.png)
How to Tell if an Online Course is Legit: Compliance Training Accreditations You Need to Know About
- Flick Learning
- Feb 25
- 5 min read
Online courses are now extremely common. Almost every subject has dozens of seminars, videos, and courses promising to teach the fundamentals. The problem is that much of this material is outdated, incomplete, or just plain wrong.
Even if the course has a beautiful design, confident speakers and interactive elements, it doesn’t always make it accurate. So, how do you tell if a course is legit?
That all comes down to accreditation. We’ll explain the differences between CPD-approved courses and RoSPA-assured training courses, and how to get CPD accreditation for a compliance course.
The Risks of Unaccredited Compliance Courses
Taking an unaccredited course is fine if you’re just dipping your toe in a subject. Maybe you’re considering becoming a website designer or learning to play the guitar? The issue comes when the course subject really matters. Think of fundamental compliance subjects like child safeguarding or GDPR.
Often, there are legal requirements to train staff in these kinds of areas. If a course’s content is correct but isn’t industry recognised, you might fall short of legal or regulatory expectations.
If you’re an organisation, these unaccredited courses can lead to non-compliance and legal exposure. For individuals and employers, some regulators or inspectors may not accept the certificates.
Key Accreditation Bodies to Look For
Finding an accredited course isn’t as hard as it sounds. Many accreditation bodies verify course materials for accuracy.
Some of the top accreditation bodies include:
These bodies can be UK-based or international, and some are industry-specific, focusing on health and safety, safeguarding, food hygiene, and more. You want to select a course that meets the accreditation standards for your industry.
flick, for example, relies on a few different accreditation bodies depending on the subject matter. That includes CPD certification, RoSPA assurance, IATP approval and Home Office recognition. Where necessary, we submit the course for approval to ensure it’s recognised across the industry.
In fact, at the RoSPA Qualifications Awards 2024, flick won First Class eLearning Small Provider of the Year.
Which Online Course Certificate is Most Valuable?
That depends. The most valuable certification is the one that meets your sector’s regulatory needs (and stands up to inspection). That might mean an Ofqual-regulated qualification, an industry-specific approval, or a CPD-certified course.
If you’re not sure what the standards are for your industry, you can easily find them online. Search the relevant regulators or look at what other organisations use.
CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Certification
The CPD Certification Service began in 1996 as a way to verify the quality of training courses. Since then, it’s helped everyone from small consultancy firms to multinational corporations become accredited.
CPD Accreditation is now highly regarded worldwide. That’s why every flick course is fully accredited for CPD by the CPD Certification Service. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
What are CPD-Approved Courses?
CPD, or Continuing Professional Development, is the term used for learning activities that further a professional’s skills and career. It’s about a commitment to lifelong learning.
CPD-approved courses indicate that the organisation has undergone an independent, third-party evaluation of its training courses, events, and other forms of structured learning. That could be a workshop, online seminar, or any training material.
Is CPD Accreditation Recognised in the UK?
Yes. CPD Accreditation is recognised in the UK and over 100 countries worldwide. CPD training providers include the BMA, Rightmove, Legal & General, and flick.
How to Find Out if a Course is CPD Accredited
You can either find it listed on the training provider’s website or in the organisation’s documentation. Just make sure to verify it (see below).
Or you can search the CPD Courses Catalogue for over 35,000 CPD courses available across all industries. It’s a quick way to find what you’re looking for.
How to Verify a Course’s Legitimacy
Once a CPD provider is verified, they’re given a registration or approval number. You can confirm the veracity of this number on the CPD website. The same is true for almost every other awarding body.
A core part of accreditation is that courses are clearly organised into a syllabus with learning outcomes and assessment criteria. So, always check for these features.
What a Properly Accredited Course Should Include
A quality accredited course shouldn’t just be a box to tick. It gives learners the confidence that they’re actually gaining skills and knowledge. At a minimum, it should include:
Structured learning objectives aligned with regulations - Clear goals mapped to the standards you need to meet.
Assessments to confirm understanding - Tests or practical checks that show learners have genuinely absorbed the material.
Certificates with accreditation details and expiry - Easy-to-verify proof of completion, complete with accreditation body and any renewal dates.
Beyond that, a learning management system (LMS) is ideal. Features such as ease of navigation, progress tracking, mobile access, and reporting tools can transform the learning experience.
For more on what to look for in an LMS, see this guide on choosing the right Learning Management System.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
It’s not just what you should look for, but what you shouldn’t. Red flags often indicate that a course isn’t “legit” and won’t provide the value you need.
Look out for:
Vague claims like “fully certified.” The organisations should always list who accredited the course alongside any other information.
No contact details. If you can’t contact a company, then you can’t ask for further information about the accreditation. Sometimes, it means the company is a digital front without anything behind it.
No assessments or verifiable proof of completion. The certificate at the end of a course might not feel like much, but it matters. It provides proof for inspectors, auditors, and companies looking to hire.
Why Employers Must Check Accreditation
Employers should never take accreditation for granted. If your entire staff undergoes training, especially on important topics like health & safety, and the course turns out not to be accredited, your entire staff is non-compliant.
During an audit, inspection, or other compliance checks, it can raise eyebrows and lead to unwanted questions. Worse, there’s even a risk of fines, claims, or reputational damage.
Trust a reliable, accredited training provider like flick. With over a decade of experience, we’ve helped countless companies overhaul their training, offering high-quality education via our compliance courses, learning management system and white-label courses.
Learn more about how flick works and how we can help you.
Comments