CHAS and SSIP accreditation support
Main contractors and public buyers want to see an SSIP certificate before you start on site. We get your paperwork into shape and support you through the application.
CHAS accreditation support from Resilient Consult is for contractors who keep meeting the same question on tender forms: can you show a current health and safety assessment? We look at what you already have, find the gaps against the scheme you are applying to, and write or update the documents an assessor will ask for. That usually means a health and safety policy, risk assessments and method statements for your actual trade, training records and the arrangements for competent advice. You submit with a complete, tidy pack instead of guessing what goes in each box.
Most of our accreditation work comes from small and growing firms in Wigan and across the North West: trades moving onto commercial sites, contractors chasing framework places and businesses whose certificate has lapsed. Some have never written a policy. Others have a folder of downloaded templates that do not match how they actually work. Either way, the aim is a set of documents you understand and can keep up to date long after the certificate arrives.
Ask for a proposalWhat our SSIP accreditation support covers
Gap review
We read your current documents against the questions your chosen scheme asks and give you a plain list of what is missing or out of date.
Health and safety policy
A written policy with a signed statement of intent, the organisation (who is responsible for what) and the arrangements that put it into practice.
Trade risk assessments and method statements
Assessments and RAMS that describe the work you really do, rather than generic examples an assessor will query.
Records and registers
Templates for training records, accident and near-miss reporting, toolbox talks, equipment checks and subcontractor vetting, set up so you can keep them going.
Application support
Help completing the question set and uploading evidence, plus a second look at any points the assessor sends back for clarification.
Renewal and second schemes
Annual renewal preparation, and help using Deem to Satisfy when a client asks for a different SSIP scheme from the one you hold.
SSIP, mutual recognition and the written policy
Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) is the umbrella body that lets health and safety assessment schemes recognise each other. Under its Deem to Satisfy arrangement, registered member schemes agree to accept a current, valid certificate from another registered member, provided your details show correctly on the SSIP Portal. CHAS, SafeContractor and SMAS Worksafe all issue SSIP certificates. Constructionline is a supporter member of SSIP: its membership has a mandatory health and safety section, and it accepts an SSIP member scheme certificate in place of completing it. Each scheme sets its own extra questions, so check exactly what your client has asked for.
Underneath every scheme is the same legal starting point. Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires an employer to prepare a written statement of its general health and safety policy, with the organisation and arrangements for carrying it out, to revise it as often as appropriate and to bring it to the notice of all employees. Employers with fewer than five employees are excepted from that duty by regulation, but assessors still expect a written policy, so we write one for firms of every size.
What you receive
- Gap review against your chosen scheme’s question set
- Health and safety policy: statement of intent, organisation and arrangements
- Risk assessments and method statements for your main tasks
- Training matrix and record templates
- Accident, near-miss and inspection forms
- Subcontractor vetting checklist
- Evidence pack organised to match the application
- Renewal reminder and update checklist
How it runs
Tell us the scheme
Send us the details of the scheme your client asked for, your trade, your headcount and whatever documents you already hold.
Gap review
We compare your paperwork with the scheme’s questions and agree a short list of what needs writing or fixing.
Write and tidy
We draft the policy, assessments and records with you, so they reflect how your jobs are actually run and who does what.
Submit and follow up
You submit with our support, and we help you answer any points the assessor raises until the application is decided.
Why use us for your application
You deal with one person from the first gap review to the assessor’s decision. We ask about your work before we write anything, because an assessor is checking that your documents fit your business, and a borrowed template rarely does. Where your documents need input from a specialist, such as an asbestos survey for a refurbishment contract, we arrange that through our specialist partners and keep it in the same pack.
We are honest about what we control. The decision belongs to the scheme’s assessor, and nobody can promise a pass. What we can do is make sure your application is complete, consistent and backed by real evidence, and stay with you if the assessor comes back with questions. If you also need ongoing health and safety help after accreditation, that sits with our consultancy service.
Who we do this for
Related health and safety services
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Questions about CHAS and SSIP accreditation
All questionsWhich SSIP scheme should I apply for?
Start with the one your client named in the tender or pre-qualification form. If they simply ask for an SSIP certificate, any registered SSIP member scheme should satisfy them, and Deem to Satisfy can help if another client later asks for a different one. Constructionline works differently, as a supporter member, so check whether the client wants Constructionline membership itself or just an SSIP certificate.
Can you guarantee we will pass?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The scheme’s assessor makes the decision. Our job is to give you a complete, accurate pack that reflects how you work, and to help you respond to any queries. Most delays come from missing or generic documents, which is exactly what the gap review is designed to catch before you submit.
We have fewer than five employees. Do we need a written policy?
The legal duty in section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 does not apply to employers with fewer than five employees. Assessment schemes and main contractors still expect to see a written policy, though, and writing one down helps you agree who does what. We keep it short and specific for small firms.
What does an assessor actually look for?
Broadly, evidence that you plan and control your work: a signed and dated policy, named responsibilities, access to competent health and safety advice, risk assessments relevant to your trade, training records, accident reporting, and how you check subcontractors. Each scheme words its questions differently, which is why we review against your chosen scheme rather than a general checklist.
Who actually carries out the surveys and works?
We scope, manage and check every job ourselves. Specialist parts, such as fire surveys and remedial works, asbestos surveys, legionella assessments, training and alarm installations, are carried out through vetted specialist partners who hold the relevant qualifications and third-party certification for that work. You see their certificates. We remain your single point of contact and check both the work and the paperwork before it reaches you.
Do you work with contractors?
Yes. We help contractors with risk assessments and method statements, COSHH assessments, written policies and preparation for SSIP schemes such as CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline. On projects we can support clients and principal contractors with CDM duties, and we work alongside main contractors when managing fire remedials, so the people on site have clear information and the right paperwork before they start.
Tell us what you need.
What it is, where it is and what you need checked, fixed or managed. You get a scope and a written proposal back.
- adrian@resilientconsult.uk
- Based
- Wigan-based, working across the North West