What Is SSIP?

Understand what SSIP is trying to solve

Clients and principal contractors often ask subcontractors to hold a recognised health and safety assessment such as CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline or another member scheme. SSIP exists so that, at the core assessment stage, mutual recognition can reduce repeating the same baseline questions across schemes. Your organisation still chooses which member scheme to pursue, which higher stages or additional modules a particular client wants, and how training and competence evidence is organised internally. SSIP membership language on a certificate is not a substitute for named worker records on a live project.

Evidence checklist teams usually assemble

• Which SSIP member scheme and stage your organisation holds or is applying for
• Named health and safety policy and responsible persons, kept outside the training matrix
• Role-based training requirements your company assigns to operatives and supervisors
• Sample certificates and expiry dates for the workforce covered by the application
• Induction, toolbox-talk or briefing records where the assessor asks for them
• Subcontractor control process: how you obtain and check their training evidence
• Clear separation between company accreditation evidence and individual card or course files

Workflow for keeping assessment packs current

Treat SSIP-related assessments as recurring evidence cycles. A matrix helps you pull named people, dates and files quickly; it does not replace the assessor’s criteria or your management system.

1. Confirm the exact scheme, stage and any client add-ons before gathering files.
2. Map which training requirements your application narrative claims you control.
3. Export or filter current, missing and expired records for the named sample set.
4. Attach readable evidence and remove superseded scans that confuse reviewers.
5. Record the submission date and any assessor queries as open actions.
6. After approval, keep renewal and surveillance dates visible alongside workforce expiries.

How contractors use matrices without overstating SSIP

Sales teams sometimes describe an SSIP member certificate as proof that “all training is covered”. Assessors and clients increasingly ask for named examples: supervisors with SMSTS or SSSTS where assigned, operatives with current cards, first-aid cover planning, and a process for agency labour. Use the matrix to support those examples with real people and dates. Keep company-level documents—policy, risk assessments, monitoring arrangements—in the management-system folder structure, and link to them rather than dumping every PDF into worker rows. When a client asks for a different member scheme, check whether mutual recognition at core stage is accepted for that buyer before re-running the entire training pack.

During surveillance or renewal, compare the workforce named in the application with the people now mobilised. Turnover is normal; pretending last year’s sample still represents the company is a common finding. Update role assignments when work types change, and mark requirements as not required where a role genuinely falls outside the claim. That honesty is more durable than a wall of green cells.

Honest limits

FieldClear tracks assigned training requirements only. It does not achieve SSIP recognition, complete scheme questionnaires, or guarantee that an assessment will pass. Scheme and product pages help you organise evidence for audits; they do not accredit your organisation. This guide is not legal advice.