Since 2004, the UKSCA has had a single professional registration level, the Accredited S&C Coach. In 2018, work began on developing a new entry level for the strength and conditioning profession, the S&C Trainer.
The Accredited S&C Trainer professional registration was designed with a number of aims in mind. Firstly, there is now widespread recognition that the whole population can benefit from strength and conditioning, and the UKSCA has a responsibility to share this message with clarity and integrity. The UKSCA Board believes that high standards of strength and conditioning (S&C) practice should not be confined to the gym or training ground: instead, everyone should have the opportunity to be healthier through physical activity. However, where S&C is being delivered, it should be safe, effective and in line with recognised standards of practice, consistent across all physical activity and educational settings.
The UKSCA Board also believes that, by creating a new entry level to the profession, the reach of S&C and UKSCA standards will be wider. The hope is that this in turn will feed more demand for Accredited S&C Coach members working and applying higher levels of knowledge and skills. In order to expand on the above, the S&C Trainer level aims to address two key outcomes:
1. To provide a common standard for those from outside the strength and conditioning profession who are delivering elements of physical activity using S&C principles (eg, PE teachers, sports coaches, physiotherapists, fitness professionals)
In recent years, there has been significant growth and interest in S&C outside the traditional competitive sport settings, in areas such as boutique gyms, increased participation in recreational sport by older adults and competitive fitness. There is also an increased demand for physical literacy in schools and a growing awareness of introducing young people to safe and effective S&C training. However, the standards of practice, knowledge and skills of those aiming to meet this demand varies significantly, meaning that athletes and clients in these environments may not see the benefits of S&C and – even worse – may be at risk of injury.
The UKSCA therefore decided to introduce a common S&C standard for people from related professions; this is to be a standard that is clearly distinct from the UKSCA’s Accredited S&C Coach, yet one that is still appropriate for end users’ requirements. In this way, the UKSCA can ensure that the athletes/clients of anyone who provides S&C will be confident that they are working with someone who is suitably qualified, safe, effective and working within a code of conduct.
2. To provide a coaching-focused, entry-level to the profession that emphasises the importance of ‘coaching hours’ and practical experience from the outset
The UKSCA train in-house staff, who are UKSCA Accredited, to acquire ‘UKSCA Licensed Assessors – S&C Trainer’ status: they can then perform the assessments on our behalf. This training also gives them a vocational assessor qualification, which enables them to assess regulated qualifications; they are required to renew their licence every two years.
There has been a large increase in the number of S&C education programmes available, but many of these spend too much time on theory and online delivery, to the detriment of time spent on the practical delivery and practical application skills required by a S&C coach. The time taken to apply and develop skills is often limited in course programmes and the opportunities for students to gain vital ‘coaching hours’ is therefore compromised.
Through developing this new professional registration level and raising awareness within the wider population, the UKSCA can help to create a broader range of work opportunities for our future S&C coaches, giving them valuable ‘coaching hours’ from the very start of their careers and impacting positively on a wider population.
The UKSCA’s Accredited S&C Coach is a professional registration, which is different to a qualification. Professional registrations are an important element of any profession in that they establish the individual’s skills, knowledge and experience. It also demonstrates to peers in a profession – and to the wider world – a commitment by the individual to professional standards of practice, to working within codes of conduct: it is a commitment to professional development and active participation within the profession.
A qualification is often step one on the journey to professional registration, which is then followed by a period of time applying and demonstrating skills and knowledge to develop a breadth and depth of experiences and expertise before reaching the level required for professional registration.
To gain the Accredited S&C Coach (ASCC) professional registration with the UKSCA, an individual has to go through our four-part assessment process where they are required to demonstrate that their skills, knowledge and expertise have met the required standard. Albeit at a lower level of skills, knowledge and expertise than the Accredited S&C Coach, the Accredited S&C Trainer is also a professional registration. In consultation with employers and educators, the UKSCA has developed a five-part assessment process that is aligned to safe and effective practice in meeting the needs of athletes/clients and employers.
Since 2018, the UKSCA has been working in partnership with CIMSPA, who have been tasked by the government and Sport England to develop standards across the whole sport and physical activity sector. Together with CIMSPA, the UKSCA has therefore developed ‘professional standard’ documents for the S&C Trainer and the Graduate S&C Coach. Qualifications can be endorsed by CIMSPA if they map fully or partly to these documents. This ensures that the course curriculums of degrees and vocational qualifications are aligned to the agreed skills and knowledge required by Accredited S&C Trainers and S&C Coaches.
An individual with a CIMSPA-endorsed qualification has provided evidence that they have made their first step towards professional registration, either as an Accredited S&C Trainer or S&C Coach. There is then a clear route to professional registration through our assessment pathways and processes, which have reflective practice at their core, and which ensure the application of skills and knowledge by gaining experience in the ‘real world’.
Although the alignment of courses and qualifications through the CIMSPA endorsement process will bring enormous benefits in aligning the education standards in strength and conditioning, the UKSCA has always recognised that individuals with varied backgrounds of formal and non-formal education, as well as varied skills and experience development, can still enter the pathway and gain professional registration as an Accredited S&C Coach. This is also the case with the Accredited S&C Trainer, where the end assessments are available to all, whether graduating from an endorsed course or not.
Working with Transcend Awards, UKSCA has created a partnership model that enables other institutions and companies to not only award the new Diploma on behalf of the UKSCA, but also the Accredited S&C Trainer professional registration. These institutions and companies are termed ‘UKSCA Licensed Partners’. The partnership model is straightforward and is designed for mutual benefit, see Table 1:
As many education programmes are already delivering content aligned to this standard, through this partnership model – often with minimal changes to existing courses – students are provided with the opportunity to gain the Diploma for UKSCA S&C Trainers and professional registration as part of their existing studies, as opposed to applying directly to UKSCA after graduation. This assessment-led model also enables the UKSCA to partner with others that already have established reputations, business models and student relationships in their specific markets. Fitness industry training providers can award this to fitness instructors and personal trainers; universities can award this to their strength and conditioning, sport science, coaching and therapy students; National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport can award this to their coaches and athletes; the military can award this to their PTIs; and UKSCA members can use this as a vehicle to establish their own training and education business to deliver this to students in their local area.
The partnership model is addressing the ‘supply’ side of the new S&C Trainer standards, but the ‘demand’ side also requires work to ensure that the role is recognised across multiple sectors.
The UKSCA will work with our Licensed partners, CIMSPA, the insurance industry, major employers and related professional bodies to raise awareness of the benefits of strength and conditioning, what S&C Trainers can and cannot do, and the difference between S&C Trainers and S&C Coaches. Significant work has already been done on the pathway to support those working towards UKSCA Accredited S&C Coach professional registration and through that work, the UKSCA can provide clarity on the skills, knowledge and expertise of S&C Trainers and S&C Coaches and also how anyone currently studying or aspiring to study or work in strength and conditioning can engage with the UKSCA.
Heading up the office team and working with the Board to set and deliver the strategic direction of the UKSCA, Sarah has knowledge and input into all aspects of the Association's work. Sarah qualified as an engineer and prior to working with the UKSCA, worked and consulted in a variety of organisations and sectors from aerospace to utilities. Sarah was involved in the formation of the UKSCA in 2004 and has been working on behalf of members ever since.
