ukactive has launched The Active Standard (TAS), a baseline certification designed for all operators – whether from the private, public or independent sector – that is free of charge as part of ukactive membership.
In the fifth blog of our series, four representatives from large, multi-site facility operators across the public and private sector, explain its value for their organisations own quality and safety and how it helps them to build trust with members and partners.
Mark Trimmer, Group Head of Health and Safety at PureGym
‘Everybody Welcome’ is central to our community here at PureGym and our number one goal is to create a safe and positive environment for our staff and members. The Active Standard ensures we adhere to that commitment by demonstrating compliance in all key areas of safety and risk management, including health and safety, safeguarding, equality and diversity, GDPR and more.
Along with the Primary Authority Scheme, The Active Standard has formed part of PureGym’s quality risk management system. Additionally, being assessed and accredited by a third party (Right Directions) has helped refine our core policies and procedures and thus supporting our endeavour to continuously improve both in terms of health and safety performance and driving a positive safety culture.
The Active Standard serves as a beacon of support, safety and quality assurance, so its introduction will help to improve consistency and compliance standards across the UK physical activity sector. I also believe the process creates an opportunity for operators to benchmark against each other and to proactively work together to identify emerging risks to support the continued growth of the sector.
Amanda Butler, National Health and Safety Assurance Manager at Nuffield Health
The Active Standard promotes quality, safety, and operational excellence in the physical activity sector and for Nuffield Health it aligns with our organisation by providing several benefits:
- Enhanced credibility: By adhering to The Active Standard, we can strengthen our reputation for quality and safety, building trust with members and partners.
- Streamlined processes: The Active Standard promotes clear guidelines on safety, risk management, and customer care, enabling us to improve our internal operations.
By achieving The Active Standard, we are significantly strengthening compliance across our entire Health estate and it also helps us to maintain a competitive edge by differentiating ourselves in a crowded market. This again helps us to foster further customer loyalty and attract even more new members.
For the broader fitness sector, The Active Standard presents valuable opportunities, including raising industry standards by setting a benchmark for consistent quality. It also sets out a template for continuous improvement by encouraging fitness providers to review and enhance their practices, encouraging a culture of ongoing improvement.
In summary, The Active Standard benefits Nuffield Health by enhancing its reputation and competitiveness, while helping the entire fitness industry elevate its service quality and impact.
Andy Farr, Strategic Director at Parkwood Leisure
We see the development of The Active Standard as an important step in delivering a shared framework for quality assurance across the industry that can foster consistency and trust, by allowing customers and partners to easily identify organisations that uphold high standards and can be relied upon to deliver excellent services.
Providing confidence to existing and potential customers, partners and funders is critical if we are to maximise the role that physical activity can play in supporting happier and healthier communities. As well as the benefits of certification, the process itself is also important for us, as it encourages reflection on best practice and continuous learning.
For the wider physical activity sector, it provides an opportunity for us all to standardise quality benchmarks, foster inclusivity, and contribute meaningfully and consistently to public health objectives, ultimately increasing participation, with all the associated mental and physical health benefits this can bring.
Rachel Gibbons, Senior HSEQ Manager Leisure & Micromobility, Transport & Community Services at Serco Group plc
We see The Active Standard as a major step forward for the physical activity sector in the UK, helping to both set and raise standards for all fitness and leisure operators. It provides all operators an opportunity to demonstrate their quality and compliance with UK law, free of charge as part of their ukactive membership.
The introduction of The Active Standard, along with Quest certification, provides our organisation with a platform that helps us successfully demonstrate to clients, stakeholders, and members our ongoing commitment to safety, inclusion and compliance. We see this as a positive step to help us achieve our mission of helping our customers make more out of every day.
To find out more about The Active Standard and how it can help your organisation, click here.
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