Some accreditation bodies approve a provider's entire output without ever reading the courses themselves. Here's what that means, why it's a problem, and how The CPD Group's individual-assessment model is fundamentally different.
Every Activity
Individually Assessed
Certified by
The CPD Register
Unique Number
Per Activity
Independently
Verifiable
Blanket CPD accreditation refers to the practice of some accreditation organisations approving a training provider's entire output without individually assessing the specific activities they deliver. Under a blanket model, a provider pays a membership or registration fee, receives an accreditation logo, and is permitted to display that logo on all their courses, webinars, and events — regardless of the quality, accuracy, or professional relevance of each individual activity.
The CPD Group does not offer blanket accreditation. We assess every individual activity submitted against our A.C.C.R.E.D.I.T.E.D Framework, regardless of how many activities a provider submits. This individual assessment model is one of the core reasons The CPD Group was certified by The CPD Register — the UK's independent certification body for CPD accreditation organisations — and was named the Most Trusted CPD Accreditation Service by the UK Business Excellence Awards.
In a blanket accreditation model, the accreditation body approves the organisation rather than its individual products. The provider receives a logo and a generic approval statement along the lines of “Approved CPD Provider”, which can then be used across all their content.
This means that a provider with a blanket accreditation could display an accreditation logo on a course that has never been read, reviewed, or assessed by the accrediting body. The logo signals that the provider paid a membership fee — not that any specific course has been evaluated for quality, accuracy, or professional relevance.
Provider pays a fee
Logo issued
Used on all content
No course-level review
When the logo doesn't track to a specific reviewed activity, three downstream harms follow — for learners, for professional bodies, and for the wider CPD ecosystem.
The purpose of CPD accreditation, from a learner's perspective, is assurance that a specific activity delivers genuine professional development value. Blanket accreditation cannot provide this assurance because the individual activity has not been assessed. A learner who chooses a course bearing a blanket accreditation logo has no independent confirmation that the course content is accurate, relevant, well-structured, or professionally appropriate.
When a professional submits CPD evidence to their regulatory body or employer, they are expected to provide records of learning that meets recognised standards. If that evidence is based on activities carrying a blanket accreditation logo — rather than individually assessed accreditation — the professional may be presenting CPD that has never actually been quality assured, even if it appears accredited.
When blanket accreditation logos proliferate across low-quality or inaccurate content, it erodes trust in CPD accreditation as a concept. This makes it harder for genuinely rigorous accreditation bodies to communicate the real value of independently assessed CPD. The CPD Group actively works to raise standards across the sector, which is why we were the first organisation to be certified by The CPD Register — an independent body that verifies whether accreditation processes meet the standards they claim.
Every activity reviewed individually. Every accreditation number publicly verifiable on The CPD Register. Becoming a CPD Provider with The CPD Group is free.
There are several indicators that an accreditation may be a blanket approval rather than an individually assessed credential:
The provider uses the same logo on all their activities, regardless of topic or format, without individual accreditation numbers.
The accreditation body cannot provide a searchable register of individually accredited activities.
The accreditation process involves no review of course content, learning objectives, or trainer credentials.
The accreditation fee is paid at provider level only, with no per-activity assessment fee.
The accreditation number on the logo or certificate cannot be independently verified.
Every course, webinar, podcast, event, edutorial, and other activity submitted to The CPD Group is assessed individually by our specialist accreditation team. The assessment evaluates the accuracy of the content, the clarity of the learning objectives, the credentials of the trainer, the relevance of the activity to its professional audience, the quality of delivery, and the overall learning impact.
Whether a provider submits one course or six hundred, each submission receives the same rigorous individual review. This is not more expensive for providers than it could be under a blanket model — our pricing is structured to make individual assessment accessible to organisations of all sizes. It is, however, more meaningful. When a course carries The CPD Group's accreditation mark, it means that specific course has been reviewed and approved by an independently certified accreditation body.
No volume discount on rigour. The accreditation mark means the same thing on every activity.
Each accredited activity receives a unique accreditation number that is listed on The CPD Register. Anyone — a learner, an employer, a professional body — can enter that number at thecpdregister.com and immediately confirm that the specific activity is genuinely accredited, when the accreditation was issued, and when it expires. This transparency is not possible with blanket accreditation.
The CPD Register is an independent UK certification body that sets standards for CPD accreditation organisations. It verifies whether accreditation bodies operate with appropriate rigour, transparency, and quality in their assessment processes. The CPD Group is the first and currently only accreditation organisation to receive certification from The CPD Register — confirming that our processes meet independently verified standards.
This certification means that when providers choose The CPD Group for their accreditation, they are working with a body whose standards have been externally verified — not just self-declared. And when learners complete an activity bearing The CPD Group's mark, they can have confidence that the accreditation reflects a genuine quality assessment.
First and currently only UK CPD accreditation body with independent certification of its accreditation processes.
No. Blanket accreditation is not illegal. CPD accreditation is not regulated by government in the same way that regulated qualifications are. However, blanket accreditation that misleads consumers about the nature of the quality assurance provided may be subject to ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) scrutiny, as has been demonstrated in recent rulings against some providers in the sector.
Learners should check whether the accreditation on a course has a unique, verifiable accreditation number. For activities accredited by The CPD Group, this number can be verified at thecpdregister.com. If an accreditation logo cannot be verified independently, treat it with caution.
Yes. If you believe a provider is misrepresenting their accreditation status — for example, using The CPD Group's logo without a valid accreditation — you can report this at thecpd.group/report-cpd. The CPD Group investigates all reports and takes appropriate action to protect the integrity of our accreditation mark.
Independently certified. Individually assessed. Publicly verifiable. Becoming a CPD Provider with The CPD Group is free — and means something every time the mark appears.