The Assurance DeskWhat Approachable Certification offers, and what it publishes
Approachable Certification can certify you to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 under UKAS accreditation, with ISO/IEC 27701 privacy management as a related scheme. Its UKAS schedule, Issue 020 dated 11 December 2025, also covers ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001. It does not include ISO/IEC 42001 for AI management systems.
Approachable Certification does not publish a price. It says it charges a 'fixed daily rate' but gives no rate, example or range. It names no lead auditors and publishes no auditor credentials, case studies or indemnity cover. Its sectors page is the standard IAF sector-code list, the same for all four standards.
Approachable Certification's impartiality statement says it has never offered consultancy or internal audits, and it runs a Committee for Impartiality with a two-year cooling-off period for auditors. Its Rules of Registration require complaints in writing and send appeals to an independent committee whose decision is final. They also require the client to indemnify the firm, not the other way round.
Strengths
- Live, current UKAS accreditation (No. 8320, Issue 020, issued 11 December 2025) explicitly names ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management System Certification in scope, confirmed by reading the primary UKAS schedule PDF rather than the firm's own summary.
- Explicit, published impartiality policy stating the firm has never offered management-system consultancy or internal-audit services to clients, backed by a Committee for Impartiality and a two-year cooling-off period for auditors moving from client relationships.
- Published Rules of Registration give a working complaints process and an appeals route heard by an independent committee, with named (if generic) suspension and withdrawal triggers, more procedural transparency than many small certification bodies disclose.
- Combined UKAS scope also covers ISO/IEC 27701:2019 (privacy information management) as a sector scheme, useful for a buyer wanting ISO 27001 and privacy-management certification from one accredited body.
Things to check
- The firm's UKAS schedule (Issue 020, 11 Dec 2025, read in full) does not include ISO/IEC 42001 (Artificial Intelligence Management Systems) anywhere in its accredited scope, only ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001, plus ISO 27701 as a sector scheme.
- No named lead auditors, individual auditor credentials (e.g. CQI/IRCA registration) or case studies/outcome statistics are published anywhere on the company's site.
- No published fee figures or rate card: the site states a commitment to a 'fixed daily rate' model but gives no actual rate, worked example or price range, quotes are bespoke-only on request.
- No professional indemnity insurance level or liability cap for the firm's own exposure is disclosed; the published Rules of Registration only require the client to indemnify Approachable Certification, not the reverse.
- The 'Industry Sectors We Audit' page is an unmodified IAF sector-code matrix reused across all four standards, with no named sector specialists or tailored sector programmes described.
Common questions
Is Approachable Certification accredited for ISO/IEC 42001?
No. Its UKAS schedule, Issue 020 dated 11 December 2025, covers ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001, with ISO/IEC 27701 as a related scheme. ISO/IEC 42001 does not appear.
Does Approachable Certification also sell consultancy?
Not by its own account. Its impartiality statement says it has never offered management-system consultancy or internal audits, and it runs a Committee for Impartiality with a two-year cooling-off period for auditors.
Does it publish its fees?
No. It says it uses a 'fixed daily rate' but publishes no rate, worked example or range; quotes come on request.
Can I appeal a certification decision?
Yes. Its Rules of Registration let you appeal audit outcomes, suspensions or withdrawals to an independent committee, whose decision is final and binding. Complaints must be made in writing.
Evidence for each Approachable Certification score
Show our working
Notes behind each thing to check
- The firm's UKAS schedule (Issue 020, 11 Dec 2025, read in full) does not include ISO/IEC 42001 (Artificial Intelligence Management Systems) anywhere in its accredited scope, only ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001, plus ISO 27701 as a sector scheme. (UKAS Schedule of Accreditation No. 8320, Issue 020 (11 December 2025), full 8-page document, https://www.ukas.com/wp-content/uploads/schedule_uploads/00011/04947/8320Management-Systems.pdf)
- No named lead auditors, individual auditor credentials (e.g. CQI/IRCA registration) or case studies/outcome statistics are published anywhere on the company's site. (Approachable Certification About page and ISO 27001 certification page, https://www.approachable.uk.com/about/ and https://www.approachable.uk.com/audit-certification/iso-27001-certification/)
- No published fee figures or rate card: the site states a commitment to a 'fixed daily rate' model but gives no actual rate, worked example or price range, quotes are bespoke-only on request. (Approachable Certification ISO 27001 certification page, https://www.approachable.uk.com/audit-certification/iso-27001-certification/)
- No professional indemnity insurance level or liability cap for the firm's own exposure is disclosed; the published Rules of Registration only require the client to indemnify Approachable Certification, not the reverse. (Approachable Certification Rules of Registration, https://www.approachable.uk.com/rules-of-registration/)
- The 'Industry Sectors We Audit' page is an unmodified IAF sector-code matrix reused across all four standards, with no named sector specialists or tailored sector programmes described. (Approachable Certification Industry Sectors page, https://www.approachable.uk.com/audit-certification/industry-sectors-audit/)
| Criterion | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Help when things go wrong | Published Rules of Registration document a complaints procedure, an appeals process heard by an independent committee, and suspension/withdrawal triggers; no public UKAS sanction against the firm was found, but no outcome statistics or named audit staff are disclosed. | |
| Qualifications of the people who do the work | UKAS Schedule 8320 (Issue 020, 11 Dec 2025) confirms live accreditation naming ISO/IEC 27001:2022 ISMS certification explicitly in scope, verified against the primary UKAS PDF rather than the firm's own summary page. | |
| What it publishes about fees | Site states a general fee model ('fixed daily rate') but publishes no actual rate card, worked example or price range; all quotes are bespoke on request. | |
| Knowledge of your sector | Sectors page is an unmodified IAF sector-code matrix applied identically across ISO 9001/14001/27001/45001, with no named sector specialists or tailored sector programmes. | |
| Independence from what it sells | Published Impartiality Statement explicitly states the firm has never offered management-system consultancy or internal-audit services, with a Committee for Impartiality and a two-year cooling-off period for former-client relationships. | |
| Who carries the risk if the advice is wrong | No professional indemnity insurance level, liability cap, or breach-support commitment for clients is disclosed anywhere on the site or in the published Rules of Registration. |
Sources for Approachable Certification
- Companies House record confirms the exact registered name, number, status and incorporation date (APPROACHABLE CERTIFICATION LTD, company no. 08713893, Active, incorporated 1 October 2013, registered office 18 The Forum, 2 Tameside Business Park, Windmill Lane, Denton, Manchester M34 3QS) (Companies House, checked 19 September 2026)
- Current UKAS Schedule of Accreditation (primary source PDF, read in full, 8 pages) confirms live accreditation covering ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (UKAS accreditation number 8320, Issue No. 020, Issue date 11 December 2025, Scope: 'Information Security Management System Certification', Standard: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 and ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024)) (ukas.com, checked 19 September 2026)
- The same UKAS schedule also accredits a related privacy sector scheme, but contains no Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS)/ISO 42001 scope anywhere in its 8 pages (ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Privacy Information Management System Certification listed as an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Sector Scheme (in accordance with ISO/IEC TS 27006-2:2021); no ISO/IEC 42001 or AIMS scope appears in the schedule) (ukas.com, checked 19 September 2026)
- Published Impartiality Statement states the firm does not and has never offered consultancy or internal-audit services ("Approachable Certification Ltd...doesn't offer (and has never offered) management system consultancy or any other form of consultancy" and "doesn't offer (and has never offered) an internal audit service to companies or individuals"; includes a Committee for Impartiality and a two-year auditor cooling-off period) (approachable.uk.com, checked 19 September 2026)
- Published Rules of Registration set out complaints, appeals and suspension/withdrawal terms (Complaints must be made in writing; unresolved audit outcomes, suspensions or withdrawals may be appealed to an independent committee whose decision is final and binding; suspension triggers include logo misuse, failure to implement corrective action, or non-payment) (approachable.uk.com, checked 19 September 2026)
UKAS-accredited (No. 8320, Issue No. 020, dated 11 December 2025) for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management System Certification (stated on the UKAS Schedule of Accreditation PDF, ukas.com) Same UKAS schedule (No. 8320, Issue No. 020, 11 December 2025) also accredits ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Privacy Information Management System Certification as an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 sector scheme (ukas.com)
Seeking ISO 42001 certification
Where this firm appears
If you represent this firm and something here is wrong or out of date, email hello@theassurancedesk.com with the evidence.
This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.