There’s a difference between completing a training course and achieving a qualification.
And it’s bigger than the piece of paper you receive at the end.
The short answer
A certificate of attendance tells an employer that somebody took part in training. A qualification goes further. It says the learner has been assessed against defined learning outcomes and has shown that they meet the required standard, and that the assessment itself has been quality assured.
- Certificate: evidence that someone completed the training.
- Qualification: evidence that their learning was assessed against a defined standard.
This isn’t just our opinion
The bodies that oversee qualifications draw the same line. In England, Ofqual says it doesn’t regulate courses that “only certify that someone attended a course” without judging what the learner has achieved.
In Scotland, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) says summative assessment is essential for a programme to be included on the framework. A credit rated programme needs both internal and external quality assurance, and learners are only awarded credit points when they successfully achieve the learning outcomes.
In other words, a qualification isn’t about how long you sat in the room. It’s about what you can show at the end of it.
Why the distinction mattered to us
We didn’t just want people to sit through mental health training, receive a certificate and go back to work. We wanted to know they could actually demonstrate what they had learned.
So we made the qualification part of the training, not an optional extra afterwards. Every one of our workplace mental health courses, apart from bespoke training, leads straight to a qualification.
And creating a qualification means we have standards to meet too:
- Our assessment process has to be robust and consistent.
- We need quality assurance.
- We need clear policies around fairness, appeals and assessment.
- We need reasonable adjustments, so learners aren’t unfairly disadvantaged.
- We need proper records and evidence.
- Our processes can be scrutinised and audited.
That creates accountability on both sides. The learner has to demonstrate their learning, and we have to demonstrate that the qualification has been delivered and assessed properly.
How our learners are assessed
Our workplace mental health courses are credit rated and recognised by Qualifications Scotland, with levels that are equivalent to the RQF in England. At each level, learners are assessed through questioning, a multiple choice assessment and case study work.
There’s also a clear pathway to build on it, from Level 1 Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace to Level 2 Managing Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace and Level 3 Advanced Leadership in Workplace Mental Health. Our guide to choosing between Level 1, 2 or 3 explains how to decide.
Why it matters to an employer
If you’re investing thousands of pounds in mental health training across your organisation, the question isn’t simply “Did our people attend?” It’s “What do they actually know, and what can they demonstrate as a result?”
A qualification also means something beyond your organisation. It’s nationally recognised, and it’s something your people can put on their CV.
One says “I completed the course.” The other says “I met the standard.”
Certificates of attendance have their place. But there’s a difference between attending training and demonstrating achievement, and for us that difference matters.
Six questions to ask any training provider
- Is it a certificate of attendance, or is learning assessed?
- How are learners assessed, and against what outcomes?
- Is the course credit rated or regulated, and by whom? At what level?
- Who checks the assessment? Is there internal and external quality assurance?
- What happens if a learner needs reasonable adjustments, or wants to appeal a result?
- Is there a pathway to progress to a higher level?
You can find more on this in our article on how to choose a workplace mental health training provider.
Common questions
Is a certificate of attendance worthless?
No. Certificates of attendance have a place, especially for short awareness sessions. They just tell you something different. They show that someone took part, not that their learning was assessed against a standard.
What does credit rated mean?
Credit rating places a qualification or learning programme on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) with a level and credit points. To be credit rated, learning must be assessed and quality assured, and learners only gain the credit points when they achieve the learning outcomes.
What is the difference between the SCQF and the RQF?
The SCQF is the national framework in Scotland. The RQF is the framework used for regulated qualifications in England and Northern Ireland. Levels on the two frameworks can be compared, which helps employers and learners understand what a qualification is worth wherever they are.
Can a qualification go on a CV?
Yes. A credit rated qualification has a recognised level and credit points, so it means something to future employers in a way that a certificate of attendance usually doesn’t.
How are learners assessed on your courses?
Through questioning, a multiple choice assessment and case study work at each level.
Talk to us about your team
Tell us who you want to train and what you want them to be able to do, and we will help you choose the right level. You can also see all our workplace mental health training.