The assessment looks at the whole business, not just the quality of tree work. 

Areas assessed include: 

Health and Safety Safe systems of work, risk assessment, equipment inspection and legal compliance. 

Operational Competence The knowledge, skills and competence of those carrying out tree work. 

Work Standards The quality of completed arboricultural operations and practical site work. 

Business Management Insurance, documentation, customer care and business procedures. 

Professional Knowledge Understanding of current industry guidance, standards and legislation. 

Is my business ready? 

Many businesses are closer to approval than they think. 

If you already: 

• Work to recognised industry standards 

• Maintain appropriate insurance 

• Use risk assessments and method statements 

• Invest in staff competence and training 

• Deliver quality tree work 

Then you may already have many of the foundations in place. 

Support throughout the process 

The Arboricultural Association is committed to helping businesses succeed. 

We provide: 

• Guidance on the requirements 

• Help for Arborists resources 

• Training opportunities 

• Pre-application support 

• Advice on preparing for assessment 

Our aim is not simply to assess businesses, but to help raise standards across the profession.

The purpose of the AC Scheme is to raise standards in arboricultural practice across the profession by encouraging contractors to meet robust requirements that relate to the quality of tree work, health and safety, professional standards, and good business and customer care practices. The accreditation is applied to a business and not an individual arborist.

The AC Scheme and its management processes are ISO 9001 (2015) certified.

The key values of the Scheme are:

• High-quality tree care.
• High-quality customer care.
• Compliance with current health and safety legislation.
• Compliance with the law.
• Good business practice.

The requirements of the AC Scheme can be simply defined as high-quality tree work, undertaken safely and legally, combined with high-quality customer care.

This document sets out the AC Scheme Standards – the standard against which an AC Applicant is assessed or reassessed. The Standards are reviewed annually and updated as required.

The Standards document should be considered in conjunction with the Association’s AC Handbook, available here: Approved Contractor Handbook.

The AC standards are broken down into four modules:

Note: Module 1 and Module 2 are assessed by an Association assessor visiting the contractors’ sites, yard and workshop. Specific requirements for Modules 1 and 2 may vary depending on Business Size.

Note: Module 3 and Module 4 (except Workplace Inspection) are assessed by the Association remotely (once the contractor has submitted the relevant evidence). These standards should be read in conjunction with the Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor Handbook.

Your support for the accreditation and all your efforts to maintain the highest standards are greatly appreciated.

We hope that these Standards are a useful resource and can answer most questions, but regardless of whether you are already an Approved Contractor (AC) or thinking of joining the Scheme, we are only an email or a phone call away: arbac@trees.org.uk, 01242 522152.

This improved accreditation handbook has been created with the help of our assessors, existing ACs and other contractors, to bring together in one short document all the information you need to understand how the scheme operates.

As the Approved Contractor Scheme grows and develops, so too will the handbook. It should be read in conjunction with the Scheme Standards.

Your support for the accreditation and all your efforts to maintain the highest standards are greatly appreciated.

We hope that the handbook is a useful resource and can answer most questions, but regardless of whether you are already an Approved Contractor (AC) or thinking of joining the Scheme, we are only an email or a phone call away: arbac@trees.org.uk, 01242 522152.

The Approved Contractor Handbook is divided into six sections:

• an introduction to the scheme

• the what, why, who and how of becoming an AC

• an outline of the Standards

• the AC application process

• maintaining AC status

• non-compliance

We are now working on an improved and interactive report system that will make assessments so much more straight-forward for contractors and assessors. In addition, the desktop audit system is being reworked to be more user-friendly and time-saving.

Please note: The latest Approved Contractor handbook supersedes any guidance provided in the previous document, which was known as the ‘Information & Application’ pack.

TrustMark is the only UK Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in or around the home.

TrustMark is open to all ARB Approved Contractors and costs only £65.00 +VAT.

Please contact us for further details on arbac@trees.org.uk.

Since they started in 2005, they have been working to help drive up standards across the industry and improve the protection offered to homeowners when having work done. TrustMark is a not-for-profit organisation, operating under a Master Licence Agreement, issued by the Government’s Department for Business & Trade.

Unlike many other trader approval schemes, TrustMark’s profits are continually reinvested into the scheme to improve their service and enhance consumer protection.

About TrustMark Video 

As a TrustMark Scheme Provider, we commit to meeting the operating requirements of their Quality Scheme.

We work with our TrustMark Registered Businesses to ensure they commit to and maintain the required standards of technical competence, trading practices and customer service.

These practices help to provide homeowners with assurance and confidence when they engage a TrustMark Registered Business, and for trades, they help demonstrate their quality and professionalism.

If you want to demonstrate your commitment to high standards of work and customer service, you can apply to join TrustMark through us.

Customer Charter - https://www.trustmark.org.uk/docs/default-source/scheme-documents/trustmark-code-of-conduct_version-1_4oct2018.pdf?sfvrsn=56659307_6

This sets out the rights and responsibilities of customers receiving advice, installations, products, services or other work carried out by a TrustMark Registered Business

Framework Operating Requirements - https://www.trustmark.org.uk/docs/default-source/scheme-documents/framework_operating_requirements-v2-6.pdf?sfvrsn=d749507_4

 TrustMark engages with the Arboricultural Association through a sub-licence agreement. We have committed to work within the TrustMark Framework Operating Requirements