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Common Questions
COACH
UPDATE / REVALIDATION OF QUALIFICATIONS
What
is update and revalidation?
:
Who needs to update?
How
do I up date?
:
What happens if I don’t update?
What
is update and revalidation?
The world is changing…..if you have any practical
qualifications, no matter what they’re in, Be it plumbing, welding, medicine,
coaching, knitting (not sure about this last one!), you will at some point need
to revalidate them. In order to
revalidate your awards you will need to show that you are up to date with
current best practice. This is known as “updating”.
In many areas this has to be done annually, in others every two years,
but within paddlesport coaching it’s every
three years.
Who
needs to update?
Everybody with a coaching qualification from Level 1 to Level 5 needs to
show that they have updated their knowledge to current best practice every three
years.
How
do I up date?
There are lots and lots of ways. Let me try to
explain a few:
-
Train
for a new coaching qualification at the same level but in a different
discipline. As the provider of any training has to be fully conversant
with current best practice they can update you as part of a training course.
-
Be
assessed for a new coaching qualification at the same level but in a different
discipline. An assessor will be looking for current best practice so if
you pass you’ve shown that you’re up to date; if you don’t pass the
assessor will be able to tell you where you fell short and thus they can
update you.
-
Be
trained or assessed for a coaching award that’s at a higher level
than your current award. Updates you in the same way as 1+2.
-
Be
trained or assessed for a Canoe Wales 5 star award. As the 5 star syllabus
covers leadership, and safety this will update you coaching awards.
-
Attend
a Canoe Wales update event. These are held within the threes Canoe Wales regions – North,
South-East and South-West and are organised by your Regional Coaching
Organiser.
If you attend any course that fits in to the
description above you will be revalidated automatically on Canoe Wales computer. This
happens when the course provider submits the paperwork and Pat updates our
records. Your new date for
revalidation will be shown on your membership card when you renew membership.
But
these are not the only ways to revalidate!
It is also possible to show that you have updated your
knowledge and thus want to have your qualifications revalidated by means of a
SELF ASSESSMENT FORM. This form is available from Canoe Wales office or you can
download it from the BCU website. (www.bcu.org.uk)
On this form you have to show (with evidence) that
you have updated in 3 key areas.
These 3 key areas are:
-
Coaching
-
Water Safety
-
The
Background
to Coaching
– Health and safety, child protection, risk assessment etc
How
might you provide this evidence?
-
Coaching
– If you have attended any workshop or series of workshops, a training
course or similar event that’s focus was coaching or an aspect of coaching
e.g. assessing, observation skills, use of video, nutrition, stretching and
warming up etc This may even have been as part of a larger qualification
such as an A level, HND or Degree. As
coaching is generic these workshops do not have to be paddlesport related
but they can be.
-
Water Safety
– In this area you need to show that you have undergone further PRACTICAL
training in water safety. As a
level 2 you might choose to retake your Canoe Safety Test or attend a Palm
River Safety Initiative event. Above Level 2 you might attend a White Water
Safety and Rescue course, or an SRT course.
You might do a Bronze medallion, Beach Lifeguard award, in-house
training in the use of a swimming pool, attend a sea symposium workshop that
looks at rescue in over-falls etc. As
long as the workshop shares current best practice with regard to an aspect
of water safety it does not even have to relate directly to your
coaching discipline!
-
The Background to
coaching
– This area is not as difficult as you might at first think.
Does your club review its risk assessments?
If you were involved then that will do.
Have you attended a HSE meeting at work that looked at safe lifting
and carrying? Again this is all
relevant. Do you attend your
local Coaching Panel meetings
because this is where the elements in the background and developments in the
pipeline are discussed? Other
areas that you might cover outside of canoeing but are directly related –
child protection, negligence and the law, disability and inclusive
strategies; all of these serve as the background
to our coaching.
The best way to fill in the self assessment form is not at the end of 3 years
but to have one in your logbook and fill it in as and when you fulfil the
requirements. When it’s full send
it in and start again. This way
updating is a continuous on-going activity, not a hoop to jump through every 3
years.
What
happens if I don’t update?
First of all let's clear up any worries - if
you don’t update, you do remain insured and you don’t lose your coaching awards.
However, you won’t be able to do any work for Canoe Wales/BCU, ie assess for star tests, or
other awards if you have assessor grades. Your sessions may not be as good as
they could be and your paddlers may be being hindered by being trained using
outdated techniques. Finally you may
also find it hard to defend yourself against any charge of negligence if you
can’t show that your coaching was and is current best practice.
I
hope this has answered all of your questions, if not give me a bell or drop me a
line I’m here to help!
Nigel Midgley
0797 1783080
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