IBSS™ Policies & Commitments

Accreditation & Recognition Policy

IBSS™ recognition is intended to provide a defined, evidence-led route for organizations seeking recognition within an approved scope. Recognition applies only to the scope, period and conditions shown in the official decision and public record.

Core principles

• Entry requirements, evidence expectations and decision criteria should be published or otherwise communicated before assessment.
• Applicants are evaluated against the requirements that apply to the requested scope.
• Findings, conditions, limitations and decisions are documented.
• Recognition is not transferable to activities, locations or programs outside the approved scope.
• Continued recognition may depend on monitoring, corrective action, renewal or reassessment.

Responsible claims

Recognized organizations may only describe the status actually granted by IBSS™. Recognition must not be represented as government approval, statutory licensing, ISO accreditation or endorsement by another organization unless separate documentary evidence supports that claim.

Approved Training Provider Policy

Approved Training Provider status is granted to organizations that satisfy the applicable IBSS™ partner requirements for their approved training scope.

Partner expectations

• Maintain competent trainers, appropriate learning resources and suitable learner support.
• Deliver only programs and locations included within the approved scope.
• Use current IBSS™ program materials and assessment requirements where applicable.
• Maintain learner, assessment and quality-assurance records for the required period.
• Cooperate with monitoring, sampling, corrective actions and renewal requirements.
• Use IBSS™ marks and wording only as authorized.

Monitoring and action

IBSS™ may request evidence, conduct review activity, impose conditions, restrict scope, suspend or withdraw ATP status where requirements are not maintained or claims are misleading.

Qualification & Certification Scheme Rules

Each IBSS™ qualification or certification route should clearly define what a candidate must demonstrate and what successful completion represents.

Scheme requirements

• Published entry requirements or recommended prior learning where relevant.
• Defined learning outcomes, assessment methods and pass requirements.
• Identity and assessment-security controls appropriate to the method used.
• Documented assessment and certification decisions.
• Defined certificate wording, reference number and status.
• Renewal, recertification or continuing-competence requirements where applicable.

Meaning of an award

An IBSS™ certificate confirms the outcome defined by the applicable scheme. It does not automatically create a professional licence or statutory authority to practise.

Assessment & Quality Assurance Policy

IBSS™ aims to protect the validity, consistency and fairness of assessment decisions through defined assessment and quality-assurance controls.

Assessment principles

• Assessment should match the stated learning outcomes or competence criteria.
• Assessors should be competent for the subject and assessment method they use.
• Evidence must be authentic, sufficient and attributable to the learner or candidate.
• Assessment decisions should be recorded and capable of review.
• Sampling, moderation or internal quality assurance should be proportionate to risk.
• Conflicts of interest must be identified and controlled.

Quality improvement

Recurring assessment issues, complaints, appeals, sampling findings or monitoring results may trigger corrective action, additional sampling, training or scheme review.

Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct

IBSS™ expects members, certificate holders, contributors, partners and people acting on behalf of IBSS™ to communicate and act honestly, responsibly and within their competence.

Expected conduct

• Act with integrity and avoid knowingly false or misleading statements.
• Put the protection of people and responsible safety practice ahead of convenience.
• Work within the limits of competence, authority and applicable law.
• Respect confidentiality, privacy and intellectual property.
• Declare material conflicts of interest.
• Use IBSS™ titles, grades, certificates and marks accurately.

Complaints Policy

IBSS™ welcomes legitimate complaints as an important source of accountability and improvement.

Process

• Complaints should identify the issue, relevant people or records and the outcome sought where possible.
• Receipt should be acknowledged and the matter assigned for appropriate review.
• People with a material conflict should not control the investigation.
• Relevant evidence should be considered before an outcome is issued.
• Where corrective action is required, responsibility and follow-up should be recorded.
• Complaint information is handled with appropriate confidentiality while allowing a fair investigation.

Appeals Policy

An appeal is a request for review of an eligible decision. Appeals focus on whether the applicable criteria, evidence and decision process were applied correctly.

Appeal principles

• The appellant should identify the decision and grounds for appeal.
• Appeal deadlines and required information should be communicated.
• The appeal reviewer should be independent of the original decision to the extent practicable.
• The reviewer may uphold, vary, return or overturn a decision where the evidence and rules justify it.
• Appeal outcomes and reasons should be documented.

Malpractice, Misconduct & Integrity Policy

IBSS™ may investigate conduct that threatens the integrity of assessment, certification, membership, recognition, verification or public publishing.

Examples

• Plagiarism, collusion or unauthorized assistance.
• Impersonation or falsified identity/evidence.
• Altered, forged or misused certificates and verification records.
• False claims of approval, accreditation, membership or partnership.
• Deliberate interference with assessment, monitoring or investigation.
• Submission of plagiarized, unsafe, unlawful or knowingly misleading public-blog content.

Possible outcomes

Depending on severity and evidence, outcomes may include correction, warning, reassessment, invalidation, suspension, withdrawal, removal of content, restriction of access or referral to appropriate authorities where legally necessary.

Reasonable Adjustments & Fair Access Policy

IBSS™ aims to reduce avoidable barriers to participation while preserving the competence, safety and assessment outcomes that a qualification or certification is intended to measure.

Approach

• Requests should be considered individually and in confidence.
• Adjustments should address the barrier without changing the required competence standard.
• Health, safety, legal and practical constraints may limit some adjustments.
• Decisions and agreed arrangements should be recorded.
• Where an adjustment cannot be approved, the reason and any reasonable alternative should be explained.

Membership & CPD Policy

IBSS™ membership grades are intended to reflect different stages of professional development and should be supported by the evidence required for the relevant grade.

Membership principles

• Higher grades require stronger qualification, experience or contribution evidence.
• Payment does not by itself establish eligibility for a professional grade.
• Professional grades may carry ongoing CPD and conduct requirements.
• Membership must be renewed within the applicable period to remain active.
• Public verification should reflect the current recorded status.
• Members must not present IBSS™ membership as statutory licensing or another organization's designation.

Public Blog Contributor Policy

The IBSS™ Public Safety Blog is designed to allow approved members and non-members to contribute professional safety scenarios, lessons, commentary and thought leadership subject to editorial review.

Contributor rules

• Contributor approval is separate from IBSS™ professional membership.
• Approved contributors receive a contributor ID and portal access for the active period.
• All submissions remain subject to editorial review before publication.
• Content must be original or properly attributed and must not knowingly disclose confidential or unlawful information.
• IBSS™ may edit for clarity, request changes, decline publication or remove content where necessary.
• Contributor status does not make the writer an employee, regulator, spokesperson or accredited representative of IBSS™.

Annual access

Where an annual contributor fee applies, payment is requested only after contributor approval. Renewal maintains access to the contributor portal and active verification status, subject to continued compliance.

Verification & Credential Status Policy

IBSS™ uses public verification to help stakeholders check the current recorded status of certificates, ATPs, memberships, contributor IDs and other approved records.

Verification principles

• Each verifiable record should use a unique reference or approved identifier.
• The public result should display only information appropriate for verification.
• Status terms such as Active, Expired, Suspended, Withdrawn or Not Found should be used consistently.
• Expired or withdrawn status must not be represented as active.
• Suspected errors should be investigated against the controlled source record.

Data Protection & Records Policy

IBSS™ aims to collect and retain information only where there is a legitimate operational, contractual, verification, quality or compliance purpose.

Our approach

• Collect information proportionate to the service being provided.
• Restrict access to people who need the information for authorized work.
• Use reasonable safeguards for personal, assessment and credential records.
• Maintain controlled records for decisions, certificates, memberships, partner status and verification.
• Retain and dispose of information according to defined retention needs and applicable obligations.
• Provide a route for appropriate requests concerning personal information.

Brand, Logo & Claims Policy

IBSS™ names, marks, certificates and recognition wording must be used in a way that accurately reflects the status granted.

Permitted-use principles

• Only currently authorized parties may use controlled IBSS™ marks where permission is required.
• Wording must remain within the approved scope and validity period.
• Logos must not be altered in a way that changes identity or meaning.
• IBSS™ status must not be used to imply government licensing, ISO accreditation or third-party endorsement that has not been granted.
• Suspended, expired or withdrawn status must not continue to be marketed as active.