Workforce Governance & Registration Scheme Project - Update October 2024
The Workforce Governance and Registration Scheme Project is a sector-wide piece of work commissioned by Sport England and UK Sport following the recommendations of the Whyte Review, 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.
Introduction
The project is being led by CIMSPA (the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) working in partnership with Sport England and UK Sport, the National Governing Bodies of Sport, other sporting bodies and key stakeholders.
CIMSPA is committed to the success of this project, and we will be providing regular updates and engagement with all stakeholders across its duration.
For further information please check the Workforce Governance section of the CIMSPA website or view our Frequently Asked Questions.
For any direct queries you can also email: workforcegovernance@cimspa.co.uk.
Project update: October 2024
Over the last 14 months, across the initiation and discovery phase of this project, we have seen fantastic support and engagement from over 60 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and other system partners.
Back in May, we saw many representatives from these NGBs and partners come together to attend an event where the project’s progress was shared. This also allowed everyone to collaborate, explore and offer solutions to the complexities we faced in order to deliver a successful National Workforce Registration Scheme Pilot. This included discussions around the legal construct, government guidance on regulation, the potential rules for onboarding and offboarding, and digital capability.
Following this, and after analysing the insight and data collected from the 120+ touchpoint exercises conducted with UK and England-centric NGBs, we have been working on delivering the framework for the pilot scheme and are now rolling out the next phase of the project.
From September, the project will progress with workstreams that will aim to understand and test the processes, structures and systems needed for a nationwide system. The focus, for the purpose of this pilot, is the role of sports coach, as defined in the Coach Professional Standard within the scope of current NGB systems and club structures. For this stage of the project, a small number of sports governing bodies will be testing components and policies. In addition, a broader number of sports governing bodies will be continuing to work with us to identify areas of challenge and development through integrated workforce audits and wider support exploration.
Throughout the project, there has also been regular dialogue with system partners and NGBs based in the Home Nations, including sportscotland and Sport Wales, via Sport England. This will continue into the next phase, with any learning and data acquired, assisting with any potential longer-term development and wider, cross-nation collaboration.
The project remains on time and on budget and as outlined, there will continue to be a number of key areas of collaboration. Collectively, through this work, the sector is making great strides towards proposing a solution to key challenges and that will help to ensure that everyone can participate in sport and physical activity in a safe and enjoyable way.