About Us
The Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) is a UKAS-accredited conformity assessment body, comprised of auditors, certification specialists, and data protection experts. We independently test and certify online and offline systems that check age and identity, such as passport scanners, biometric technology, and age verification software.
Our mission is to protect children from the harm associated with access to age-restricted products, content and services. Safeguarding young people has significant benefits for not just children themselves, but for the community as a whole – so it’s crucial that companies comply with the age restrictions put in place by the government.
We offer a range of services for businesses that need to check identity and age, including Test Purchasing, Age Check Assurance, ID Check Assurance, Age Appropriate Design Certification and GDPR Certification. All our schemes are UKAS-accredited, so you can be sure our audit and certification processes are thorough and effective. They're the ideal way to safeguard young people and ensure your business complies with laws and regulations.
Our Age Appropriate Design Certification Scheme is the first UK GDPR-approved scheme of its kind. Our specialist data consultants have created a robust certification scheme to audit your systems, ensuring they collect, process, and protect children’s data in compliance with the AADC. Our certification will prove to your clients that you take Age Appropriate Design seriously; that your system is compliant, accurate, and suitable for children.
We’ve worked with customers all over the world in a wealth of sectors, bringing our expertise to retailers, age check providers, gambling companies, entertainment providers and more. Find out how we can help your company safeguard young people and stay compliant.
Head Office Team
Test Purchase Crew
Number of Visits Completed
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Tony Allen
Our Founder and Chief Executive is an expert in age restricted sales, law and practice over 25 years.
Tony Allen
Tony is a Chartered Trading Standards Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in age restricted sales, law and practice. He is Co-Chair of the UK Government's Expert Panel on Age Restrictions and Vice-Chair of Digital Policy Alliance Internet Safety and Policy Group.
He is author of the Law of Age Restricted Sales in England and Wales, now in its 2nd Edition. He is an approved trainer for Highfield Qualifications.
Nick Bate
Our Non-Executive Chairman has a background in advanced information technology across the Data, Communications, Software and Financial Services sectors.
Nick Bate
An experienced Investor, Chairman and NED of a portfolio of listed, private equity-backed and private organisations across the Data, Communications, Software and Financial Services sectors - helping to plan and deliver growth agendas. During the past 12 years my companies have generated exit proceeds of over £330m.
Specialties: My specialty focus has been in the IT software sector over the past 25 years, having also previously held financial lead roles within the manufacturing sector.
Katharine Walters
Our Head of Policy and Regulation
Katharine Walters
Tina Henderson
Head of Operations Our Head of Operations joined Age Check Certification with over 20 years’ experience scaling small businesses from grass roots up, previously working predominantly in the Building Industry and Health Care Sector overseas and in the UK. Tina has brought a wealth of operational skills and experience to the company.
Tina Henderson
Caroline McGahan
Our Head of Sales and Marketing, Caroline, manages the smooth, effective and efficient sales of our services and also leads the marketing side of the business.
Caroline McGahan
Caroline has worked in Customer Service / Sales and Training for the last 19 years and joined the company back in 2014. Caroline worked as our onsite monitoring certification coordinator until 2021. Caroline took on the role of the Data Solutions Specialist, liaising with all members of staff and external contractors to ensure we have the best systems in place to support the business and our clients. She has extensive knowledge of our system architecture allowing her to plan and deploy effective solutions. In 2022, Caroline became the Head of Sales and Marketing.
Danielle Bradbury
Our Company Secretary and Finance Manager is responsible for the smooth running of our head office and providing business support to our whole team.
Danielle Bradbury
Obi Udanoh
Our Business Development Manager is responsible for customer acquisition, improving and growing the business, by fostering and developing relationships with customers, suppliers and other partners.
Obi Udanoh
Having lived in four different countries, Obi Udanoh brings an understanding of global cultures to his role as Business Development Manager.
He has worked across various sectors; from clients in natural resources to companies securing contracts to deliver remanufactured and recycled products in the West African region.
At ACCS, He is responsible for customer acquisition, accounts management and developing our commercial opportunities. He enjoys networking and building relationships which provide solutions that help clients improve their businesses and succeed.”
John Cassin
Our Senior Certification Officer leads our team of audit, testing and certification specialists.
John Cassin
As our Senior Certification Officer, John has 22 years experience working in trading standards and has been with us for over 10 years. He now leads our team of Certification Officers and uses his extensive knowledge of age restricted sales law, enforcement, test purchasing and auditing to ensure the smooth, effective and efficient audit and certification of our clients.
Harry Evans
Certification Officer Harry has joined ACCS as a Certification Officer where he will lead on GDPR compliance audits.
Harry Evans
Before joining ACCS in January 2022 Harry spent over six years at the Information Commissioner’s Office, first in their complaints management team and latterly as part of their audit team. Over this time, he has developed his knowledge and experience of assessing DPA 18 and UKGDPR compliance.
Victoria Gale
Our Professional Standards Officer, Victoria is responsible for ensuring that the competence, integrity and professionalism of our officers and approach is maintained
Victoria Gale
Victoria worked in Trading Standards from 2006 until 2014 at Cheshire West and Chester Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council respectively. She dealt with all aspects of Trading Standards including the enforcement of underage sales legislation, with a specific remit for all tobacco related matter. She started working for ACCS in 2014 and part of her remit as a Certification Officer is to conduct audits of retail premises where she helps and supports retailers to ensure compliance with underage sales legislation.
Abigail Kitchen
Our Business Development Assistant, Abigail is responsible for booking appointments with new and existing clients to speak with the Business Development Managers, keeping social media accounts up to date and helping out with contract administration.
Abigail Kitchen
Our Business Development Assistant, Abigail is responsible for booking appointments with new and existing clients to speak with the Business Development Managers, keeping social media accounts up to date and helping out with contract administration.
Abigail has worked in a lot of bars and clubs around Manchester and Brighton, then became an IST (In Store Trainer) for “the beautiful drinks company” teaching staff how to set up and run a bar smoothly, which gave her insight of retail compliance with underage sales. During her spare time, she likes to listen to music and read a lot of books
Clare Parker
Operations Coordinator Our Operations Coordinator is responsible to coordinate the smooth, effective and efficient provision of our field monitoring, test purchasing, certification services and compliance advice activities. This role includes day-to-day operation of our IAuditor management system, our test purchasing app and contact with our certification clients.
Clare Parker
Clare joined ACCS in January 2022 as an Operations Coordinator. She has over 14 years administrative experience within varied backgrounds ranging from Charity, Law, Conveyancing, Inspection Engineering and Facilities Management. Clare previously carried out UKAS audits and feels these transferable skills can be helpful in organizing the Auditing team here within the company.
Rhianne Kiddle
Our Policy & Governance Coordinator, Rhianne, is responsible for maintaining our Independent Panels and Boards, coordination of activities with external stakeholders, including government, regulators and law enforcement bodies. This includes being the secretary to the Expert Panel on Age Restrictions.
Rhianne Kiddle
Ebenezer Oyeku
Our in-house Software Developer, Ebenezer recently joined the company to continue in our efforts to improve and enhance our own software.
Ebenezer Oyeku
Ebenezer is an experienced software engineer in the software development and deployment sector from Nigeria, with background in creating and implementing state-of-the-art software solutions for
business productivity and customer satisfaction. Proficiency in software development and deployment with future optimization potentials for efficient deliverables processes that enhance
the business process for growing organizations.
James Stonehouse
As a Business Development Support Administrator, James' role includes supporting in our marketing development and liaising with clients for certification purposes.
James Stonehouse
Whilst studying at Durham University between 2019 and 2022, James partook in our Test Purchasing side. After his graduation in English and History, he led the Test Purchasing Support Team, providing essential help to our vast network of test purchaser's across the country. In 2022, he started a new role as Business Development Support Administrator, contributing to marketing development and client support.
Ebenezer Hagos
Ebenezer is the lead Biometric Data Scientist at ACCS. He joined in 2022 after gaining a Masters in Data Science from The Manchester Metropolitan University.
Ebenezer Hagos
Ebenezer has been part of the team which has certified a market leading number of IdSPs, leading on test lab analysis, as part of ACCS’ role as a Conformity Assessment Body under the UK DIATF. He has also built models to calculate statistical outcomes on large samples of data as well as creating appropriate visualisation charts to represent the output from client age estimation systems
Madeleine Winterbottom
Our Apprentice Operations Administrator The job role is to assist in the administering of the smooth, effective and efficient provision of our auditing, field monitoring and certification services. It also involves being in contact with the certification clients.
Madeleine Winterbottom
Madeleine started working for Age Check in June 2022 as Test Purchasing Apprentice Administrator and in December 2022 she started in the new role as Operations Administrator. The new job role is to assist in the administering of the smooth, effective and efficient provision of our auditing, field monitoring and certification services.
Abbie Witkowski
Our Sales and Marketing Administrator Abbie joined the team in September 2022 as an apprentice as our Sales and marketing administrator.
Abbie Witkowski
Abbie joined us as an apprentice in September 2022 as our Sales and marketing administrator. prior to joining Age check, Abbie did a 2 year Business course focusing on Marketing, Law and Finance and achieved Distinction* in all 3 areas.
Our Values
Leadership
Having the courage to shape the world we operate in for the good of children and young people
Competence
Being brilliant at what we do and a font of knowledge about age check laws and best practice
Integrity
Acting honestly, impartially and inspiring the confidence of others
Inclusivity
Fostering a safe space where people can thrive and develop to be their very best
