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COMPLIANCE FAQS · H&S · HR · ISO · CDM · SSIP
Straight answers to the questions we actually get asked.
The questions below are the ones that land in our inbox and come up on first calls, answered plainly. Each one stands on its own, so you can read just the answer you need. These answers come from the consultants who do the work, not a content team. If yours needs more than a paragraph, the named specialist who would handle it is a click away, and a free review costs nothing.
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BROWSE BY TOPIC
Jump to the answers that matter to you.
We've grouped the questions by the area they sit in. Each section below is self-contained, so start wherever your situation is.
Health & Safety
Competent persons, the HSE Fee for Intervention, risk assessment reviews, and finding your biggest risk first.
HR & Employment Law
TUPE, tribunal triggers, written contracts, absence management, and whether to outsource HR or hire in-house.
ISO Consultancy & Certification
What ISO 45001 is, how long certification takes, how it differs from SSIP, and who supports the whole journey.
CDM & Principal Designer
Principal Designer duties, CDM 2015, F10 notifications, and whether your project needs a Principal Designer.
SSIP
What SSIP is, which scheme to choose, how long accreditation takes, and why you might need more than one.
Pricing & working with us
What compliance consultancy costs, our low-cost starting point, where we're based, and how to get started.
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HEALTH & SAFETY
Health & safety questions
Do I legally need a health and safety consultant?
You are not required to hire a consultant, but the law does require you to appoint a competent person to help you meet your health and safety duties. For most small and medium businesses without that expertise in-house, an external consultant is the practical way to fill the role. Read more on what a competent person is, or see our health and safety service.
What is the HSE Fee for Intervention?
Fee for Intervention (FFI) is the HSE's power to recover its costs from a business found in material breach of health and safety law, charged at £174 per hour. It covers the inspector's time investigating and following up the breach, and a single case can run to many hours. You can estimate the full cost of an incident with our H&S cost calculator.
How often should risk assessments be reviewed?
There is no fixed interval in law, but you must review a risk assessment whenever it may no longer be valid: after an incident, a change in process, new equipment, or new staff. In practice, an annual review plus reviews on any significant change keeps you on the right side of the duty. We offer free risk assessment templates to start from.
What is a competent person under health and safety law?
A competent person is someone with the skills, knowledge and experience to help you manage health and safety properly. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require every employer to appoint one. It can be someone in your business or an external consultant. See what a competent person is for the full explainer.
Not sure where my biggest H&S risk is. How do I find out?
Take the Compliance Health Check. It scores you across health and safety, HR and ISO in about two minutes and names the single thing worth fixing first, with a tailored report.
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HR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
HR & employment law questions
When does TUPE apply?
TUPE applies when a business or part of it transfers to a new owner, or when a service moves from one provider to another, for example when a contract changes hands. It protects employees' terms and continuity of employment, and it places specific duties on both the old and new employer. Read the full TUPE explainer for employers.
What can trigger an employment tribunal claim?
Common triggers include unfair dismissal, discrimination, unpaid wages, and breaches of contract or of TUPE. Many claims trace back to a process that was rushed or undocumented rather than a genuinely unfair decision. Our employment tribunal guide for employers covers how to protect your business.
Do I have to give employees a written contract?
Yes. Employees and workers are entitled to a written statement of their main terms from day one of employment. Getting this wrong, or issuing nothing, is one of the most common and avoidable exposures we see. Our HR and employment law service handles contracts and handbooks.
How do I manage persistent absence fairly and legally?
You need a clear absence policy, consistent record-keeping, and a fair process of return-to-work conversations and, where needed, formal stages. Done properly it protects both the employee and the business. See our absence management guidance.
Should I outsource HR or hire someone in-house?
It depends on size and frequency of need. Many growing SMEs find outsourced HR gives them senior employment-law expertise on demand for less than a full-time hire, without the overhead. Our guide on the benefits of outsourced HR weighs it up.
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ISO CERTIFICATION
ISO certification questions
What is ISO 45001?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management. Certification shows clients and tenders that you manage workplace health and safety to a recognised standard, and it increasingly separates the contractors who win work from those who do not. Read what ISO 45001 is for the full explainer.
How long does ISO certification take?
For most SMEs it runs from a few months to around a year, depending on how much of a management system you already have and how much time you can give it. A gap analysis at the start tells you realistically how far off you are. Run the ISO 45001 gap analysis to see.
What is the difference between ISO 45001 and SSIP?
SSIP is a UK accreditation that proves your health and safety arrangements meet a recognised threshold, mainly to win contracts. ISO 45001 is an international management-system standard that goes wider and deeper. Many contractors hold both. Our ISO 45001 page explains how they sit together.
Do you support the whole journey or just the gap analysis?
The whole journey. We run gap analysis, implementation, certification support and surveillance preparation, with a named consultant throughout. We do not hand you a gap report and leave. See our ISO certification service.
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CDM & PRINCIPAL DESIGNER
CDM & Principal Designer questions
What is a Principal Designer?
A Principal Designer plans, manages and coordinates health and safety during the design phase of a construction project, under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM). They are a legal duty-holder on most projects with more than one contractor. Read what a Principal Designer is for the full explainer.
What is CDM 2015?
CDM 2015 sets out the health and safety duties for everyone involved in a construction project, from the client to the contractors. It defines who is responsible for what at each stage. Our explainer covers what CDM 2015 is and who carries which duty.
What is an F10 notification?
An F10 notifies the HSE of a notifiable construction project under CDM 2015, that is, one that will last more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at any point, or exceed 500 person-days. The client is responsible for submitting it. Read what an F10 notification is.
Do I need a Principal Designer for my project?
If your project involves more than one contractor, CDM 2015 requires the client to appoint a Principal Designer. Under the Building Safety Act, a Principal Designer is also required for building work covered by the building regulations. We can carry both duties. See our CDM and Principal Designer service.
Are we ready to win and deliver compliant construction work?
The fastest way to know is the CDM/SSIP Readiness Checker. Ten questions give you a traffic-light report on your accreditation, RAMS, duty-holders and competence records, with an action plan for any gaps.
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SSIP
SSIP questions
What is SSIP?
SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) is a network of recognised health and safety accreditation schemes that help contractors prove their arrangements and win work. Holding an SSIP-member accreditation means many clients will accept you without re-auditing. Read what SSIP is for the full explainer.
Which SSIP scheme should I choose?
It depends on who you want to work for. CHAS and SMAS Worksafe are widely accepted in construction; Constructionline carries weight with public-sector and housing clients; SafeContractor suits a broad mix. We are scheme-agnostic and match you to the right one. Try the SSIP Scheme Selector.
How long does SSIP accreditation take?
With the right scheme and your paperwork prepared, it can take as little as a few weeks. We got one M&E contractor through CHAS in four weeks. The timeline depends on the scheme and how ready you are. See our SSIP service.
I already have one SSIP accreditation. Why might I need another?
Because different clients ask for different schemes. SSIP's Deemed-to-Satisfy mutual recognition covers a lot of crossover, but not all of it, so you can hold the "wrong" one for the contracts you actually want. The SSIP Scheme Selector checks whether the one you hold fits.
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PRICING & PACKAGES
Pricing & packages questions
How much does compliance consultancy cost?
It depends on the service and the size of your business, which is why we publish starting prices rather than make you sit through a sales call to find out. Health & Safety and HR retainers both start from £90 a month + VAT; ISO certification from £5,995 and SSIP accreditation from £550 a year. See current pricing on our packages and pricing page.
Do you have a low-cost way to get started?
Yes. Our Small Business pack gets your core HR or Health & Safety documentation sorted for a one-off £995 + VAT, with no retainer, and includes a free review within 30 days. Book a free review to talk it through.
Are your prices fixed or do they change after a sales call?
We publish our starting prices and stand by them. You will not be quoted one figure online and a different one after a call. The packages and pricing page shows what is included at each level.
Is the first conversation free?
Yes. A first review is free and carries no obligation. It is where we tell you, plainly, where your real exposure is and whether we are the right fit. Book a free review to get started.
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WORKING WITH SPECTRA
Working with Spectra
Do I get the same consultant each time, or a call centre?
The same named, qualified consultant each time. That is the core of how we work. You will know who handles your account, and they will know your business, rather than reaching a different duty manager who has never seen your site.
Where are you based, and do you cover my area?
We are based at Office 81, Atlantic Business Centre, Atlantic Street, Altrincham WA14 5NQ, and we work nationwide from there. We are strongest across Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and the wider North West, but we support clients across the UK.
What services do you cover?
Health and safety, HR and employment law, ISO certification (9001, 14001, 45001 and 45003), CDM and Principal Designer duties, and SSIP accreditation. Many clients use us across more than one. See our services or book a free review.
How quickly do you respond?
Quickly. One care-sector client cites a 24-hour first-response time. When you have a named consultant rather than a queue, you are not waiting on hold to reach someone who knows your account.
How do I get started?
Book a free review, take the two-minute Compliance Health Check, or call us on 0161 926 8519, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. There is no obligation in any of them.
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Not here? Ask us directly and a named consultant will answer.
Not an autoresponder, and not a content team. Book a free review, ask your own question, or call us on 0161 926 8519, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. There is no obligation in any of them.