We are very keen to ensure that every candidate who attends our training maximises their opportunity for success. We operate in both the Insurance and Personal Injury industries which, just by their nature are fluid sectors. This means, we have to be a dynamic entity, constantly changing to adapt to industry changes as well as differing market forces?

We take great pride in having a totally transparent service and in particular the information we provide people with so that they can make an informed decision.

Below are a list of observations that previous candidates have made and how we have risen to the challenge to adapt to meet those challenges and also to explain certain points which may cause concern.

Will I get work?

Absolutely 100% YES! It does not matter where you live in the UK, if the package of support you choose includes our post course mentoring support and you are actively seeking work, we have a 100% success rate in developing introductions that lead to work.

Please note that work is defined by a single instruction as a result of an introduction from any one of our 30+ work providers, see below with regards to amounts of work and continued employment.

Can you guarantee an amount of work and continuing employment?

Absolutely 100% NO! We do not have any control over our work providers or your standards, they will give you work, if you are reliable and the quality of your work is maintained, you will receive further work.

Why do you only guarantee introductions to work providers and not work volumes?

Part of our group includes an investigation agency providing work, that work is based upon claims coming in from all over the UK over which we have no control and neither do the other agencies i.e we do not know how many claims could be generated in your area, today, tomorrow or next week and so therefore we are not prepared to make unsubstantiated claims about guaranteed work volumes.

This is why we work with several agencies nationwide, so that agents can source work from all of those companies if they wish and maintain the level of work that they require. On average agents engage with 7-9 agencies to achieve a full time level of work and this will be dependent on their location within the UK i.e Agents in London engage with 1-4 agencies, rural agents engage with 9-11 agencies out of the 30+ provided.

Are there already too many agents in my area?

It is estimated that over 80% of existing investigators are not up to the task or standards required having received inferior training or they may have just bumbled into investigation with no prior training or experience, believing that they have the natural qualities reqd.

Invariably, even if there are a large number of agents already existing in your area, you will end up replacing them as your level of knowledge and work production qualities will be much higher.

It’s interesting to note that a lot of the work providers comment that newly qualified agents of Amalgam have more knowledge than investigators trained elsewhere or investigators who have been involved in the industry for years.

If there is such a requirement, why don’t you train for free and deduct the training fee from our wages?

Firstly, when you give training for free, there are no incentives! A financial investment focuses the mind! We only have space for 8 candidates max, per course and we already have an active process to ensure that we fit square pegs in square holes, we have an obligation to provide 1^st class candidates to our work providers and to maintain the credibility of the qualification.

We have invested 1,000’s of pounds in developing the first ever industry standard national qualification and we are not going to allow that investment to be undermined by having a conveyor belt of candidates of low quality.

Why is your course more expensive than others?

And so it should be, you get exactly what you pay for, a real national qualification which is recognised by all of our work providers and the level of support both during and post course which will ensure that you maximise your potential to pass the course and obtain work as a result of qualifying.

When you consider that some people are quite happy to invest upward of £30,000 in a Masters Degree and get no work and all we are asking is just over £3,000 with an opportunity to earn on average £25,000 per annum, it puts everything into context.

We provide;

Course support

A real qualification

Post course mentoring support - Work support

Technical support

If you had the choice of buying a 3 wheeled Reliant Robin and paying just a few pounds extra for a Mercedes, which would you choose?

How long is the course?

The residential part is 1 x 5 day block and a 1 x 3 day block, usually Mon – Fri & Mon - Wednesday. The distance learning part is down to you! We would suggest that the average time to complete the course in its entirety will take you 12-14 weeks if you have existing commitments. We have had a candidate complete the course in 5 weeks, however, she is a qualified Solicitor.

Do you teach forensics?

If you are thinking on the same scale as CSI, then NO! We do cover basic forensic calculations and this is all you will need to know.

If you are told that you will be undertaking a forensic course by any provider be very wary especially if that course is delivered in a few weeks and the course is not delivered via a University or it is less than 3-5 years duration.

Forensic investigation is a totally different discipline, as is scenes of crime investigation; this is the domain of those people who have committed to lengthy university degrees equivalent to doctorate level.

In our role the need for forensics is minimal, so best leave it to the experts! Let’s just concentrate on disciplines that are going to get you work on a regular basis!

How does your qualification differ from other companies?

We are unique; we deliver the only national qualification at Level 4 on the QCF, with the word “Investigation” in the title which, of course is very important if you are looking for a career as an “investigator”.

Some companies purport to deliver a Level 4 qualification in investigation also, however, the actual title of the award you receive will be called “Professional Development”, as clarified by City & Guilds and is not a national qualification, this will not be helpful when you apply to a company for a job as an “Investigator”.

In conclusion, after completing our course you will receive a real regulated national qualification and the certificate will be entitled;

AVA Level 4 Certificate in Incident, Fraud & Claims Investigation (QCF)

How much can I earn?

We have some very high achievers in the UK, some earning in excess of £50,000 per annum. However, it would be totally inappropriate for us to use those agents as an example, it is more appropriate to publish the average earnings which is between £25,000 per annum and £35,000 per annum, depending on your drive, motivation & commitment.

Do I have to be self-employed?

Not necessarily as there are full time employed posts for investigators. The majority of our investigators are self-employed and we can help with this aspect through our self – employed support pack.

The best thing about being self-employed is the freedom of being your own boss.

How is work allocated and what fee do I charge?

Agencies allocate work on the basis of who is the nearest investigator to that case, for commercial reasons it makes perfect sense to allocate work on this basis. Agencies will tell you what they pay for specific tasks and on average these fees range from £25 for a simple instruction to £400 for something a little more involved. These instructions can range in time commitment from 25 mins to a few hours work.

How much work in my area?

Insurance claims and Personal Injury claims are an unknown quantity, it would be nice if there was a crystal ball which would determine how many claims, would be achieved in your area tomorrow, next week or next month. This is why the majority of agents work for multiple agencies. So that they obtain work from agencies and then when they have enough work, they can then turn work away.

If I turn work away, will that impact on my ability to get work in future?

Agencies will be aware that you do not work for them exclusively and that you receive work from other companies, if you are not available they will move on to the next nearest investigator, until they find someone who is available.

Out of your 30+ work providers are there any in my area?

Regardless of where the agencies offices are based, they are looking for agents to represent them in every area of the UK.

Is there any work in Northern Ireland or Scotland?

Northern Ireland & Scotland are within the UK and UK Laws and European Laws in most cases apply; incidentally we have trained people from all over the world. The techniques that we teach in investigation can be applied anywhere. Individual laws may differ in certain countries and of course you will have to familiarise yourself dependent on the type of investigation you carry out.

You earn your money as a training provider; won’t you be telling me what I want to hear so that you can earn money for your training?

That’s true we do earn money as a training provider. We have a much defined process to ensure that we funnel our enquiries until we reach a point where we can achieve a maximum of 8 individuals on a course and that those individuals are committed to becoming the very best investigators and are under no illusion what is involved in getting them through this process.

When you speak to our admin team on the phone, already we will be assessing your demeanour and telephone manner and how you deal with people and your conversational skills. We could then entice you to a one to one telephone interview with a specialist who again will be analysing your conversational skills, how attentive you are and what your prime motivators are. You may like to attend one of our free workshops, in which case again we will be monitoring you on a face to face basis and how you interact with the team and other attendees.

After going through this process, if we believe that you are not up to the task, we will not actively pursue your registration with us!

How do I pay for the course?

Fees must be paid in advance, just choose the support package you require and then call our admin team on 01636 593990, they will give you a final figure which will include a reduction in fees if you have any grants or funding available in your area. You can then pay in the following ways, cash, cheque, bacs or online via our secure payment portal.

We look forward to welcoming you on our course, which if you are serious about becoming an investigator is without doubt the most comprehensive package of training and support in the UK and on qualification 100% success in obtaining work.