White Water Safety Provider (WWSR)

What the Role Entails

As a White Water Safety Provider you will be helping to develop paddlers who wish to work and paddle within a white water environment. This will also help raise safety awareness across the paddling community.

Though this can seem demanding, it will also be very rewarding. You will be helping both coaches and leaders on their pathways who will then go on to safely introduce others to our sport in the diverse environment that white water can bring.

As you will be teaching paddlers to be safe on the water, the role of a White Water Safety Provider is an important one. To help you prepare, there is a detailed person specification and role description in the WWSR Provider Support Document.

You also need to ensure that you are fully familiar with the course syllabus and information which can be found here.

Applications to become a WWSR Provider are accepted year-round, you can apply by booking on to an orientation course. The application form is part of the booking process.

What will you do as a WWSR provider?

• To provide White Water Safety and Rescue courses
• Provide course candidates with a clear development at the end of the course (Aspirant Leaders or Coaches require more detailed action planning)
• Act as an ambassador for British Canoeing Awarding Body Qualifications and Paddles Up Training
• Support the continuous professional development of coaches and leaders through safety workshops.

What does the development process look like?

The first step to becoming a WWSR Provider is to complete an application. If this is accepted, you can then begin to prepare for your orientation day.

To get the most out of the day we recommend that you have worked through the WWSR Provider Support document. On the Orientation itself, you will work alongside other aspirant providers and one of our National Trainers.

Being a successful provider will involve:

• Being excellent at coaching safety skills in a range of craft in a range of different environments,
• Delivering a wide range of Personal Performance Awards in the moderate water environment.
• Actively coaching and leading in a white water environment.
• Being able to find suitable ways to support your candidates’ own development.
• Once qualified, being able to mentor and support aspirant WWSR providers.

Maintaining Your Role

On becoming an WWSR Provider, you will be required to follow and agree to the Provider Service Agreement. This includes following the Update Scheme.

You will also be expected to attend a moderation event every 3 years; this is to keep you up to date with, and to share best practice with, other White Water Safety Providers. You will also be expected to run a minimum of 1 course every 3 years to keep your role up to date.

Want to know more?

The British Canoeing Awarding Body White Water Safety and Rescue Course suite of awards are currently under review, we expect to have more information over the summer of 2023.

If you would like to express your interest in the new awards please complete an application form ensuring you detail your white water and tutoring experience  and we will share further information with you as it is available.

Applications for new WWSR providers will take place each October

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 offline options.

Orientations will be agreed with successful applicants. 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.

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