Frequently asked questions

Yes, we realise that some organisations may not have formal policies in place but are still providing excellent professional development opportunities for their staff. When applying for accreditation just submit whatever evidence you have available and we will contact you once this has been assessed.
 

Yes, AAT employer accreditation shows that you are a quality employer. It can help with any future recruitment you may undertake, and it will also help your staff member meet their mandatory CPD requirements. That will mean they can concentrate on making your business a success.
 

Yes, but there are a couple of rules regarding employer accreditation that you should consider before making an application. These are:

1. If a member in practice (MIP) works for an accredited employer in addition to their self-employed work then they will still be required to maintain and submit their own CPD records with respect to their MiP status. However, they can use CPD undertaken with their employer, where it is applicable, towards meeting their MiP CPD requirements.
2. If a MIP is the owner of an organisation that employs AAT members, then they can apply for accredited employer status on behalf of their employees but the MiP will be required to maintain their own individual CPD records. This would apply to any MiP's working within that organisation.
3. If, however, a member in practice holds a current practising license from an IFAC member body then they can submit the same CPD records to AAT that they have to submit to their licensing body.

Employer accreditation will last for three years. If you hold accreditations with another body then yours will be matched to that other accreditation, unless the renewal date is more than three years, in which case the renewal date will be set for three years’ time.
 

Yes, once accredited all AAT members in the organisation, office or department that has been accredited will be covered.
 

You will need to decide if you are applying on behalf of your office, department or whole organisation. If your training and development policies apply to everyone then you should make an application for the whole organisation. However, if different departments or offices have separate training and development policies then we will only be able to accredit the individual department or office applying to become an AAT accredited employer.
 

We aim to process each application within three weeks of it being received by the Account Management team. You can complete your application online.
 

We expect that most applications for accreditation will not require a visit from an AAT member of staff. Applications will mostly be dealt with through telephone conversations.
 

The AAT Corporate Training Partner (CTP) scheme has been replaced with the AAT accredited employer scheme. This will mean all CTP's will have to reapply for AAT employer accreditation.
 

Yes, we can work with you to identify all your AAT members, both current and historically.
 

Monitoring visits are not intended to be a full, rigorous audit of your training and development processes. We will be looking to see that the evidence you submitted on applying to become an AAT accredited employer is still valid and that your AAT members are meeting their learning and development needs. It will also provide you with an opportunity to discuss any thoughts you have about being accredited and how AAT can help you.
 

In many cases, the documentation you already use will be sufficient. However, it would be expected that copies of appraisals and training development forms would be centrally collated as part of your organisation's strategic management of training and development.