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SkillsActive Summary of Consultation Achievements - Health & Fitness Instructor Standards

Meeting the Needs of Employers in the Fitness Industry

Over the past 18 months - 2 years there has been a comprehensive review of the relevance/quality of the training fitness professionals receive.  This has involved extensive consultation with employers (over 80 consulted, visiting all home nations twice), including standards revision and qualification review.  All the changes which have been made to the professional development and skills system in fitness have come in direct response to requests from these employers:

Employers asked us to make sure all instructors could deal with special populations

• We expanded the national standards and qualifications at levels 2 and 3 to include special populations such as children (14 to 16), older adults, disabled clients and ante and post natal women.  The request to include 14-16 year olds in the core standards came directly from David Lloyd Leisure. 

Employers asked us to make links to the health sector and make sure the fitness industry could assist with the prevention or treatment of medical conditions

• We set up Level 4 of REPs in 6 (soon to be 8) specific medical areas including cardiac disease, stroke and back pain.  There are now dedicated standards and qualifications in these areas with professionals recognised on REPs.  All the condition specific medical organisations and charities such as the Stroke Association, McMillan and the British Cardiovascular Society all support this work.  We have also responded to a specific employer request to enable Level 2 instructors to progress straight to exercise referral without needing a Level 3 qualification first, this has been implemented. 

Employers asked us to include soft skills like communication and the skills of motivation and behaviour change in instructor training

• We gave these skills prominence in the industry standards and qualifications, they now sit on a par alongside areas like anatomy and physiology.  The challenge is for the training providers to bring these skills to life and work out ways to effectively teach and assess them.

Employers asked us to consider new innovations in the fitness industry like the Curves fitness concept. 

• Through the SAFE group, We have agreed to develop national standards and a new category of REPs for “pre-programmed” exercise so these innovations can be embraced in the industry’s skills development system

Employers asked us to recognise a wider range of skills beyond core fitness activities for continuing professional development including customer service, business skills, providing physical activity and the Health Trainer role.

• Through the technical expert group it has been agreed to recognise a wider range of CPD to reflect the broader range of skills in the fitness industry beyond pure fitness instruction

 Employers asked us to recognise fitness professionals who deliver physical activity to children

• We developed new standards and qualifications in 'exercise and physical activity for children' and made this a new category of REPs.

This work is reaching a conclusion, and it is anticipated that relatively minor technical issues will be brought forward for employers to consider in the coming year.