Frequently asked questions

The Workforce Governance and Registration Scheme Project is a sector-wide piece of work with the objective of supporting, safeguarding and regulating the workforce to allow everyone taking part in sport and physical activity to enjoy safe and high-quality experiences, and to be supported in achieving their goals in a positive environment.

Harm to participants in sport (including physical harm or injury, abuse and discrimination) continues to occur at unacceptable levels:

• At a global level, Project CARE (2021) found that 37% of athletes had experienced physical abuse as a child in sport and that 61% had experienced emotional abuse.
• In the UK, studies (such as Alexander et al., 2011) have shown the prevalence of emotional-psychological abuse of children in sport to be as high as 75%, with 24% of young people surveyed reporting physical abuse of some form.
• The same report found that 29% of children surveyed had experienced sexual harassment in sport, with 3% experiencing child sexual abuse. Girls are significantly more likely than boys to experience sexual harassment and abuse.

Following the 2017 Duty of Care in Sport review, and strategies including Active Nation and Uniting the Movement, CIMSPA has worked with Sport England, UK Sport and other organisations to explore a sector-wide approach to workforce governance.

In 2019, Phase 1 of this work investigated the current state of play and the appetite of the sector for a project of this kind. A summary of its findings and recommendations can be found here.

Phase 2 saw research and engagement with stakeholders across the sector to gain a deeper understanding of how organisations are currently supporting the workforce and mitigating workforce related risks. It also examined the role and existing methods of workforce regulation and registration, and appraised best practice from other sectors and countries. Phase 2 was completed in 2022 and an executive summary can be found here.

In January 2023, in response to the Whyte Review into allegations of abuse in gymnastics (and in the context of other reports and studies into abuse and harm caused within sport), Sport England and UK Sport issued a joint policy response.

In total, the response included 19 commitments that spanned the areas of coaching and workforce support, performance athlete support, good governance, dispute resolution and creating safer environments for participants.

One of these commitments was for Sport England and UK Sport to work in partnership with CIMSPA and the National Governing Bodies of Sport to develop a national registration scheme for coaches to include their qualifications and suitability for work in specific roles, to be piloted with a smaller group initially to ensure that it is sustainable and practical for the long term.

‘Get Active’, the government strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, published in August 2023, stated that “The sector also needs to continue to work together and share best practice on ensuring coaches and volunteers are properly accredited to fulfil their roles. The work of CIMSPA is vitally important in ensuring that the highest standards of professionalism are embedded across the entire sector. The recently launched two-year pilot to develop and test a national workforce registration scheme is an important step in achieving this.”

Following earlier consultation and research into workforce governance led by CIMSPA, it is clear that a ‘whole system’ approach will be the most effective strategy to support the workforce and allow everyone taking part in sport and physical activity to enjoy safe and high-quality experiences.

We see this breaking down into three interrelated strands of work, to be covered in this project:

• Workforce evaluation
• Standards, policy, and stakeholder engagement
• Support, auditing, and action planning

Completing this work with a representative sample of sporting bodies and key stakeholders will allow us to determine the requirements of a national registration scheme and to build a prototype workforce register. It will also place an emphasis on supporting sporting bodies in being ready to implement a national registration scheme, if one is deemed to be viable.

The initial scope covers those working as sports coaches, but in the longer term the intention is to cover other parts of the sport and physical activity workforce.

This next phase will incorporate detailed analysis to determine the requirements of a national registration scheme; requiring significant input and collaboration from across the sector, including sporting bodies, Active Partnerships, employers, deployers, coaches, volunteers, participants, parents, affected persons and others . This work will be undertaken over the next two years (2023-2025), after which recommendations will be made for a potential full implementation.

• Stage 1: Diagnostic & Engagement
  • CIMSPA will work with a representative sample of sporting bodies to undertake an evaluation of current policies, processes, and systems for workforce governance that have been identified as critical in the Whyte Review, along with a digital technology maturity evaluation.
  • This will provide a benchmark with which we can start to scope out the infrastructure requirements for a prototype workforce register and will allow us to prepare a detailed review which will set out the proposed direction and consideration for the wider implementation of these schemes.
    
    
• Stage 2: Consolidation, evaluation and action planning
  
  
• Stage 3: Development of a prototype registration scheme with a number of sporting bodies.

One of the conclusions from earlier consultations and other reports was that a national workforce registration scheme would be a major step towards reducing the risk of participant harm; allowing any employer, deployer , participant, parent or other stakeholder to easily verify that a coach is qualified, competent and safe.

A national registration scheme would also mitigate the current risk of an individual being barred from working in one sport but able to move to coaching in a different one. However, it is important to emphasise that a national registration scheme would only be part of a ‘whole system’ approach to workforce governance, designed to support and safeguard the workforce.

The initial scope of this project covers those working in sports coaching, but in the longer term the intention would be to include as many members of the sport, fitness and physical activity workforce as possible.

Defining the exact scope is part of this next phase of work, but the initial focus is on supporting sports coaches, including volunteers. In the longer term the intention would be to include as many members of the sport, fitness and physical activity workforce as possible.

Some sporting bodies (including CIMSPA) already operate their own coaching and workforce registration schemes , however they use a range of different systems which can’t (or don’t) easily connect to each other. This phase of the project is focused on working with a representative sample of sporting bodies to evaluate the systems already in place and help us to understand the requirements for creating a national registration scheme.

The wider ‘whole system’ approach of this project should provide positive outcomes for coaches in terms of greater recognition of their qualifications and professionalism. The vast majority of coaches deliver positive experiences in sport, and a national registration scheme would provide a simple way for a coach to demonstrate that they are qualified, competent and safe.

In the longer term, this should also benefit coaches by providing more flexible, proportional (and potentially more cost-effective) training and development opportunities more closely aligned to their specific role.

The objective of this project is to allow everyone taking part in sport and physical activity to enjoy safe and high-quality experiences, and to be supported in achieving their goals in a positive environment.

A national registration scheme would allow participants, parents, employers, deployers and other stakeholders to easily verify that a coach is qualified, competent and safe, making it more difficult for those who cause harm to continue working in the sector.

At the end of this evaluation phase, the intention is to develop a proposal for how a national registration scheme might be implemented, what it would cost, and how it might be funded. We are very aware of the need to eliminate or minimise any additional burden on individuals, clubs or small businesses.

The wider ‘whole system’ approach of this project should provide positive outcomes for coaches in terms of greater recognition of their qualifications and professionalism. In the longer term, this should also benefit coaches, clubs and businesses by providing more flexible, proportional (and potentially more cost-effective) training and development opportunities more closely aligned to their specific role.

CIMSPA is leading this project, working in partnership with Sport England, UK Sport, the National Governing Bodies of Sport, other sporting bodies and key stakeholders.

As the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, CIMSPA has for some years been working towards a respected, regulated and recognised sector that everyone can be a part of. Our position within the sporting landscape, and our experience with previous phases of Workforce Governance work, means we are in a strong position to lead this project, working closely with Sport England, UK Sport, sporting bodies and other stakeholders.