VCU audit: what does the certification body check?
A VCU audit (VCU is the VCA scheme for temporary employment agencies) is carried out by an accredited certification body, such as Kiwa, and assesses the safety and health management of a temporary employment agency. The SSVV (Stichting Samenwerken Voor Veiligheid, the foundation that manages VCA) sets out the requirements. The body carries out the audit and decides whether you receive the certificate. There are three fixed moments: the initial audit, an annual interim audit and, after three years, recertification.
Before you request the audit, you do a baseline measurement with the VCU checklist and draw up an action plan. The audit process itself then follows a fixed sequence. For the requirements themselves, read the page on VCU certification. The costs are on VCU costs and budget.
What is assessed?
The VCU checklist does not only check whether your policy is on paper. The auditor checks whether your way of working demonstrably functions when workers are placed. The SSVV lists the following parts. The explanations in the right-hand column are our summary, not the literal requirement.
| Part | What the auditor wants to see |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Who is responsible for safety and health, and how that is arranged |
| S&H policy | A recorded policy that fits the work of temporary workers |
| Vocational training, experience, S&H training and medical fitness | How you check whether candidates are suitable for the work |
| Request, selection, instruction, control and evaluation | The full process from the client’s request to the evaluation after the placement |
| Accidents resulting in absence | How you record, report and follow up incidents |
| Occupational health services | How you arrange health care for your workers |
Note the order: the auditor follows a placement from start to finish. Good policy without evidence of implementation does not count.
The initial audit
The initial audit is the first certification. You request it from an accredited certification body, which assesses your S&H management system with an audit. The process can differ per body. Kiwa describes a two-part process.
Phase 1: limited document review
The body reviews your documents: policy, procedures and forms. It wants to see whether the system is right on paper before it visits the office.
Phase 2: office assessment
The auditor visits and checks whether the system is also implemented. They ask for evidence, such as completed selection forms, instruction records and incident records.
Decision by the body
Based on the report, the agency is proposed for certification. After a positive assessment, the body issues the certificate.
So it is not a one-off check on a single day. If your documents or your way of working are not in order, that takes time. Ask your body what happens if there is a shortfall.
Annual interim audit
After initial certification, the certification body visits every year for an interim audit. This checks whether you still meet the requirements. The SSVV describes the rules on shortfalls on the VCU page.
- You must remedy a shortfall within three months.
- If you do not, the certificate is withdrawn.
- For the general VCA company certification, the SSVV first mentions suspension and then withdrawal. For VCU, only withdrawal is listed. Ask your body how they apply this.
An interim audit is not a formality. Shortfalls left open lead to withdrawal of the certificate after three months. Keep your incident and selection records up to date every year, so the auditor does not have to reconstruct anything.
Recertification after three years
The VCU certificate is valid for three years, as long as you continue to meet the requirements. After that, the agency must be certified again under the VCU requirements then in force. Those requirements may have changed since the last certification.
Start in good time. Plan recertification at least a few months before the expiry date of the current certificate. This prevents the certificate from lapsing and your clients being unable to use you.
Preparing for the audit
This preparation helps you avoid most pitfalls.
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baseline measurement | Complete the VCU checklist for your own agency | You see which requirements are still missing |
| 2. Action plan | Write a measure, a responsible person and a date for each shortfall | The auditor wants a plan, not a promise |
| 3. Evidence file | Collect the evidence for each part | An auditor asks for evidence, not explanation |
| 4. Mock audit | Have a colleague or adviser review your file | You find errors before the body does |
An example of evidence for selection: a completed form showing the date, the candidate’s name, the required vocational diploma and the signature of the responsible person. A loose agreement in an email does not count as evidence.
Common mistakes
- Policy without implementation. The S&H policy is on paper, but the instructions are not given.
- No record of accidents resulting in absence. The auditor checks exactly this record.
- Forgetting recertification. The certificate is valid for three years and lapses without action.
- Leaving shortfalls open. After three months, the certificate is withdrawn.
Frequently asked questions
How much time is there between a shortfall and suspension? You have three months to resolve a shortfall. If that does not happen, the certificate is withdrawn.
Must the auditor visit the client’s site? This differs per body. At Kiwa, the second phase concerns the office assessment. Ask your body which locations they visit.
Can I do the audit myself to reduce costs? An internal check always helps, but certification itself is carried out by an accredited body. Internal preparation does not replace that audit.
More information
- VCU certification: costs and requirements: what VCU is and who it is for
- VCU register: how to check a certificate
- VCU costs and budget: what certification costs
- The VCA audit process: the comparable approach for VCA