IMPARTIALITY POLICY
AQC is the legal entity responsible for certification activities; reference to AQC, in this Policy and Public Statement refers to these legal entities. AQC, It’s Managers, Staff, Auditors, and Sub-contractors fully understands the importance of impartiality in undertaking its Certification Activities. AQC will therefore ensure that in all its dealings with clients or potential clients all employees or other personnel are and will remain impartial. To ensure that impartiality is both maintained and can be demonstrated the following principals have been established.
- AQC, Certificates are only issued following a review by an independent authorized and competent member of the management team (who has not been involved in the audit) to ensure that no interest shall predominate.
- AQC does not offer (and has never offered) management system consultancy or any other form of consultancy to companies or individuals.
- AQC does not offer (and has never offered) an internal audit service to its certified clients. · AQC does not own or have any interest (financial or otherwise) in any other company that offers certification or management system consultancy services.
- AQC does not have (and will not form) any relationships with companies who offer consultancy or other services that can be construed as having an impact on the certification services provided by AQC any proposed relationship between AQC and any other company will undergo a risk assessment by the Committee for Impartiality prior to that relationship being formalized. Any current relationships with companies, organizations and individuals will be risk assessed on a regular basis to ensure that the relationship does not impact upon the impartiality of the certification Procedure.
- Individuals employed by or otherwise contracted to AQC are required to document and record their current and past relationships with all companies. Any situation past or present which may present a potential conflict of interest is required by AQC to be declared.
- AQC will use the information to identify any threats to impartiality and will not use that individual in any capacity unless they can demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest.
- AQC will not allocate a member of staff, auditor, or sub-contractor to a management system audit where any past relationship has existed. Exceptionally and at the discretion of the Technical Manager or General Manager an individual or sub-contractor may be allocated to a management system audit where a past relationship has existed but there has been no relationship for a minimum of 2 years.
- AQC does not and will not offer any commission, (‘finders fees’ or other inducements) to any individual or company in respect of referrals of clients unless: 1. The terms and conditions of any such referral are clearly established and can be demonstrated and it can also be demonstrated that the fee is for a referral and the fact that a commission has been paid will in no way effect the outcome of an audit. 2. A risk assessment (to establish the potential for an unacceptable threat to impartiality) has been carried out on the Procedure through which any such payment is made to an individual or organization (normally a consultant) requesting the commission for referrals. 3. All such payments are documented, recorded, and traceable and accompanied by a purchase order and invoice.
- AQC does not offer specific training to any company in respect of implementing a particular standard for that company. Any training offered by AQC is general in nature and available to all companies or individuals who wish to attend.
- AQC will ensure that it is not linked or marketed in any way which links it with the activities of a management system consultancy and will take appropriate action should any such link be identified.
- Auditors and others involved in the certification Procedure are not and will not be put under any pressure and will not be influenced in any way to come to a particular conclusion regarding the result of an audit