SUP Safer Tutor

What the Role Entails

As a SUP Safer Tutor, you will work with those new or relatively novice to Stand Up Paddleboarding, wanting to gain knowledge and raise their awareness of their personal safety. You will support paddleboarders in a sheltered water environment, where they will explore and learn to appreciate the potential hazards they might encounter and be prepared to avoid or deal with them.

Being a SUP Safer award Tutor can be very rewarding.

SUP Safer Tutors, with the appropriate experience can run both the SUP Safer Award and SUP Safer Thames Tideway Award.

You will be supporting those new to paddleboarding, they will benefit from your support and start their enjoyment of paddleboarding safely.

HOW DO I BECOME A SUP SAFER TUTOR?

When applications are open, you will have 4 weeks to submit your application. You will be required to provide referees so please make sure you think carefully about who these could be. If you are successful, your orientation will give you the chance to work with one of our Trainers to share best practice. Depending on your existing qualifications held, the Orientation will either be online or practical face to face training. Full details can be on the ‘Further Instructions’ tab.

To get the most out of the orientation we recommend:

• you have read the SUP Safer documentation
• you have observed, supported and worked on SUP Safer courses before the Orientation.

FINAL SIGN-OFF

Following the practical Orientation, if you require a final sign-off you will:

• Manage a full SUP Safer course
• Take the lead in all aspects under the supervision of a National Association Trainer

Successful completion of the sign off will lead to the full role being granted.

Want to know more?

Read more about the SUP Safer course here.

Read more about the SUP Safer Thames Tideway course here.

Minimum Requirements

To become a SUP Safer Tutor, you must meet the following requirements at the point of application

Values and Attitudes

Interpersonal:

Has strong interpersonal skills, the ability to operate as a team player and excellent customer care skills.

Communication:

Is able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people. Is skilled in communicating through various media, has excellent presentation and report-writing skills. Is competent in the language used for assessment.

Integrity:

Is fair and equitable, ethical and honest. Treats people with respect, is candid, and protects confidential information. Adheres to Paddles Up Training policies and demonstrates loyalty to Paddles Up Training and the team. Supports equality of opportunity.

Problem Solving:

Is a clear thinker able to approach tasks in a systematic and logical manner. Has excellent problem solving and analytical skills.

Open Mindedness:

Is able and willing to take and offer advice. Is willing to learn, develop and grow.

Experience:

Has significant and current experience delivering Safety.

Competence:

Has competence in the subject matter of the qualification, and in personal paddling and safety skills.

Judgement:

Has the ability to make accurate judgements about the standard of candidates’ training and assessing skills.

Knowledge and Understanding:

Has sound and current knowledge and understanding in all aspects of the relevant syllabi and all that is involved in delivering the Safety training and assessment.

Commitment:

Is committed to continued professional development to maintain the standards required of the role, including:

• the maintenance of Update Scheme requirements remaining active in the relevant disciplines/environment
• remaining up-to-date with current best practice in all aspects of the relevant Safety Award syllabus
• being able to demonstrate personal paddling/safety competence in the relevant discipline/environment
• taking part in informal/formal activities that will help ensure their own interpretation of Safety standards and requirements is at the correct level

Further Instructions

Application Process

Applications open in April each year. An 'Apply now' button will appear on all open roles. Please read the instructions on the application for application deadlines and off line options.

Orientations will be agreed with successful applicants. Orientations will be Online for SUP Coaches and Leaders, Paddlesport Leaders and Paddlesport Touring Leaders are face to face, typically one day in duration. The up to date orientation fee can be found by looking at the available dates under booking now or by looking at the Paddles Up Training Delivery Centre Fees document Here . There may be additional costs in the case of a final sign off being required.

Maintaining Your Provider Role

In addition to this you will also be expected to maintain your skills and coaching ability in the sheltered water environment. You will also be expected to attend face to face and online meetings to share best practice and updates. This takes the form of a yearly ‘hot topic’ meeting online and a face to face moderation every 3 years.

SUP Safer Tutor Self Analysis

A SUP Safer Tutor needs to understand each of the following areas of planning, delivering and reviewing a SUP Safer course (& Thames Tideway). We recommend you consider each question and ensure you know the answer before your Orientation. It is important to focus your development on those areas you feel you are less familiar with or competent in.

• What are the course staffing requirements? (ratios/roles)
• How do you get course authorisation?
• What are the pre-requisites for the course?

• Who will be your course candidates?
• How will you tell them about your courses?

• You may need to consider the costs of the course or what you might charge?
• What are the fees or costs to you of running the course?
• Will you need to hire equipment?
• Is the course being funded by a club, centre or organisation?

• When will you cancel courses? How far in advance?
• How do you warn candidates that a course might be cancelled?
• What happens to things you have paid for if the course is cancelled?

In order for the course to be safe, enjoyable and meet the key outcomes of the training course we need to make some key decisions to ensure we are in the right place at the right time. You may need to know:

• Where can you meet and greet your candidates, where can you do an initial briefing? Where will they get changed? Where can they have lunch and where can we do the course close and debrief?
• What are the changing arrangements like for the location? Does the location have a safeguarding policy?
• Does the location have access to refreshments? Is it easy to get food and drink?

• Are we permitted to paddle? What is the water quality like? How deep is the water? How is the venue effected by the weather? Does the venue have everything you need to run the course? Is the equipment near the water? How do we move the equipment to where you need it?
• What other users are there at the location? How might they affect your course? How might we affect them? How do we minimise conflict and help everyone enjoy the environment? Is there anything else we should consider such as nesting birds?

The course syllabus is detailed and provides a clear list of subjects that must be covered, outside of this core content every course will be different and we may want to consider:

• How will you tailor a course to a group or environment?
• What might you do differently if all of the candidates were aspirant Paddlesport Instructors?
• Why might you recommend a longer course duration?
• How might your plan change for candidates under 18?
• What will you do in winter when days are shorter and the weather/ water is colder?

For our Candidates to get the most for our course you will need to manage the programme well and may need to consider several factors:

• How will you structure the day to make the best of the time we have?
• How will you get the most out of the location?
• How will you ensure your delivery style meets the needs of the candidates?
• How will you ensure activities and practice sessions are safe and effective?
• How will you balance tutor led learning and learner devised learning in your sessions?

You will need to be able to demonstrate and explain a range of techniques from the bank and on/in the water from a range of paddleboards as well as understand all aspects of the syllabus and equipment. You may also need to consider how you will manage courses where the number of participants is odd? It might be useful to consider how certain techniques will be demonstrated if you are working alone? You may need to consider how you use a second provider to get the most out of them.

What end of course procedure do you need to complete? How will you ensure each candidate has an opportunity to talk to you at the end of the course, ask questions and receive personal feedback?

Every Course is an opportunity for learning and improving. End of course feedback. We can create a positive impact on our future experiences by performing a good post course review. What did you learn today? What can you focus on next time? Who can you discuss your performance with or get support from to make improvements?

• Very experienced paddlers might be able to have their experience recognised through Accredited Prior Learning, how will I recognise this? What advice would I give them? How do APL Applications work?
• How will I manage a conflict of interest? How will I recognise that there is a conflict of interest?
• What do I do if a candidate asks for special consideration? What do I do if a candidate asks me about the reasonable adjustment policy? What do I do if a candidate can’t do some of the training?
• What do I do if someone isn’t happy with your course? How can I get support from Paddles Up Training?

Development options

• Decide – do I want to be signed off at orientation or have a development plan and need a final assessed delivery?
• Mentor – who can help me? Who has recently become a provider who understands the journey?
• Read – The ‘Provider role webpages’

• Read - the most up to date SUP Safer Syllabus and Training notes, comparing them to when you undertook your own training, what is different? What has changed?
• Observe – do you have access to local providers you can go and watch? Can you see more than one provider run a course? How do courses change when they are run in different places?
• Watch – the Safety and rescue videos on the British Canoeing Awarding Body youtube channel?

• Consider – where will you run your courses, how will you ensure you have all of the equipment to run a course? How will your courses be different depending on different candidates? Time of year? Temperature? How do we ensure we have the right kit to remain productive during a long cold day on/ in the water?
• Consider – where do you learn best? What locations have worked well in your experience? What locations have not worked and why?

• Get involved – do I have access to groups that would enjoy learning different rescue techniques? Can I co deliver any SUP Safer courses?
• Get some personal coaching – who can help me develop your rescue skills? Could you do a PPA etc to develop understanding? Who do you know who would be willing to come out and practise with you?

• Read – the policies and procedures that affect your course;
• Discuss – different scenarios with your mentor or a National Association Trainer;
• Watch – how to videos for subjects like course authorisation and certification.

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