For Consumers: National Standards Register Guidance

A "Registered" status confirms that a business has successfully met two integrated layers of professional conduct:

• Statutory Verification (Meta-Verification): The Register will confirm the business maintains current legal requirements, including appropriate insurance coverage, data protection registration (ICO), and health and safety requirements.

• Professional Standards Verification: The business will be verified against benchmarks defined by the 88 National SIC Boards. These standards cover critical areas such as hygiene protocols for personal services, formal complaints handling, and professional ethics.

To ensure these standards are institutionally unassailable, the benchmarks incorporate guidance from specialists within relevant Public Bodies.

Following the national rollout, the British public will be able to verify status through two channels:

•  The Public Register: A searchable database at nbca.org.uk to confirm the current registration status of any UK business.

•  Window Display Materials: Registered businesses display verification materials at their premises showing they meet the National Standard.

The Register will provide consumers with an objective, third-party record that can be referenced when:

• Resolving Disputes: If a business fails to meet its stated service standards or refund policies, the Register will provide documented evidence of what standards the business committed to maintain.

• Making Complaints: Consumer complaints regarding professional conduct can be supported by the Register's verification of what procedures the business should have followed.

• Seeking Compensation: In cases where registered businesses cause harm through non-compliance, the Register's evidence record supports consumer claims by documenting what standards were required.

The National Standards Register is a live infrastructure maintained through continuous oversight:

• Automated Data Integration: The Authority will use direct links with insurers and regulatory databases to detect changes in a business's compliance status in real-time.

• Quality Assurance: Periodic, unannounced spot-checks will be conducted to ensure that a business's daily operational conduct matches the standards recorded on the Register

The Register will provide a formal mechanism for the British public to report concerns regarding professional standards. Citizens can submit reports directly via a business's Registration Profile regarding:

• Safety and Hygiene Concerns: Issues involving public health or premises safety

• Professional Misconduct: Failures in ethical conduct or honest dealing

• Procedural Failures: Significant breaches in published complaints-handling or service standards

Reports will be reviewed to ensure businesses maintain the professional diligence expected by the public. The Register will operate a graduated approach to enforcement, ensuring fairness while maintaining standards integrity:

• Minor Issues: Businesses receive formal notice with opportunity to rectify compliance gaps

• Material Failures: Registration may be temporarily Suspended while issues are investigated and resolved

• Serious Breaches: Systematic non-compliance or fraudulent misrepresentation results in Revocation

All enforcement decisions are subject to independent review through the Appeals Tribunal, ensuring businesses are treated fairly while protecting public standards.