• •  
  •  
  • About Us
  •  
  • Visit us:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Planning your visit:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Comment/Complain/Contact
  •  

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Wakefield
  • Bradford
  • Calderdale
  • Kirklees
  • Leeds
  • The John Goodchild Collection
  • About the Goodchild Collection
  •  
  • Access to buildings
  • What to expect
  • CARN
  • Searchroom guidelines
  • Finding & Ordering documents
  • Handlng guidelines
  • Where can I stay?
  
• • What's new
  •  
  • News
  • Events
  •  
  • Calmview Images
  •  
  • Social Media
  •  
  • Enewsletter
  •  
  
• • Search our Collections
  •  
  • Looking for a Person:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Looking for a Place:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Looking for a Subject

  •  
  •  
  • Family History Pages
  • West Riding Registry of Deeds
  • Ancestry
  • Collections Guides
  •  
  •  
  • Local History pages
  • House History
  • West Riding Registry of Deeds
  • Gazetteer
  •  
  • Subject Guides
  •  
  •  
  •  

  •  
  •  
  • Catalogues & Online sources
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our collections online
  •  

  •  
  •  
  • Online catalogue
  • Collections & User Guides
  • Subject Guides
  • Online indexes
  • Transcripts
  • Ancestry
  • Podcasts
  • Records we don't hold and where to find them
  •  
  
• • Get Involved
  •  
  • Community:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

  •  
  •  
  • Community Guides
  • Accreditation Scheme
  • Accreditation FAQs
  • Training
  • Now Then
  • Talks to external groups
  • Group Visits
  •  

  •  
  •  
  • Get Involved:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Other organisations

  •  
  •  
  • Volunteers
  • Depositing archives
  • Donations
  • What we would like to hold?
  •  
  • Family History Societies
  • Local History Societies
  •  
  
• •  
  • Our Services
  •  
  • Education:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Records Management:
  •  

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • F&HE
  • Information for students
  • Information for Teachers
  • Activity Sheets
  • Group Visits
  •  
  •  
  • About RM
  • Forms and guidance
  • Contact RM
  • RM FAQs
  •  

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Guidance:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Conservation:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Enquiry Services:

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Policies
  • Publication Requests
  • Copyright
  • Data Protection
  • Depositing Archives
  • Digital Deposits
  • Podcasts
  •  
  •  
  • Preservation advice
  • Handling
  • Packaging
  •  
  •  
  • 30 minute search
  •  

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Research Service:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Copying Services:
  •  
  •  
  • Legal deeds service:
  •  
  •  
  • Fees and Charges:
  •  
  •  

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Gift Voucher
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Copy order form
  
• 

Accreditation Scheme FAQ

Who is this scheme aimed at?

This Accreditation Scheme has been designed with community groups that are working in the area of heritage in mind. This could be an established group that has its own archive that has been developed over a number of years or a set of people just starting out and setting up a new group. The information in this pack provides a baseline for basic standards that will need to be met but also has provision for other considerations (see section 8) if a group would like to continue with their development.

What can I gain from taking part in the scheme?

The success of the scheme will be partially dependant on participation – the more groups that take part the more recognition the scheme will gain. However, we hope that gaining accreditation will raise both the profile of the group and the standards to which you will be working, which will in turn increase the possibility of securing funding, working in partnership and the likelihood of achieving your aims and goals.

This Accreditation Scheme pack provides a wealth of information about both the basic principles of running groups, such as how to recruit and support volunteers and generate new audiences, and in depth advice from archive professionals about the practical issues that matter to you. By taking part in the Accreditation Scheme you will be giving your group the chance to learn new skills, gain new information and hopefully ensure the successful growth of your activities. 

What do we get when we are accredited?

You will receive the WYAS Accreditation Scheme logo to use on all of your promotional material, discounts on training provided by the service, one to one support, regular briefing notes about important and relevant topics and a chance to network with other groups in the region.

How long will accreditation take?

The scheme has been designed so that groups can work through it at their own pace. Each topic has been divided up into sections that can either be worked through in isolation or together as a whole. We are setting no time frame on the accreditation process, and it is entirely up to individual groups how they make use of the material available here.

What if we become stuck?

The Accreditation Scheme is a component of a larger area of support provision that the Service has been able to develop through the Heritage Lottery Funded project West Yorkshire: Our Stories. Within this there is the Network Group which holds regular meetings for community groups working in the region and also a programme of Training Sessions. These sessions have been designed to support key areas of the Accreditation Scheme that groups may find difficult – such as copyright and legislation. We will also be providing guidance and advice to groups on a one to one basis at Accreditation workshops for all groups involved with the process.

How do we become accredited?

The WYAS scheme is a self accreditation scheme – meaning the service will provide groups with all the resources required and the groups must then take it upon themselves to evidence the accreditation process. This will then be verified by a WYAS contact at one of our Accreditation workshops.

Each section of this pack contains an Accreditation Checklist at the end which outlines key tasks that your group will have to undertake to complete that section. These checklist points can range from creating a policy document to making sure that an issue is discussed openly with group members. You should endeavour to collect evidence of these activities to be kept safe with your accreditation pack. Each section also contains a range of Action Points designed to help you put the information provided into practice within a group context – these are there to help you and are not a requirement of the completion of the scheme.