Self Certification: Access & Help

Online Self Certification Process

Please find below details of the Process and how the Platform works, along with Instructions for Users.

If you have any problems in accessing this, please contact Clare by emailing code@aref.org.uk.

Online Self Certification Process is now open for 2023.

All answers/comments/evidence from your last self certification have been copied over.
Once the process has been completed, you will receive your Quality Mark and the current matrix page displaying the results will be published.
Please ENTER the platform by clicking the blue button below or this link: Self Certification Online Platform ^{(members will need to be logged in, you can re-set your password here)}.
Instructions and Notes for Users are below, please read these carefully before entering the platform.
Funds are required to complete their self-certification by ~~Friday 30th June 2023~~. Deadline extended to Friday 28th July 2023.

Process:

Each fund has been allocated two contacts (please refer to your email for details of who these are for your Fund):
- Main Contact for Self Assessment / Assessor- this is the person who can log-in and access the Platform, this person answers the questions, indicates if each section is complying and uploads evidence. Once ALL questions are answered, this Main Contact/Assessor selects the final compliance rating for each section (by selecting Minimum/Best/Not Applicable for each section), before pressing 'Submit to the Fund Approver'. ^{(Please note: Best Practice is not achievable for all sections)}
- Fund Approver - this is the person who usually signs off on your Self Certification Forms/Templates (likely to be the Fund Manager). The Fund Approver logs-in, checks they're happy with all the answers and then either Rejects or Submits to AREF for final approval.

Instructions for 'Main Contact/Assessor':

Please find below some step-by-step instructions on how to access the new Platform:

Open up the AREF website and go to 'Log-in'(if you have forgotten your password you can change this here).
NB: We recommend users use Google Chrome or Firefox to work on the self-certification process (Internet Explorer causes issues unfortunately)
To Enter the system, click the blue button below (this blue button can also be found on the main Code of Practice web page):
A list of Funds will appear which you have access rights to (if no fund appears here, then you do not have permission to enter the Self Certification Platform for your fund/s (please email Clare at code@aref.org.uk and we can rectify this for you).
Next to each Fund, will be a button, indiciating to either Start Certification, Continue Certification (or if you are returning because the Approver has declined, there will be an option for you to amend and then re-submit back to Approver).
Once you are in, you will see hyperlinked number sections at the top of the page to navigate through the Platform, the dots at the top of this page change as each section is completed (so if one of the dots is not navy blue, this means there is a section which hasn't been completed properly, please click the dot to return to that page).
Work through your answers and Save each page, before moving onto the 'next' page - you cannot jump between sections without saving your answers (otherwise answers will be lost).
The questions do not need to be all answered in one session, they can be saved and picked up at another time - but please remember to save before exiting the system.
Every question needs to be answered before moving on.
After section 3.9 is completed, you will have the opportunity to upload any files which you have referred to in your answers.
After uploading your files, click Submit and the page then goes back to the Menu page. You then need to set the final rating.
To set final rating, please press the button 'Continue Final Rating' to enter back in. You will need to select 'Minimum Compliance, Best Practice, Not Applicable or Non Compliant' from the drop down for each section - Please note: this is the overall certification level for the entire section and will be shown on the self-certification matrix page which is a public page. Also note that Best Practice is not achievable for all sections.
Once complete, please click ‘Submit Form’ on the last page.
An email will be sent to the Fund Approver, letting them know that they need to take action.
If the Fund Approver rejects it, you will receive an email letting you know why and asking you to log back into the system. Once logged in, select the fund, then click the 'I want to amend this certification button' at the top, make the amendment then re-submit back to Approver.

Instructions for Fund Approver:

Open up the AREF website and go to 'Log-in'(if you have forgotten your password you can change this here).
NB: We recommend users use Google Chrome or Firefox to work on the self-certification process (Internet Explorer causes issues unfortunately)
To Enter the system, click the blue button below (this blue button can also be found on the main Code of Practice web page):
A list of Funds will appear here for you to Approve - click the fund name to enter (if no fund appears here, then you do not have permission to enter the Self Cert Platform for your fund/s (please email Clare at code@aref.org.uk and we can rectify this for you).
For each of the three sections:
- Briefly check answers / evidence left by Assessor (click 'show details' to show all detail left by Assessor) and check they have chosen the correct 'final rating' {Note: not all sections can achieve Best Practice, if this has been selected and it is not achievable, AREF will reject it}.
- Once you have been through the three pages, if you're satisfied everything is correct, then press 'Submit through to AREF' for final approval, or 'Reject' and leave a comment for the Assessor to make amendments (they will be advised by email that you have rejected it). The Assessor will need to log-in and make the amendments and then send it back to you for approval.
Once we have received and approved your submission, you will receive the Quality Mark and the new Self Certification Matrix page will populate.

Instructions for Downloading Previous Self Certifications:

We now have the facility for Main Contact Assessors and Approvers to download previous Self Certifications, to do this:

Open up the AREF website and go to 'Log-in'(if you have forgotten your password you can change this here).
To enter the system, click the blue button below (this blue button can also be found on the main Code of Practice web page):
Scroll down the page to 'previous approved self certifications'. A list of previous fund self certifications will appear here. Click 'Download Compliances' to download the data as a .xlsx file in Excel (NB: this data is just the answers - you will need a copy of that years Code to cross-reference against, to allow you to see which questions were being answered). Previous Codes can be found here.