Accreditations

The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA)

The BHTA is the UK's oldest and largest healthcare association (founded in 1917). Its membership - of some 380 companies involved in the manufacture, supply and service of people with special physical needs and specialist healthcare requirements.

The products they make and supply are as varied as wheelchairs and scooters, stairlifts, seating and positioning products, patient support surfaces, rehabilitation products, stoma and continence products, aids and services for visually impaired people, and even prosthetics and orthotics.

At the heart of our association is the Code of Practice, which sets out the standards that all members must meet to demonstrate best practice in their business dealings. The Code of Practice is recognised as the UK industry standard and means that member companies trade ethically and professionally. The BHTA is accepted by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.

Accessibility Equipment Manufacturers Association (AEMA)

Formed in the USA in 1990 AEMA is a non-profit organization set up to meet the needs of the accessibility equipment manufacturers, distributors and end users. In 2005 the association modified its vision and its bylaws in order to create an .all industry members association. Any person, firm or corporation with an interest in the private residence elevator and accessibility equipment industry is encouraged to join the association and become a full voting member with equal input into the activities of the association.

The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA)

LEIA is the trade association and advisory body for the lift and escalator industry, formed in 1997 by the merging of two long-standing associations with a history dating back to 1932. With a membership covering some 95% of the lift and escalator industry. LEIA members supply passenger and goods/service lifts, stairlifts, homelifts, lifting platforms, escalators, passenger conveyors and a range of component parts for such products.
Benefits of Dealing with LEIA Companies
The design and installation of stairlifts is highly regulated, there are wide ranging and complex statutory requirements.

• LEIA aims to ensure its members have the best and most up to date information on safety, standards and legislative matters - supported by professional assistance.
• LEIA provides for its members comprehensive programmes for both skills training and academic study from BTEC levels through to a masters degree in lift engineering.
• LEIA membership requires that member companies have a quality management system and are certificated to ISO 9001 - and that the awarding body is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).LEIA membership can therefore be summarised as companies who -
• Are well established
• Have a quality system, audited annually
• Are subject to third party technical audits, annually
• Have approved company safety policies
• Carry appropriate product and third party insurance
• Have skilled employees
• Are provided with a constant up-dating service on safety, technical and legislative matters.

International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)

ISO is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a non-governmental organisation that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors.
A company that adopts and operates under an accredited ISO standard quality management system is one that has demonstrated a commitment to achieving, maintaining and improving upon its standards across all aspects of the business and the way it operates.
ISO 9001 is by far the world's most established quality framework, currently being used by over 750,000 organisations in 161 countries, and sets the standard for not only quality management systems, but management systems in general.

The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC)

With over 4,000 members, NECC is one of the largest Chambers of Commerce in Britain. NECC has been a BCC (British Chambers of Commerce) accredited Chamber since 1996.