What is non-accredited certification and why don’t HPA recommend it?

What is non-accredited certification and why don’t HPA recommend it?

When a company gets certified to an ISO standard (like ISO 9001 for quality management), they usually go through a certification body that audits them. Now, that certification body can itself be audited and approved by an official accreditation body—like UKAS in the UK.

So:

• Accredited ISO certification means the certifying body is recognised by an official accreditation body. It’s the gold standard.
• Non-accredited ISO certification means the certifying body isn’t recognised by any official accreditation body. They might still follow similar processes, but no one’s really “checking their homework”.

Why don’t HPA recommend non-accredited certification?

1. Lack of credibility
   Non-accredited certificates aren’t widely trusted. Customers, regulators, and partners might question the validity of your certification. It can look a bit like “ticking a box” without doing the real work.
2. Not accepted by some clients
   Big clients (especially in government, defence, or international supply chains) often require accredited certification.
3. No assurance of audit quality
   With no accreditation, there's no guarantee the a certifying body follows proper auditing standards. You could end up with a subpar audit or a certificate that doesn’t mean much.
4. Could cost you more in the long run
   You might have to redo the whole process later with an accredited body if your stakeholders don't accept the non-accredited one.

Why do people still go for it then?

Usually because:

• It’s cheaper
• It’s quicker
• They just want a certificate on the wall, not the full compliance effort

But it’s a bit like buying a knockoff designer bag. It looks like the real thing, but if someone checks closely, it’s not going to pass the test.

If you're considering ISO certification, HPA definitely recommend going the accredited route—it saves a lot of bother and gives your business proper credibility.