Choosing Appropriate CPD

As an Instructor, Coach, Leader or Guide you will recognise the importance of keeping up to date. This can involve maintaining or updating your knowledge and skills to reflect current best practice in paddlesport. It can also involve ensuring you have the personal skills and fitness levels to be able to coach, lead, guide or instruct in your chosen discipline/ environment.

Our update scheme supports, recognises and makes it easy for you to provide evidence that you are keeping yourself up to date, which is great for:

• Your own peace of mind;
• To provide evidence to an employer or deployer;
• Meet our requirements when you run British Canoeing Awarding Body Training, awards and qualifications.

Keeping your records up to date gives you the following benefits:

• Validity of qualifications maintained;
• Recognition of your currency to demonstrate to deployer;
• Liability insurance for your coaching / leading;
• Ability to deliver British Canoeing Awarding Body Awards and Qualifications (subject to meeting other relevant criteria);
• Allows you to apply to become a coach and/ or leader developer (other criteria apply);
• Allows you to confidently support and mentor other coaches and leaders.

If you’re up to date, you will be able to evidence the following 5 key areas:

1.Work to the British Canoeing Code of Conduct for Coaching Workforce

We acknowledge and appreciate the contribution made by coaches and leaders throughout our sport and the crucial role they play in the continued development of paddlesport and in the lives of the individuals they coach.

Good coaches and leaders ensure participants in paddlesport have positive experiences and are therefore more likely to continue in the sport and achieve their potential.

Coaches and leaders should therefore ensure they demonstrate a high degree of honesty, integrity and competence at all levels. We want our coaches to understand their responsibilities, whilst maintaining the key concept that participation is for fun and enjoyment, as well as achievement.

See the full code of conduct here

2.Maintain National Association Membership at the appropriate level

Maintaining ‘On the Water’ membership is a core aspect of the Update Scheme. Holding such membership provides civil liability insurance as well as a range of other benefits.

Check your membership status here.

3.Safeguarding Training

Undertaking appropriate training to ensure you are up to date with best practice and to undertake additional training if your normal working environment changes.

If you would like support in choosing appropriate Safeguarding Training you can read our article here.

Check your Safeguarding Expiry date here

4.First Aid Training

British Canoeing Awarding Body believes that First Aid is an essential skill for all.

If you would like support in choosing appropriate First Aid Training you can read our article here:

Check your First Aid Expiry date here

5.Continuous Professional Development

British Canoeing Awarding Body considers it best practice for instructors, coaches and leaders to pursue regular development of their knowledge, skills and understanding.

From the date of gaining a coaching or leadership qualification, you commit to ensure appropriate CPD is undertaken to suit your development needs and to provide evidence of that completion, holding 20 valid CPD points at any time.

Check your CPD Expiry date here (you will need your membership number and email address).

Meeting your commitment to Professional Development

We recommend that you plan your development. You may want to consider seeking support from a more experienced Instructor, Coach, Leader or Guide to help you formulate your development plan.

You might want to consider having a more formal relationship with a Mentor or a Coach Developer to support your development.

For you to meet your commitment to the Update Scheme, you are asked to provide evidence of development totalling at least 20 CPD points within each 3-year period.

However you are likely to achieve many more and we would encourage you to see this as a minimum requirement and not a target.

CPD points can be gained through a variety of mechanisms

You may choose to use a formal British Canoeing Awarding Body programmes, qualifications or awards, All programmes, are automatically uploaded onto your record and the points added to your record for 3 years.

You could also choose a range of development activities such as coaching observations, staff training,reading and reviewing publications or eLearning.

The following two tables show a range of CPD options and their points value.

For the activities in the following table, you will need to upload the information on your membership record.

Providing Evidence

To provide evidence and show your active involvement with CPD, we recommend you keep records of your CPD. This might include; evidence of attendance, log of participation, reflective logs, completion reports, certification, etc. On a 3 yearly basis, your are required to submit a CPD declaration (not required if you have gained 20 points of CPD through formal programs).

Based on a random sample plan we may select your CPD declaration for verification and in such cases may request further information or evidence of CPD.

You can read more about British Canoeing Awarding Body’s CPD policy here.