Guide
What is Deem to Satisfy?
If you already hold one SSIP certificate and a client asks for a different scheme, Deem to Satisfy is what saves you from doing the whole assessment again.
The short answer
Deem to Satisfy is the arrangement that lets a valid health and safety certificate from one SSIP member scheme be accepted by another, without repeating the health and safety assessment. So if you hold CHAS Standard and a client asks for a different SSIP scheme, that other scheme can recognise your existing assessment. You usually still pay the second scheme's membership fee to appear on its portal, but you do not sit the health and safety assessment twice.
Why it exists
SSIP, Safety Schemes in Procurement, is an umbrella body for the main UK health and safety assessment schemes, and its core criteria are endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive. Because every member scheme assesses against those same core criteria, a pass with one is evidence of the same organisational capability that another would look for. Deem to Satisfy turns that shared standard into practical mutual recognition, so contractors are not assessed over and over for the same thing.
Which schemes are involved
SSIP member schemes include CHAS, Constructionline, SafeContractor, SMAS, Acclaim and Achilles, among others. A valid certificate from any one of them is generally recognised by the others through Deem to Satisfy for the health and safety element. That is why a single assessment can open doors with buyers who name different schemes in their tender documents.
For electrical contractors
Electrician CHAS pack · £95
The health and safety document set behind an SSIP assessment, written for electricians and mapped to the core criteria every member scheme uses.
What Deem to Satisfy does not remove
Deem to Satisfy covers the health and safety assessment. It does not remove membership fees for the second scheme, and it does not automatically cover the wider business modules that higher tiers assess, such as quality, environmental or financial checks. Insurance evidence is also commonly requested again as supporting information during a Deem to Satisfy application, even though insurance is not one of the core criteria. Check what the second scheme still needs before assuming your existing certificate covers everything.
Related guides
Read what SSIP is, what CHAS accreditation is, and how CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline compare.
Common questions
What does Deem to Satisfy mean?
It means a valid health and safety certificate from one SSIP member scheme is accepted by another SSIP scheme without repeating the health and safety assessment. You usually still pay the second scheme's membership fee, but you do not sit the assessment twice.
Does Deem to Satisfy work between CHAS and SafeContractor?
Both CHAS and SafeContractor are SSIP member schemes, so a valid certificate from one is generally recognised by the other for the health and safety element through Deem to Satisfy. Confirm the specifics with the scheme you are applying to.
Do I still pay if I use Deem to Satisfy?
Yes. Deem to Satisfy removes the need to repeat the health and safety assessment, but you generally still pay the second scheme's membership fee to be listed on its portal.
Does Deem to Satisfy cover everything?
No. It covers the health and safety assessment. It does not automatically cover higher-tier business modules such as quality or environmental checks, and schemes often still ask for insurance evidence as supporting information.