Appeals

An applicant may formally request SCCS to reconsider any adverse decision SCCS has made related to its desired certification status by submitting an appeal in writing to the Scheme Manager at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it within 14 days of the date of the decision.

Adverse decisions include

• Refusal to accept an application
• Refusal to proceed with an assessment
• Corrective action requests
• Changes to certified scope
• Decisions to deny, suspend or withdraw certification, and
• Any other action that impedes the attainment of certification

Appeals process

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF APPEAL

• The Scheme Manager will acknowledge the appeal within two working days of receipt.
• The Certification Board chairman will decide which of the Certification Board members should be asked to make up the Appeals Panel and ensure that there has been no prior involvement in the audit or certification decision by the panel members, who are familiar with the relevant SCCS requirements and processes, to investigate the appeal.
• The Scheme Manager will validate the appeal and ensure all necessary arrangements, i.e. notification to participants, of venue and papers for the meeting are made available to enable the Appeals Panel to meet within 30 clear days of the original notification from the company.
• The appellant shall be given at least 7 clear days' notice of the time and venue of the meeting.
• The Panel shall consider the Appeal from the company, who shall attend the meeting. The meeting will be in Confidence but shall be minuted.

 APPEAL DECISION

• The decision of the majority of the Appeals Panel as declared by the Chairman shall be final.
• The meeting will be properly minuted and the minutes circulated to all participants, including the appellant. The Impartiality Panel will be advised to review the impartiality of the process.
• The results of any appeals will be reviewed at the management review and Certification Board meetings.
• The appellant may withdraw the appeal at any time during the process. If for any reason an appeal is withdrawn, SCCS will not accept a future appeal on the same grounds.