Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs)
PSRBs and Accreditation
Definition of PSRBs
Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) are a diverse group of professional and employer organisations, regulators, and bodies with statutory authority over a profession or group of professionals. PSRBs engage with higher education primarily as regulators. They provide membership services, promote the interests of those working in the profession, and accredit or endorse courses that meet recognised professional standards, provide routes into the profession, or are valued by employers. (HESA, 2012)
Why do PSRB requirements matter?
It is important to consider PSRB requirements when designing new courses and modules and when making amendments to existing provision. Accreditation ensures that courses meet professional standards and provide students with the knowledge and skills required for their future careers.
The University must also ensure that it meets the standards set by relevant external and independent regulators. The University is subject to external review through a range of regulatory processes and frameworks which provide assurance about the quality and standards of its provision.
PSRB accreditation, approval or recognition
Students may choose a course based on its PSRB accreditation, so it is essential that all published information about accreditation is clear, accurate and up to date. This should include:
- whether a course is currently accredited;
- what form of accreditation is available;
- what students must do to gain accreditation, including whether this is automatic or requires a separate application;
- where accreditation has been applied for but is not yet confirmed, a clear statement of this in published information for both prospective and current students.
Methods and the frequency of accreditation vary. Departments should ensure that clear information is provided on PSRB requirements for accreditation when seeking approval for new or amended courses and modules.
Information on accreditation is published in programme specifications, in Course Finder, and in the prospectus. It’s also collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) who share the information with public authorities who require it to carry out their statutory and/or public functions. The information is also published on Discover Uni, the official website that holds data on undergraduate courses at universities.
It is therefore essential that information about links with PSRBs is consistent and accurate wherever it is held or published.
Department/School responsibilities for PSRB links and information
Departments and Schools are responsible for managing their relationships with PSRBs and ensuring that all records and published information are accurate. Heads of Department/School and Department/School Managers should assign responsibility for the following tasks to appropriate staff members:
- Maintaining contact with the PSRBs that accredit, approve or recognise departmental courses.
- Submitting applications for PSRB accreditation.
- Liaising with PSRBs regarding accreditation requirements and providing this information when seeking approval for new or amended courses and modules.
- Maintaining records of PSRB accreditation, including key dates and the frequency of reviews or reaccreditation.
- Ensuring all University records and published information are accurate and up to date. This includes actively reviewing and confirming course accreditations annually as part of Curriculum Update and periodically reviewing information held in ESIS and the central accreditation Box folders to ensure accuracy. If access to a Box folder is required, contact the Quality and Academic Development Team (QUAD) at quad@essex.ac.uk.
- Checking the accuracy of PSRB related information across systems, including ESIS, University webpages and PSRB websites, and ensuring information is consistent. For help accessing accreditation records in ESIS, contact Course Records at crt@essex.ac.uk.
- Notifying QUAD in advance of upcoming PSRB accreditation visits or reviews and completing an accreditation activity risk assessment where required. QUAD should be informed as soon as possible so that appropriate institutional and Faculty involvement can be arranged. This is particularly important where accreditation activity coincides with Periodic Review or course validation.
- Organising and managing arrangements for PSRB visits.
- Sharing key correspondence and schedules for upcoming accreditation visits with QUAD and the relevant Faculty, and sending copies of accreditation decisions and reports to QUAD as soon as they are available. Outcomes are reported to the Academic Quality and Standards Committee (AQSC).
- Including responses to PSRB recommendations in Annual Review of Courses and Periodic Review processes.
Reporting PSRB outcomes
Departments and Schools must share reports and outcomes from PSRB monitoring, reviews and visits with QUAD and the relevant Faculty. An institutional overview of PSRB activity and outcomes is reported to AQSC as part of the University's quality assurance reporting arrangements.
Where a PSRB sets conditions, recommendations or other actions, an action plan should be shared with QUAD and approved by the relevant Faculty Dean.
Departments and Schools should also report on relevant PSRB feedback, requirements and actions through the Annual Review of Courses process.
Accreditation visits and reviews
Departments and Schools should inform QUAD and their Faculty as soon as they become aware of a forthcoming accreditation visit or review.
An accreditation activity risk assessment should be completed for cyclical or large scale reviews and for any review, return or visit requested by an accrediting body out of sequence or in response to a specific issue. Standard annual returns and routine confirmations do not require a risk assessment. If you are unsure whether a risk assessment is required, contact QUAD.
Factors considered when assessing risk include, but are not limited to:
- a previous unsatisfactory accreditation visit;
- concerns about progress with actions arising from a previous accreditation visit;
- an unexpected or out of sequence visit or review.
Departments and Schools should complete Section 1 of the risk assessment form and send it to quad@essex.ac.uk. QUAD will review the information, add any relevant institutional context and seek confirmation of the risk level from the relevant Faculty Dean. The outcome will then be communicated to the Department or School.
Where accreditation activity is assessed as presenting more than a low level of risk, the matter will be escalated through the appropriate University channels so that any actions required to support the Faculty and Department or School can be agreed.
Keeping accreditation records up to date
Each Department and School has a dedicated accreditation Box folder which has been set up by QUAD and should be maintained by departmental staff. If you require access to your folder, contact quad@essex.ac.uk.
Accreditation information should be checked for accuracy as part of the annual Curriculum Update process. Departments and Schools should review and update accreditation information alongside other course and module information and confirm through Curriculum Update where no changes are required.
QUAD will issue prompts during the academic year reminding Departments and Schools to review their accreditation information and signposting the relevant processes.
Resources and support
The Accreditations by Programme report can be used to review accreditation information held in Programme Specifications. The report is grouped by Faculty, Department, Programme Title and Study Mode.
Accreditation data is stored and maintained by Departments and Schools through the Programme Specifications screens in ESIS.
If you are unsure about PSRB or accreditation requirements, contact the Quality and Academic Development Team at quad@essex.ac.uk for advice.
