SSIP Accreditations
Winning new contracts in today’s competitive market means demonstrating that your business prioritises Health & Safety in the workplace. At Westminster Compliance, we help businesses and contractors in Kent gain and maintain SSIP accreditations, with expert guidance at every step and a 100% pass rate to date.
Why do I Need External Recognition of my Health & Safety Systems?
Large organisations and public sector bodies always check out their suppliers before adding them to an approved list and awarding them contracts. Part of this vetting includes looking into the supplier’s Health & Safety arrangements.
In most cases, large organisations require their suppliers to hold a formal Health & Safety SSIP accreditation, as this saves them administration time and guarantees that their suppliers are compliant with regulations.
What is SSIP?
SSIP stands for Safety Scheme in Procurement. It’s an umbrella organisation that encompasses many assessment schemes to maintain occupational Health & Safety standards. The main registered members we work with are:
According to the SSIP website, there are over 90,000 suppliers/contractors registered with an SSIP Member Scheme.
What’s Required for an SSIP Accreditation
Each assessing member of the SSIP has its own evaluation and set of questions. Assessments also depend on the work you do in your business and its size. Generally, most assessments will ask for the following:
Competent Advice
Your business needs to demonstrate that its employees have access to competent Health & Safety advice. If you’re one of our ongoing compliance support clients, we allow you to use our name, qualifications, and evidence of advice we have provided you.
Your H&S Policy
Your Health & Safety policy should clearly illustrate your business’s commitment to managing workplace safety, define responsibilities across your organisation, and detail the arrangements you have in place to comply with legislation.
Risk Assessments and Method Statements
You will need to provide risk assessments and method statements to cover all the work activities you carry out in your business. If your work involves hazardous substances, you will also need to include Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments.
Accident reporting and investigation documentation.
You must be able to demonstrate that your business has a clear process in place for reporting and investigating accidents and incidents, including records of any actions taken to prevent a recurrence.
Training and information
You will need to show that Health & Safety information is being actively communicated to your workforce. Evidence of this includes:
- Induction records
- Training records
- Toolbox talks records
Qualifications of your workforce
Before your employees carry out any tasks, you need to demonstrate that their experience and competence have been assessed and are relevant to the work being undertaken. This may include:
- CSCS cards
- SMSTS/SSSTS certificates
- NVQs
- IPAF
- Asbestos awareness
- Manual handling
- Any other trade-specific qualifications
Monitoring, audit and review
You must provide evidence that your Health and Safety arrangements are regularly monitored and reviewed. This can include:
- Formal audit reports
- Site inspection records
- Work equipment inspection logs
- Minutes from meetings where H&S was discussed
Consultation and communication
All staff should be consulted on any decisions that may affect their health and safety. Evidence of this can include:
- Toolbox talk records
- Safety alerts
- Signed induction records
- Safety meeting minutes
Other Documentation
Depending on the nature of your work, you may be required to provide additional documentation. This could include:
- Construction Phase Plans (CPPs)
- Evidence of due diligence on subcontractors (such as checking insurances, RAMS, qualifications and references)
- Documentation demonstrating Principal Contractor or Designer duties where applicable
The clients with the quickest accreditation turnaround are those who have robust H&S systems in place and maintain good H&S record keeping.
How do I get SSIP Accredited?
Getting SSIP accredited is a straightforward process with the right support. Here’s what to expect:
- Choose your accreditation. Decide which SSIP scheme is the most appropriate for your business and register directly with them. You’ll be asked to provide some basic company information including your trading address, number of employees, work activities, and your director’s details.
- Share your documents with us. If you’d like us to assist with your application, we’ll ask to be set up as a user on your account. We’ll then confirm which documents we need and ask you to send them to us for review before submission.
- We review and submit. Once we’ve checked everything over, we upload and submit your application to the assessing body for review. Most clients with good H&S systems already in place find this process quick and straightforward.
- Receive your accreditation. If your application is successful the first time, you’ll receive your SSIP certificate and appear on the SSIP portal, giving potential clients confidence that your business meets the required Health & Safety standards. If any further information is needed, the assessor will let you know exactly what’s required.
We’re proud to have achieved a 100% pass rate for every client we’ve supported through the SSIP accreditation process. Our goal is to make it as smooth and stress-free as possible, so you can focus on running your business.
Get in Touch
Ready to start your SSIP accreditation journey? Whether you’re applying for the first time or looking to maintain an existing accreditation, our team is here to help. Reach out today for a consultation and find out how we can take the hard work off your hands.
Our Other Services
We're your dedicated compliance partner, providing expert guidance and reassurance whenever you need it.
Practical advice to keep your workplace safe, compliant, and confident in meeting all legal requirements.
Support and guidance to help you achieve SSIP accreditation quickly, demonstrating your commitment to workplace safety.
Who We Have Helped
Commercial Laundry Service
28/10/2025
Client Requirements: The client came to us when they sadly had a fatality with a self-employed worker on their site whilst renovation works were being completed on a new premises they had occupied. The HSE were investigating the company for not fulfilling their client duties under CDM Regulations. First Visit: Westminster Compliance visited the client to discuss their H&S documentation and systems and to get a better understanding of how the fatality had occurred. As they were not yet operational, they had loose H&S systems in place with nothing documented, and were not aware of their client duties under the CDM Regulations. Our Solution: We provided a quote for our ongoing support package to create a bespoke H&S Policy, supporting risk assessments and all other H&S documentation they required. We worked with them to provide them guidance on creating a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme and trained them in their client duties under CDM regulations long with their employer responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Outcome: The HSE closed the investigation as our client adhered to all recommendations their report had suggested, and the investigation found the business was not liable for a self-employed person acting unsafely. The client has now implemented a great H&S system, and we feel confident they now understand what’s expected of them and most importantly how to ensure their staff are safe while at work.
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Start Up Construction Company
28/10/2025
Client Requirements: The client had previously been an employee at another construction company we worked with and had since decided to set up his own company. He had managed to secure some contracts but found they wouldn’t move forward with him unless he had a CHAS accreditation in place. As a startup company with no previous jobs to use as evidence or H&S documentation in place, he came to us for our expert advice. Our Solution: We provided a quote for our ongoing support package to create a bespoke H&S Policy, risk assessment templates, construction phase plan templates and all other H&S documentation they would require moving forward as a business, we also included our cost to take care of their CHAS application. The Outcome: The client followed our advice and was awarded the CHAS accreditation they required to fulfil the contracts they had secured; this also meant they was able to tender for future projects and secure more works.
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Therapy and Education Ltd
Ongoing Compliance Support
27/01/2017
Hospitality Client Requirements: Apart from their own staff the business works in conjunction with a local college. The management are keen to ensure that those involved are appropriately trained in the aspects of health and safety relevant to their jobs. First Visit: We realised from our earliest discussion with this long-standing client that we needed to provide different types of training to ensure that we kept within their budget. Our Solution: Over the seven years that we have looked after their health and safety arrangements, we have trained their competent person to deliver basic health and safety training to new members of staff and refresher training to older members of staff. We have sent our qualified trainers to train groups of people in aspects of manual handling, food hygene, fire safety and emergency first aid. We have also set up an area in our online training portal for individuals within the organisation to do their own ROSPA approved training in their own time. The Outcome: We have provided this client with a very flexible and cost effective way to ensure compliance through training their people. Client Message: "Knowing that you can take care of many aspects of training in various ways and at the right price makes my working life so much easier." Fabrice Monet
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A1 Instalec
Accreditation
27/01/2017
Electrical Contractors A1 Instalec are an electrical contractor business who required our Accreditation services. Client Requirements: This client works generally in the commercial sector and often as a sub-contractor to very large building contractors, local authorities etc. First Visit: Westminster Compliance visited the premises to discuss all aspects of health and safety with the Manager who had been running his business for many years. The main problem was an increase of administration simply to keep up with the ever-changing requirements of both new and old clients. Our Solution: To gather all the information required by the accreditation body currently on the client’s files. We then reviewed all their documentation, updating where required and helping them to write a variety of new documentation to ensure that the assessor would be satisfied and the accreditation would be gained. The Outcome: This process has continued for several years ensuring that accreditations are maintained and work continues to flow for the client. However each year the accreditation bodies change some of their rules and often request further documentation which we are always pleased to either advise upon or in some cases provide. Client message: "I would just like to pass on my sincere thanks and appreciation for the help, advice, knowledge and professionalism of Westminster Compliance, and the speed of turnaround of each of our document submissions. I would not have been able to do it without you both, thank you. Good News, we passed first time again this year and received the certificate yesterday." Linda Egan
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Apartment Building
Ongoing Compliance Support
27/01/2017
Property Management Client Requirements: The building had not been audited for health and safety or for fire safety and the new Manager realised that this was a legal requirement. First Visit: Westminster Compliance visited the premises and discussed all aspects of health and safety with the Manager. He had sole responsibility for maintaining a great number of records, ensuring the building was safe at all times and that all the staff were properly trained in health and safety legislation. He needed to be certain that he was able to keep on top of all of this on an ongoing basis. Our Solution: We set up Ongoing Compliance Support which pulled together all the health and safety and fire safety strands into one place. An Account Manager was appointed and she trained all the staff in the new system and showed them what their own responsibilities are with regard to the legislation. She visits the premises three times a year. A full Fire Risk Assessment and Health and Safety inspection is undertaken annually and the whole system is fully audited. Our office ensures at least monthly contact is made to check all is OK. The staff have 24/7 contact rights in case of any emergency. The Outcome: The building and its staff are now fully compliant with the law. The Management have peace of mind knowing this and, importantly, our GCS has simplified and streamlined the necessary record-keeping.
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GCS (Great Cleaning Solutions) London Limited
Risk Assessment
27/01/2017
Commercial Cleaning Client Requirements: Having set up the business and found clients and staff rather quickly, GCS were signposted by Business Link in London to Westminster Compliance so that we could help with the required health and safety arrangements. The manager is very “hands on” and client facing so he needed to have us work with him on a regular basis to ensure our system would work for him. First Visit: Westminster Compliance visited the client and discussed all aspects of the business so that we could determine how to set up a system that would keep GCS compliant with the legislation and was easy for the Manager to administer. GCS maintain a great number of records, particularly as they employ a lot of sub contracted staff who require training. The manager explained that he wanted a qualified consultant to help with risk assessments. Our Solution: We set up Ongoing Compliance Support and wrote a new bespoke health and safety policy. An Account Manager was appointed who trained many of the staff in the new system and showed them what their own responsibilities are regarding the legislation. A visit was then arranged to a large office complex where our consultant conducted a general premises risk assessment with GCS’s Manager so that he could conduct future risk assessments himself. The Outcome: GCS have now subscribed to our service for over seven years. We have helped to ensure that their policies and procedures are always in line with legislation. We have also provided extra documentation as required when new contracts have been tendered for. Client Message: "Thanks to all the team at Westminster Compliance whose guidance and regular contact gives GCS reassurance with all health and safety issues."
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Our Heritage Tree Services Ltd
Ongoing Compliance Support
27/01/2017
Tree Surgery Client Requirements: As the business had grown it started to look for commercial work. Any health and safety arrangements were not very well documented and IT was hardly being used. This client wanted to look and behave in a more professional and acceptable manner to the clients it sought. First Visit: As a first step, we reviewed the entire operation, its new premises and its staff. In this way, we had enough information to set up Ongoing Compliance Support for Our Heritage. We ensured that one of the directors fully understood what we were doing and how to operate the system along with our monthly telephone support. We trained them in risk assessment and the basics of health and safety to get them started. Our Solution: Having helped them to set up a risk register, a COSHH register, and a training program we were then able to start work on the entire manual of all their health and safety arrangements so they were printed with their own logo and all in one place. The Outcome: When visiting any new or potential client the Ongoing Compliance Support folder is always taken along. Our Heritage are very pleased to have implemented a health and safety system for all those associated with the business and even happier still that they can easily show anyone that they comply with all the relevant legislation. Client Message: "We wanted to have health and safety arrangements in place but never realised the effect this manual would have on gaining new business." Neil Egleton
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Gym and Health Spa
Consultancy
27/01/2017
Leisure Client Requirements: A surprise visit by the Local Authority in response to a complaint from a gym member resulted in the company receiving an Improvement Notice. The inspector was not satisfied that the gym had sufficient measures in place to prevent a chlorine gas leak. The Company was given a month to deal with the issue or face a Prohibition Notice (forcing the gym to close) and a large fine. First Visit: Westminster Compliance assigned a consultant to deal with this. She visited the gym and audited all the existing documentation and spoke to all those involved in carrying out the disinfection processes. It is an accidental mix of the chemicals used which could cause chlorine gas to be formed. Our Solution: Our Consultant came up with a programme of improvement. This included installation of chlorine gas alarms, a health and safety management process, purchase of the correct Personal Protective Equipment, a Safe Operating Procedure, an Emergency Evacuation Procedure and full certificated staff training, We completed this programme within six weeks having requested a two week extension from the Local Authority. The Outcome: The Improvement Notice was lifted following a second visit from the Inspector. The Company has now signed up as a subscription client and we ensure that the new regime is adhered to.
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GBE Installations Limited
Ongoing Compliance Support
26/01/2017
Electrical Contractors Client Requirements: Having set up Ongoing Compliance Support for GBE, the next challenge was to ensure that all their operatives received accredited and certificated training. First Visit: It was obvious from our first visit that we would struggle to conduct face to face training with most of GBE’s operatives. Shortly after this time one of their major clients demanded that the GBE operatives on a particular site must provide certificates to prove they were trained in Asbestos Awareness. Our Solution: Westminster Compliance made available, with immediate effect, a number of online training courses. GBE’s operational Director instructed the relevant operatives to complete online training courses that evening. They were then able to print off and take their respective ROSPA-approved training certificates to the site foreman the following day. The Outcome: GBE was able to continue with and successfully complete the contract. The company now ensures that all operatives are trained in the various online courses relevant to their work. When new staff or sub-contractors are taken on they are immediately asked to undertake the necessary online courses. All successful candidates are added to the training matrix which we produce for GBE. Client Message: "Thanks for making available this low cost and extremely efficient system for training my staff."
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Cyril Smith (Fencing) Ltd
Health & Safety
26/01/2017
Commercial Fencing - Supply and Installation Client Requirements: The client is responsible for the supply and installation of fencing to domestic, commercial and public properties. Their work is carried out for large organisations and some public-sector bodies. Having helped them with health and safety advice for many years the client now wanted help to gain and retain health and safety accreditation. First Visit: As a first step we set up Ongoing Compliance Support for Cyril Smith so that we could establish a system that would put all the correct documentation in one place. We also realised that they would need extra documentation by way of further policies and procedures and we offered to prepare draft versions for their approval. Our Solution: Westminster Compliance decided that a dedicated member of our administrative team would work with Cyril Smith to ensure that all the correct documentation was in place and kept up to date. We also worked as a go-between for our client and the accreditation bodies to help save them administrative time. The Outcome: Both CHAS and Safe Contractor health and safety accreditations were successfully secured, All the required documentation and training certificates are kept on our files and updated as necessary ensuring that Cyril Smith maintains these two accreditations. Client Message: "As I do not enjoy administration and paperwork, my sincere thanks go to the Westminster Compliance admin team for taking care of this for us."
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Gordon Homes
Risk Assessment
26/01/2017
House Building Client Requirements: Arran wanted to ensure that he complied with every aspect of the Health and Safety legislation. He knew that he needed a complete set of RAMS from excavation through to fitting roof tiles. We explained that we would need to visit the site before starting to produce documentation. First Visit: Our consultant visited the site of the first build project together with the architect and the foreman to discuss every aspect of the build. She looked at the site drawings and went through the existing health and safety arrangements and discussed the additional paperwork required. Our Solution: Over the next couple of months, Westminster Compliance helped Gordon Homes to prepare a range of documentation including a new health and safety policy, a construction phase plan and approximately twenty sets of RAMS. During this period regular contact was maintained with the client and with further site visits carried out. The Outcome: Gordon Homes now have a complete set of documentation that covers most of the work that will be done whilst they continue with further projects. All that is required now from Westminster Compliance are occasional “spot check” visits to ensure continued compliance. Client Message: "We wanted to have health and safety arrangements in place but never realised the effect this manual would have on gaining new business."
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AGP Cleaning Services Ltd
Accidents and Incidents
15/11/2016
Cleaning Contractors Client Requirements: AGP had recently secured a new contract for internal and external window cleaning to a commercial building. Despite being asked not to start the work yet, one of their sub-contractors visited the site a day early and fell off his ladder. He sustained some fractures and recruited legal help to get compensation for his injuries. First Visit: There was never any doubt in our mind that AGP had acted correctly as they had told him not to attend site. The no-win, no-fee solicitors had already passed this to the local Health and Safety inspectorate. Our Solution: The HSE were shown the hard copy Ongoing Compliance Support folder and supporting documentation which demonstrated that AGP were fully compliant with the legislation and had followed the correct procedure. They were also able to show that they had fully investigated the incident to establish whether there were any changes they could make to prevent a recurrence. The Outcome: Although there was a lot of communication over a period of several months which made the directors at AGP feel rather uncomfortable, the case eventually was closed. Client Message: "Despite your reassurances and confidence that nothing bad would result from this unfortunate incident, we were worried throughout the time the legal people were writing rather nasty letters. We will always trust your judgement and will always want you to look after our health and safety arrangements."
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