It is a common misconception that there is only one CPD Accreditation body out there that provides CPD certification or accreditation services for courses.
The CPD Group is just one of a few different accreditation bodies offering this service.
In this blog, we’re clearing up the confusion by taking it back to basics. We’ll explain what a CPD accreditation body is, what it does, why this is important, and how you can discover the different services that are out there for you.
New to the world of the CPD? Watch this video where we explain the basics of CPD.
What is a CPD Accreditation Body?
A CPD Accreditation Body (like The CPD Group) offers CPD accreditation or certification services to training providers.
A CPD Accreditation Body assesses Continuing Professional Development Activities to make sure they adhere to a certain set of standards. CPD activities include things like CPD online and classroom courses, workshops, seminars, tutorials, webinars and more.
The accreditation process may look different depending on the accreditation provider you choose, so it's important to clarify this before you choose your provider.
⚠️ Common misconception ⚠️
❌ “CPD” is the name of the process of accrediting courses
✅ “CPD” actually stands for Continuing Professional Development, which is what is being assessed during accreditation.
What is CPD Accreditation?
CPD accreditation, sometimes known as CPD certification, is when a third-party accreditation body like The CPD Group assess a course to make sure it meets a certain set of quality standards.
This process serves as verification that a course delivers quality learning.
Different accreditation bodies will use different criteria to accredit your courses, so it’s important to find out how your courses will be assessed.
At The CPD Group, we are transparent about how we assess courses. We publish our A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework for training providers and their learners to see. This is so you know how to present your courses to us – it’s a valuable tool that can help you build or amend your courses to ensure quality. It also helps to build trust with your learners as they will be able to see the standards that your course has been measured against.
You can take a look at our Framework here, or check out our playlist where our accreditation and compliance team explain each element in detail. 👇
Why is CPD Accreditation Important?
Accreditation helps build trust by giving potential customers confidence that your course offers a quality learning experience. It also acts as a great marketing tool, showing that your content meets or exceeds CPD standards. If your course needs improvement, you'll receive helpful feedback to make it better. Overall, being accredited sends a clear message that your course can be trusted to deliver reliable, high-quality learning.
It also allows you to allocate the correct amount of CPD credits or points to your CPD Activity, so your learners can accurately log their CPD learning. Learn more about CPD credits and points here >>
What Accreditation Bodies are Out There?
The CPD Group is just one of a variety of accreditation bodies out there. If you’d like to conduct your own research, head over to The CPD Register, who have put together an overview of all of the CPD accreditation providers that are out there.
Be Aware of Different Accreditation Logos!
⚠️ Common mistake ⚠️
❌ CPD accreditation logos are all the same and can be used interchangeably
✅ You will receive a different accreditation logo depending on which accrediting body you use.
At The CPD Group, we sometimes see training providers using the wrong accreditation logos. This is most likely due to the common misconception that all accrediting bodies are one, so logos can be used interchangeably.
When you get your courses accredited with The CPD Group, we will provide you with a unique logo for each and every course, making it simple for you to display the correct verifiable accreditation number to your learners.
To learn more about how accreditation logos work, watch this helpful video. >>
How do I Choose the Right Accreditation Body?
Accreditation is really important, so it is key that you choose the right accreditation provider for you.
We’ve put together a short video that explains how we are different to other providers, but it’s important that you do your own research and reach out to other accreditation providers before you make a decision.
Here's some questions you might want to ask...
💬How are my courses assessed?
💬How many of my courses do you look at?
💬What accreditation plans do you offer?
💬Do you offer feedback on my CPD courses?
💬Do you offer tailored accreditation services for different learning styles?
💬When does the accreditation period start?
Check out how The CPD Group differ from other accreditation providers by watching the video below 👇
If you would like to learn more about The CPD Group's approach to CPD accreditation, get in touch with our team who will be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.👇