<span style="font-weight: 400;">You are a personal trainer, or maybe a pilates teacher, and you wish to be recognised and to stand out from all the other personal trainers and pilates teachers in the area.  </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You have been practising for many years and you feel you have earned the right to be recognised for all of the ‘other’ things you do to protect your clients and provide a service that holds duty of care in high regard and you do that with a high level of professionalism. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You may have heard about the Chartered Status that CIMSPA launched having gained permission from the Crown and maybe you are wondering what it is all about? Is it worth it? What does it mean? Who is it for? Would clients care? What’s the value?</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So I thought I would share my Pathway to Chartered status with you to offer insight into what is required, my personal experience and also what the experience might offer you, in my opinion..</span>

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<h2><b>The Short Version</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having heard about the Chartered status back in 2019 combined with a wonderfully insightful meeting with Nick Sellwood, the Chartered assessor, I felt extremely excited by what I saw as an industry game changer. The reason I felt this way was that it BEGINS to bring our sector's professionalism a small step closer to that of our 'regulated' peers the clinicians (Osteo's, physio's, chiro's). As 'regulated' practitioners they are legally expected to be registered to practise, for them having 'chartered status' verifies this and ca be checked, monitored and also has requirements for that status. THIS is how I see the Chartered status we have also been offered the opportunity to achieve. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As soon as I’d heard about it I felt a rush of excitement that FINALLY our industry is on its way towards being </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">professionalised</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &amp; taken seriously - by Her Majesty no less! To be recognised on a parallel of sorts with our allied health care buddies while we support the health &amp; activity sector. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">September 2020 I found myself in the first cohort...and I have to say this was one of the best Continued Professional Development projects I have done in some time...let me explain why...</span>
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<h2><b>Stage 1 </b></h2>
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<h2><b>Are you eligible?</b></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">WOW am I even eligible? Was I? This was literally an application process not simply purchasing a CPD. My imposter syndrome kicked in &amp; so I had a chat with myself about the fact I WANTED this to be tough. I wanted to be taken outside my comfort zone. This was important for the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">recognition </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">I felt health &amp; activity practitioners deserved</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I didn't want the process to be easy did I, that's the point!</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In stage 1 the eligibility criteria were relatively simple to understand but it did require </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">evidence</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of experience, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">evidence</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the application of up to date good practise, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">evidence</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of competence &amp; CPD. Sounds simple right? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Well </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">knowing</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> what you have done &amp; providing </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">evidence</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of it are two very different things, I discovered! There were 3 routes to apply based upon what </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">evidence</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you have of your level of education &amp; experience combined. This could include all sorts of examples.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So I dug out my old CV &amp; certificates folder to see what I actually had as my evidence for the things required to fulfill the criteria. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now I have always much preferred practical sessions &amp; discussions rather than reading text or doing written work. This has resulted in a huge amount of my ‘academic’ understanding &amp; learning being done through professional discussions with clinically trained colleagues, who were very patient with me! In my own time I did read &amp; research but at my own pace as I managed to find ways to learn that suited my style &amp; pace of learning. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">How could I prove everything that my clinical colleagues have taught me or what I have read…I wondered?</span>

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<h2><b>The Plea</b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Nick Sellwood asked for me to write a ‘plea’ of around 200 words to explain my justification for my application to be recognised as Chartered. Once again this was literally plugging myself &amp; felt like I was ‘selling myself’ for an interview!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">He was fantastically encouraging while explaining the process &amp; what was expected. This encouraged me to think about exactly what I was trying to achieve &amp; so I had begun my self reflection already.</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having amassed around 84 documents of evidence, I listed them into an index for referencing due to the volume of information &amp; resources that I felt could be used as evidence of my standards &amp; professional practice. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">By coding my index list to the </span><b>Viva Interview Criteria</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> I could ensure I covered all of them somewhere.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">While I had a lot of resources for evidence I could already see areas I wanted to develop where there was less evidence or even gaps. CPD topics were clear to me before anyone had even assessed me purely based upon my own work into providing evidence to match the criteria. The criteria really made me think!</span>

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<h2><b>Stage 2 </b></h2>
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<h2><b>The Viva Interview </b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Having been sent the questions in advance I was able to prepare. It was also another opportunity to submit further evidence I might want to refer to as part of my responses to any questions I may be asked. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">There were 10 main criteria questions &amp; each once had between 4-10 smaller criteria. Somethings were easy to cross reference &amp; others I felt I would need to explain - like my professional discussions over 16 years with clinically trained colleagues. </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">My Viva Assessor &amp; I communicated via email prior to the interview &amp; she really was reassuring about everything. So much so I found myself actually really looking forward to the Viva interview! </span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This interview, I was told, could be up to 3 hrs &amp; while there are the criteria questions, the assessor may ask additional questions to offer an opportunity to explain in more detail how certain areas may have been reached, practised, delivered etc.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">During the interview I was offered regular breaks &amp; weirdly I enjoyed this exploration of my career as I was realising just how much I HAD done rather than feeling that sense of imposter syndrome from feelings lacking in my skills &amp; training. </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">This was an opportunity to self reflect &amp; deepen my understanding of the level of professionalism &amp; duty of care I could demonstrate along with the resources I had created &amp; the pathway a client may take through my involvement with them. This allowed me to be exposed to know what I needed to do to improve my practice.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">The interview is transcribed within 72hrs &amp; I even had the opportunity to review &amp; amend once more at this point. </span>

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<h2><b>Stage 3 </b></h2>
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<h2><b>Assessment &amp; Internal/External Verification </b></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Within a couple of weeks I had my result!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">I had scored 159/195 points….could I have achieved higher? Possibly but I didn't need to, however it gave me all I needed to plan my future CPD’s!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">So I am now </span><b><i>A Chartered Health &amp; Activity Practitioner</i></b><span style="font-weight: 400;">!!</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">WOW it felt, &amp; still feels, great! </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Do I recommend it? 100% YES!</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So what?</span>

&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What does this actually mean?</span>

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<h2><b>What is the point of Chartered Status?</b></h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Status! Clients never ask to see certificates of evidence but by promoting the fact I have it, they see the stamp as that of quality, comparable in the sense of any other Chartered professional. I can tell them I am Chartered &amp; most people would know that means something above the ordinary. </span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Employability - in a list of candidates guess who would be noticed when applying for a position?</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our industry starts to gain recognition as more &amp; more of us become Chartered.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am held accountable by my agreement to uphold a high level of professional practice.</span></li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">My marketing can now include my status!</span></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Will you be able to provide the required evidence? </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Well that is the challenge….my evidence goes back to 1997…...but that's <strong>The Long Version!</strong></span>

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<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">So what do you need to achieve Chartered status?</span></h2>
&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Qualifications </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Relevant consistent CPD</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Safety systems</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Good practice protocols </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Evidence of client success </span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">But also</span>

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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Passion for what you do</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A desire to improve our industry</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A desire to change the image we have</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">An open mind to critique </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A desire to stand out </span>

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Are you Chartered yet?

Would you like to be?

What evidence do you have?

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<hr />

<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Would you like help to become Chartered? </span></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32483 alignright" src="https://biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-19-at-15.55.07-300x257.png" alt="" width="300" height="257" />Becoming a Biomechanics Coach will equip you with more confidence to apply so w</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">hy not get in touch to find out more?</span>
<h2>info@biomechanicseducation.com</h2>