Our Standards

We set standards for regulators and Accredited Registers. Our Standards are the backbone of our work. They form the basis on which we review and assess the regulators and Accredited Registers we oversee.

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Introducing our new combined Standards

Over the last year, we have been reviewing our Standards for both the regulators and Accredited Registers we oversee. We have now published our Standards for Regulators and Accredited Registers. The updated framework strengthens our expectations on safeguarding, governance and professional suitability.

Read our new Standards
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Standards for Regulators and Accredited Registers 2026

We have published a new set of Standards. For the first time, we will be using a single set of Standards covering both professional regulators and Accredited Registers. While these organisations operate in different ways and have different powers, the Standards reinforce the principle that the public should expect the same high level of protection.

Read our combined Standards
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Our Standards and the regulators we oversee

Each year we check how well each of the 10 regulators we oversee is meeting our Standards of Good Regulation. We call this process a performance review. It helps us to assess how well they are doing their job of protecting the public. We publish the result in a report which sets out key findings, highlights good practice, includes recommendations as well as areas for improvement.

Find out more about how we use our Standards to review the regulators
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Our Standards and the registers we accredit

We independently assess registers who apply to us to become part of our Accredited Registers programme. We use our Standards for Accredited Registers to do this. When we are satisfied that a register has met all the Standards, we publish a report on the outcome and award a 'Quality Mark'. This shows that an organisation is committed to protecting the public and is working to good practice.

Find out more about how we use our Standards for Accredited Registers
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Find out more about the six categories

We now have six categories (plus an additional Standard for assessing Accredited Registers). These categories cover the core functions of the regulators and registers we oversee and/or accredit as well as Standards covering governance, equality, diversity and inclusion and how we expect these organisations to collaborate and engage with stakeholders.

Find out more about the categories covered by our Standards
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Why did we introduce new Standards? Why now?

Why did we introduce new Standards, how do they affect people, and why now? These are some of the questions we put to Amanda Partington‑Todd, Interim Director of Regulation and Accreditation, and Melanie Venables, Director of Policy and Communications. We’ve brought their answers together in a short video.

Watch the video to find out more in this interview