Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4)

Course Description

Looking to lead a flotilla of rafts on natural rivers?

• Do you want to take groups of people from all walks of life white water rafting?
• Do you have experience of guiding on grade 4?
• Are you looking to support your club or centre?

If so, the Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) could be for you!

Why become a Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4)?

First of all, the Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) is open to experienced Raft Guides (Grade 4) who would like to progress to lead a flotilla of rafts on natural rivers! The awards supports your existing skills and enables you to lead fun, safe and enjoyable white water rafting trips.

Secondly, you will be supported to develop your personal paddling and guiding skills during training, with like-minded guides. Alternatively, if you have sufficient experience you could go straight to assessment.

Furthermore, this award is used by clubs, outdoor centres and organisations to support their rafting activity on natural rivers.

What can a Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) do?

Your award will support you to run safe and enjoyable rafting trips, based on your group’s needs and aspirations. You will lead a flotilla of rafts with a range of experience on natural rivers up to grade 3.

As a Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4), you can work independently or be deployed by a club, centre or organisation to lead a flotilla of rafts. The purpose of these trips may be wide ranging from social adventures, club activities or trying something new.

You will be able to provide British Canoeing Awarding Body Awards and Training such as:

• Personal Performance Awards – Paddle Start and Paddle Discover.

Note: other experience, training or qualifications may be required. Find out more in our develop skills section.

How should I prepare for the training course?

There are no formal Personal Performance Award or Safety Award requirements to becoming a Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4). However, to get the best from your optional training course, you will need to feel comfortable guiding a raft on natural rivers up to grade 4.  

How should I prepare for the assessment?

Firstly, you will need to become a Raft Guide (Grade 4). This will ensure you are competent and comfortable guiding a raft on natural rivers.

Before your assessment, you need to attend the Advanced White Water Safety. This course will support you to consider safe practices, provide practical solutions to common issues and appropriate responses to incidents, providing peace of mind when venturing out onto more demanding rivers. Alternatively, you could attend the Rescue 3 WRT Pro Award. 

There are lots of ways you can prepare for your assessment. It is important that you take an active role in deciding the appropriate training and experience that you need. You could book onto the Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) training course to support you in developing the required skills. Alternatively, you can choose bespoke learning opportunities to support your development stage. Find out more on the content tab.

Leadership eLearning and online Resources

These optional, interactive eLearning package will take you through some of the key principles behind:

• British Canoeing Awarding Body Model of Leadership.
• Leading in unfamiliar environments.
• Leading mixed craft journeys

And provides resources and guides as well as a digital self-analysis tool. Find out more!

Registration

The Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) has a formal registration requirement.

RAFT GUIDE REGISTRATION

Registration is a process for Raft Guides who are planning to attend a Raft Trip Leader Assessment course. The purpose of Registration is to confirm you hold all prerequisites, it's quick and confirmation is sent straight to your inbox*.

This should then be shared with the assessor to confirm eligibility for assessment. It also gives you peace of mind that you have everything you need in place and you can focus on enjoying your assessment.

Please do not try to Register unless you hold all prerequisites:

• You need to be at least 18 years of age to register.
• BCAB Raft Guide Grade 4 (or equivalent)
• Advanced White Water Safety or Advanced White Water Safety and Rescue or equivalent
• Safeguarding Training (dated within the last 3 years).
• 2 day First Aid (dated within the last 3 years).
• Full National Association Membership.

WHAT DOES REGISTRATION COST?

£40.56

HOW DO I REGISTER?

• You need to access your membership portal and register through the portal.
• Ensure your record is up to date before you start**.
• Click on the registration tab and follow the on screen instructions.
• For more information you can use our Registration Guidance.

When should I Register?

When you have all of the prerequisites in place

At least 2 weeks before your assessment. This allows us to resolve any issues in plenty of time!

Why do I have to Register?

Your Registration covers:

• Advice, support and guidance
• Registration services
• Provision of Internal Verification
• Provision of digital platforms and resources
• Administering qualifications including e-certificate and digital records
• Enhanced insurance
• For more information you can use our Registration Guidance.

Course Content

It's your development pathway! You choose if you want to attend formal training courses or develop your personal skills, leadership and safety and rescue, with a mentor or through your Club/Organisation. When you're ready for assessment you are in control. It's your clients, your trip and our assessor joins you for the day.

Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) Training

British Canoeing Awarding Body Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) training course will support the development of your personal skill level and guiding ability to take a flotilla of rafts on natural rivers.

The training covers four key areas:

• Personal paddling skills
• Rescue skills
• Safety, leadership and group skills
• Theory

Formal training is not mandatory, however if you chose to access the training you will have a great couple of days, develop your community of practice as well as making friends and paddle with likeminded paddlers.

Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) Assessment

We believe in assessments for learning and you will definitely learn a lot from your assessment. To find out more click on the assessment tab.

Course Assessment

We do everything we can to take the stress out of assessments, we are focused on the journey and not the destination. The experience will be safe, engaging and enjoyable, with you at the heart of the process involving you in as much of the decision making as possible.

Typical Assessment

Your assessor will guide you through the stages of arranging your assessment, discussing with you the best times and dates for the assessment, helping you ensure you have a group to lead and the appropriate assessment conditions on the day.

By the end of the assessment you will have to demonstrate knowledge and skills in four areas:

• Personal paddling skills
• Rescue skills
• Safety, leadership and group skills
• Theory

The assessment takes place over a typical paddling day, depending on the logistics relating to access to suitable environments, you and your assessor may agree a longer assessment.

Help and support ahead of your assessment

Every Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4) will prepare differently for their assessment, however, you can check your readiness for assessment using:

• Raft Trip Leader Assessment Guidance – this explains, in detail, the standard required.

  You can look at the Assessment Guidance here.

• Leadership eLearning – This optional, interactive eLearning package will take you through some of the key principles behind the British Canoeing Awarding Body Model of Leadership. This is a good refresher of the Leadership principles, at any point on your journey towards becoming a Raft Trip Leader (Grade 4)

Leadership eLearning and online Resources – This optional, interactive eLearning package will take you through some of the key principles behind the British Canoeing Awarding Body Model of Leadership. This is a good refresher of the Leadership principles, at any point on your journey towards becoming a Leader. You also might find it useful to carry out a Self-Assessment using British Canoeing Awarding Body's Leader Self Analysis Tool Find All resources here!

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