COURSE CANDIDATE GUIDANCE

With the launch of a range of direct entry awards, paddlers, clubs, centres and organisations may be wondering which qualification is right for the activities they run. This guidance will give you an overview of the options available to your paddlers wanting to start their journey on the qualification pathway.

Which qualification is right for me?

Paddle Northern Ireland are fully committed to provide Equal Opportunities and our Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustments Policy for Qualifications and Awards Policy supports the promotion of paddlesport for people of all abilities and encourages them to take British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Personal Performance Awards, Safety training, Leadership Awards and Coaching Qualifications.

The policy provides guidance to Tutors, Assessors and Providers on how they can best support people with special educational needs, disabilities, temporary illness or injury or other adverse circumstances outside their control, to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged when undertaking training and assessment.

Special Consideration and Reasonable Adjustments

The Coaching Code of Conduct incorporates the UK Coaching (formerly Sports Coach UK) Code of Practice for Sports Coaches.

The code defines all that is best in good coaching practice.

Regardless of the badge, qualification or title, the Code is relevant to us all. Paddle Northern Ireland acknowledge and appreciate the contribution made by coaches throughout our sport:

• The crucial role they play in the continued development of paddlesport and in the lives of the individuals they coach.
• Good coaches ensure participants in paddlesport have positive experiences
• Coaches should therefore ensure they demonstrate a high degree of honesty, integrity and competence at all levels.

We want to support coaches in their understanding of their responsibilities, whilst maintaining the key concept that participation is for fun and enjoyment as well as achievement.

Coaching Code of Conduct

We aim to give you piece of mind through our Coach Award Check In Service. Our Coach Award Check In Service is free and ensures that you have all of your pre requisites for your Coach Award Assessment in place.

The purpose of Coach Award Check In is to confirm you hold all prerequisites for your course, it’s free, quick and confirmation is sent straight to your inbox. You can also share your Check In with your assessor, giving you peace of mind that you have everything you need in place and you can focus on enjoying your assessment.

Our goal is to give excellent service to all of our paddlers but we recognise that occasionally things do go wrong. We take all complaints we receive seriously and aim to resolve any problems promptly.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU COMPLAIN?

We will confirm we have received your complaint within 5 working days.

• We aim to resolve complaints and complete any investigation as quickly as possible.
• If your complaint is complex we may need more time to investigate. If this is likely, we will contact you with an update within 10 working days of receipt and give you an expected date of response.

Complaints and Appeals Procedures

Paddles Northern Ireland Appeals Procedure is in place for candidates who wish to appeal against assessment decisions relating to Coaching, Leadership, and Personal Performance Qualifications and Awards.

Appeals can be made about an assessment, or any other Delivery Centre decision made by Paddle Northern Ireland or one of our staff, Internal Verifiers, Quality Assurance Officers, Trainers, Assessors or Providers, including:

• Quality/result of assessment
• Decisions for reasonable adjustments or special considerations
• Administration errors
• Withdrawal of certification or action plans resulting from monitoring audits
• Decisions relating to any action following a malpractice/maladministration investigation

Appeals Procedure