Coach Update

The BCU Coach Update scheme provides a service whereby the BCU recognises your qualifications as valid and updated. The benefits of this scheme include:

• Evidence for deployers, or customers that you are qualified and updated
• Your name being included on our register of qualified and updated coaches
• You can run BCU Tests and Awards, for example the Performance (Star) Awards

The concept of coach update is based on the BCU Coaching Service actively providing opportunities for personal development and encouraging all coaches to keep up to date with developments in our sport and indeed in general Sports coaching. Further to this, with sport and sports coaching receiving an increasingly public profile with moral, ethical, and social commitments, it is important that we can account for and verify the status of all coaches within the scheme.

How to Update

To update, you can complete any of the following:

1. Attend a BCU Coaching or Leadership course. The completion of a Coaching or Leadership qualification extends Coaches update status by a further three years. Most BCU Coaching and Leadership awards that are 2 days or more count. A list of courses meeting this requirement is available Courses that update.
2. Attend a Coach Update/Coaching Matters Event.  These events are run throughout the regions aiming to provide quality learning support for coaches through the provision of appropriate learning systems, structures, resources, products and services. We are always looking for volunteers to help support these events, so if you feel you have something to contribute please contact the organisers as listed.You can also attend the update if the content interests you or if you want to learn more. The SCA Coaching Conference or Club Coach Weekend also count as update events.
3. Complete a Self-Assessment Form. The self-assessment form provides you with an opportunity to evidence your coaching activity and any continual professional development that you may have completed during the three-year update cycle. Guidance available here. 

Remaining Updated 

The Coach Update process is the same for all of our Coaches, whether you hold ‘new’ or ‘old’ awards. There are three things you need to have to meet the update requirements:

1. Have a valid first aid certificate recorded on your SCA membership record: All Coaches (except UKCC Level 1) need a first aid certificate recorded on their membership record.  For further information on first aid, visit www.bcu.org.uk/coaching/first-aid
2. Hold Full SCA Membership.
3. Be up-to-date with current best practice There are three ways in which you can evidence this (each being valid for a period of three years):
4. Complete recognised child protection training. As part of its commitment to the protection of children, the BCU require all coaches to complete recognised child protection training. This will take full effect from 1st January 2012 and any coaches up do not meet this requirement by then will no longer be updated. Further information can be found  here.

Coaching Reinstatement

If your SCA membership (or that of another BCU Home Nation) has lapsed. your Coaching qualifications can be restored on the following basis:

1.  If the membership is allowed to lapse for a period of less than 3 years the coach can reactivate qualifications by paying the current year’s membership plus a £15.00 administration fee and completing the coach update requirements pertaining at the time. For more information please refer to Section above - Be up-to-date with current best practice.

2. If the lapsed period exceeds 3 years, the coach must pay the current years membership fee, a £15.00 administration fee, plus a £20.00 fee to cover revalidation.  This will be in the form of an action plan plus a workshop or working alongside a course provider. The action plan will be provided by the SCA. Costs for workshops will be extra.

3. Due to the changes to the Coaching Scheme, re-instatement of Assessor status (A1 - A5) will not be given. Re-instatement of current assessor status (possibly at a lower level) would be re-activated on application via an agreed action plan and possible charge. A decision on an application for assessor re-instatement and any associated action plan would depend on the number of years of lapsed membership.

Coaching qualifications are only valid whilst the member holds a current first aid award. For more information on First Aid please follow this link on First Aid requirements. A copy of your first aid certificate must be sent in with your coach update or re-instatement application.

Reinstatement Form (PDF)