UK Archive Service Accreditation Partnership
Archive Service Accreditation is supported by a partnership of the Archives and Records Association (UK), Archives and Records Council Wales, National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Scottish Council on Archives, The National Archives; and the Welsh Government through its Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales division. The partnership is defined in the memorandum of understanding.
Memorandum of understanding (PDF, 0.24 MB)
Memorandwm Cyd-ddealltwriaeth (PDF, 0.32 MB)
Archive Service Accreditation Committee
The Archive Service Accreditation Committee is responsible for reviewing policy and considering matters of quality assurance relating to Archive Service Accreditation. Members of the Committee are also responsible for approving accredited archive services through the Archive Service Accreditation Panels.
The Committee meets annually and minutes of the meetings are available here:
Report of sector workshops exploring inclusive practice
Members of the Committee are nominated by the UK Archive Service Accreditation Partnership or are recruited through open competition. They are current or recently retired archive sector practitioners and service initially for a period of three years.
Archive Service Accreditation committee members
Nominated members
Mary Ellis (The Welsh Government, Museums Archives and Libraries Division)
Caroline Brown (Scottish Council on Archives)
Claire Harrington (Archives and Records Council Wales)
Geoff Pick – Chair of Archive Service Accreditation (Archives and Records Association)
Charlotte Berry (National Records of Scotland)
Tina Morton (The National Archives)
Stephen Scarth (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland)
Recruited members
Sarah Aitchison (UCL Special Collections)
Teresa Doherty (Royal College of Nursing)
Karen Sampson (Head of Archives and Museums Service, Lloyds Banking Group)
Jeannette Strickland (Archive and Records Consultant)
Catherine Taylor (Waddesdon Manor Archives)
Joanna Terry (Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archives)
Janice Tullock (Archives Consultant)
Archive Service Accreditation Committee members’ biographies
Sarah Aitchison is currently Head of Special Collections at University College London, and manages a team with specialisms in archives, rare books, records management, academic support and teaching, outreach, conservation, digitisation and reader services. She has 25 years of experience in HE archives, with previous roles including Head of Archives at the Institute of Education in London. Sarah has also been co-chair of the Archives for Education and Learning Group, a mentor for the ARA Registration Scheme and is a Trustee of the AIM25 group.
Caroline Brown is University Archivist at the University of Dundee with responsibility for the archive, museum and rare book collections. She has also been Programme Leader on the Archive and Family History programmes run by the Centre for Archive and Information Studies and has had two edited books published by Facet Publishing. She has served on a number of professional and academic bodies and is currently a Trustee of the Scottish Council on Archives and the Chair of the International Council on Archives Section on University and Research Institution Archives.
Teresa Doherty is currently Joint Head of the Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive Service, delivering specialist services to this professional membership and trade union organisation across all four home nations. This includes meeting specific GDPR requirements whilst meeting member demand for accessible digital archival content. Teresa also has experience in business, specialist and university collections, including as Head of Special Collections at the Women’s Library. She has extensive cross domain working experience, sat on the British Standards panel for PAS 197 Code of practice for cultural collections management, and has been a mentor for the ARA Registration Scheme.
Mary Ellis is currently Head of Archives Development at the Welsh Government Museums, Archives and Libraries Division. She is responsible for the development and implementation of policy in relation to archive services. She began her career with the Historical Manuscripts Commission and prior to joining the Welsh Government Museums, Archives and Libraries Division she was the Director of the postgraduate programmes in archive administration and records management at the Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University.
Claire Harrington began her archive career as an assistant at the British Records Association’s Records Preservation Section in 1982. She qualified as an archivist at University College London and took up her first professional post in the Southend Branch of the Essex Record Office. She has since worked in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough’s Community History & Archive Service and Glasgow City Archives before joining Flintshire Record Office in 2004, becoming its Principal Archivist two years later. She has taken active roles in various regions of the Archives & Records Association and in the Archives & Records Council Wales.
Tina Morton is Interim Head of Archives Sector Development at The National Archives. Prior to this, she has fulfilled a number of roles at The National Archives, most recently as Head of the Regional and Network Team. She has worked in both local and central government roles for MLA Council and MLA London as well as in local authority heritage/archive services. She is a member of the Community Archives and Heritage Group steering committee and has set up several communities of practice. She is also a board member of Archives for London, which brings together everyone interested in archives in or about London.
Geoff Pick was educated at Bristol and Liverpool universities and has worked as a professional archivist since 1978. Geoff has served on the staff of Worcester Cathedral Library, Lambeth Palace Library and the City of London Corporation where he worked primarily at London Metropolitan Archives, since 2013 as its Director until his retirement in 2021. He has also directed on behalf of the City both Keats House and Guildhall Art Gallery. Geoff was Chair of the Archives and Records Association of the UK and Ireland 2016-18 and has previously served as Chair of the National Council on Archives. He has also served on numerous archival and museum committees and working parties, including currently the expert panel to the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
Karen Sampson heads up the Archives and Museum service at Lloyds Banking Group. She has responsibility for the Group’s archives in London and Edinburgh, and the Museum on the Mound, also in Edinburgh. She has over 20 years’ experience in business archives, having previously worked in both university and local government archives. Karen is a trustee and honorary secretary of the Business Archives Council. She was also part of the judging panel for the Digital Preservation Coalition biennial digital preservation awards in 2018.
Stephen Scarth has wide experience of the work of Public Record Office Northern Ireland (PRONI), where he is currently Head of the Public Services Branch. His work to promote PRONI from its new premises in Titanic Quarter has brought him into contact with a wide range of heritage, archival and cultural organisations and individuals across Northern Ireland.
Jeannette Strickland has more than 30 years’ experience working as an archivist and records manager in the public, private and third sectors, latterly as Head of Art, Archives & Records Management for Unilever plc. She is now working part-time as an archival consultant whilst studying for a doctorate, but continues to be active in the wider profession, serving on the Archives & Records Association’s Qualifications Accreditation Panel (since 2006), the Advisory Council on National Records & Archives and the Forum on Historical Manuscripts & Academic Research, as well as writing chapters for two record-keeping textbooks and teaching on the University College Dublin archives and records management programme.
Catherine Taylor is currently Head Archivist at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. She has previously worked in local authority archives in West Yorkshire and Hounslow, Hackney and the London Metropolitan Archives and started her career learning how to appraise records at British Rail. She is the Secretary of the Historic Houses Archivists Group and was on the Council of the Society of Archivists as it merged with the National Council on Archives to become the Archives and Records Association.
Joanna Terry is Head of Archives and Heritage for Staffordshire County Council. She is a trustee of Archives West Midlands and is also an executive member of the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group and a member of the Centre for People, Place and Communities Advisory Board. Joanne has 25 years of experience in roles that have ranged from archivist at Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies, electronic records manager at Worcestershire Record Office and Assistant County Archivist in Staffordshire.
Janice Tullock is an Archives and Heritage Consultant. Following experience in local authority archive and museum services in Buckinghamshire, Kent and Wirral, Janice held a strategic role working with archive services across North West England. She is a Fellow of the Archives and Records Association, a Trustee of the Society of Genealogists, a Fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme and a mentor and adviser for the National Heritage Lottery Fund.