will being registered on Constructionline guarantee me to get work?

Constructionline’s primary objective is to streamline the tender process and cut down on duplicated work for everyone involved.  The aim is to reduce the amount of paperwork you face at the tender stage. Constructionline cannot guarantee that you will win contracts as a result of your membership. Although having your details available to over 8,000 buyers, being a member can act as a sales and marketing tool for your business. Constructionline is widely recognised within the construction industry and meeting their criteria can only be seen as a good thing.

2. Can I check which buyers have viewed my company details?

You can see a full history of your views, click on the Log In button in the top right hand corner of this page. Enter your user name and password. Select the Reports tab and the report you require. Enter the Date From and Date To dates and select Run Report. Either print the report or save it to your desktop.

3. Will buyers be interested in my company if I register as i am only a small contractor?

Alot more buyers are looking for small, local contractors to employ because they are keen to re-invest in the local communities. The Constructionline system itself enables buyers to put in fairly complex search criteria so they are able to specify what size of company they would prefer to use. Therefore, if you are a small company it would be a great asset to join Constructionline and already, over 50% of our contractors are suppliers with a turnover of less than £1 million and 29% have a turnover of less than £250,000.

4. How much does it cost to register with Constructionline?

Constructionline is free to procurers. Suppliers pay an annual fee based on their turnover. Fees start at £90 plus VAT and you can register for an unlimited number of work categories and work locations.

5.Why does Constructionline need to charge fees?

Sir Michael Latham’s report Constructing the Team recommended that the service be self-funding in order to give it the financial resources to develop and grow into a single register.

We hope this help you to make the business decision that is right for you.

If you need any help in submitting your Constructionline application let us know.

Constructionline and Acclaim

Acclaim is the constructionline version of a Health & Safety Assessment.  Gaining your Acclaim Accreditation would enable you to become a member of ‘Safety Schemes In Procurement’ (SSIP), which is an umbrella organisation for health and safety assessment schemes.

Unsure how this works please click here to see the the flow of the process.

SSIP is known in the industry as one of the largest growing schemes with more buyers recognising it within the construction industry. This gives suppliers the opportunity to become a member of the scheme that suits them. This helps companies to eliminate the need to apply for multiple accreditation’s to appease different buyers.
Benefits of the Acclaim scheme

• The simple questionnaire contains twelve questions and wont require you to resubmit any information you have already provided as part of your Constructionline membership.
• The Acclaim Accreditation assessment is undertaken by the experts at Capita Property and Infrastructure. You will be provided with full details of the assessment and the assessor comments.
• Acclaim Accreditation fees are based on your annual turnover, ensuring that the payment is affordable to all companies who require it.

If you would like some more information on the accreditation and think you may need help in completing the process please get in touch.