By Paul Crane, Risk and Standards Manager at ukactive
The physical activity sector forms an essential part of the community, supporting people across the nation to begin or continue their health journey. Whether by providing a space to be active, offering social interaction, or supporting those with a health condition, these facilities welcome millions of people each and every day.
To ensure people can continue enjoying these facilities, the importance of health and safety has never been greater.
That’s why ukactive, with the support of our partners, have launched The Active Standard, also known as ‘TAS’, which is a baseline certification available to all ukactive members that operate fitness and leisure facilities in the UK.
The certification has been developed over four years in partnership with Sport England, CIMSPA, Right Directions (which delivers Quest), and EuropeActive and NEN (which together deliver the European FITcert scheme).
It has been meticulously tested by industry experts and piloted with ukactive members to provide operators with a standardised approach, helping to drive continuous improvement across the sector.
But how can ukactive operator members get involved, and what’s available to those that are wanting to take the first steps to achieving The Active Standard?
All ukactive members will soon be able to begin their journey to achieve The Active Standard.
As it is a baseline certification, designed to complement existing standard schemes such as Quest and FITcert, some operators will pre-qualify for The Active Standard as they are already operating at this level or higher (all these operators have been contacted by ukactive).
As part of a phased approach to ensure all ukactive operator members become certified, over the coming weeks and months we’ll be in touch with members to help prepare for the assessment.
A third-party assessment body will conduct the assessment online, which involves 40 –questions based on a clear syllabus covering four key areas.
The first component is health and safety compliance, where members must demonstrate and evidence that they are meeting the required health and safety laws and regulations. This includes risk assessment, safety protocols and ongoing training of staff to support fostering a culture of vigilance and responsibility for employees and customers.
The second component of the syllabus is professional standards, developed in collaboration with CIMSPA. This section ensures that professionals within the sector meet recognised benchmarks of competence, through credible and approved training providers, and that operators support ongoing professional development.
The third component is safeguarding measures, which assesses how operators are protecting vulnerable individuals from abuse or harm. Operators will need to evidence a dedicated safeguarding lead and ensure systems are in place with relevant policies, staff training and reporting mechanisms to address any concerns promptly.
The final component assesses compliance with data protection laws, where an operator must demonstrate its commitment to privacy and ethical data handling – this is essential to protect consumers and avoid any hefty fines. Incorporating these measures into policy forms an integral part of The Active Standard syllabus.
The assessment process takes around two hours in total and members will be supported to identify any missing requirements. Once achieved, certification lasts for three years before re-assessment is required.
Through this certification, together we can showcase just how safe, supportive and inclusive our sector’s facilities really are. Doing so will not only boost the sector’s reputation, but it will help us in our mission to help even more people to feel confident in getting active and ultimately boost the long-term health, happiness and prosperity of the nation.
To find out more about The Active Standard, click here or read the FAQ’s here.
More People More Active More Often
