Leader/ Coach Licence FAQ

As part of our commitment to ensure our sport is safe for everyone taking part we ask all licensed leaders and coaches to update their licence every 3 years.

Leaders and coaches have a duty of care to ensure participants are safe when taking part in activities under their guidance. As part of our commitment to keep participants safe we ask all leaders and coaches to update key licensing requirements every 3 years:

• • PVG (for regulated roles) or Self Declaration
  • Safeguarding training
  • First aid training
  • Accepting licence Terms & Conditions and Codes of Conduct
  • Separately we ask all leaders and coaches to ensure their licence photograph is updated every 9 years in line with the 3 yearly relicensing cycle

Having a valid licence is crucial to ensure you are covered under our public liability insurance policy https://uka.marshsport.co.uk/

As part of our commitment to ensure our sport is safe for everyone taking part we ask all licensed leaders and coaches to update their licence every 3 years.

If your licence is not renewed for more than 6 years, you would need to restart the qualification pathway or apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Please email: coaching@scottishathletics.org.uk and we will process your request.

You will be ‘retired’ from your role, your licence status will be updated on the system and you will be asked to post your licence card back to us.

If you change your mind you have 6 years (from your last licence expiry date) in which to reactivate your licence by completing the required licensing steps.

Please note that if your licence is not renewed for more than 6 years (from your last licence expiry date), you would need to restart the qualification pathway or apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Please email us on admin@scottishathletics.org.uk and we will make the necessary arrangements to ensure our databases are up to date and you do not receive further communications from us that may cause you distress.

Leaders and coaches have a duty of care to keep participants safe. Having a valid licence demonstrates to clubs, competition providers, athletes and parents that a leader or coach is able to operate safely in line with guidance issued by Scottish Athletics and UK Athletics which meets key legislative requirements.

Our insurers also need to be confident that leaders and coaches covered under our insurance policy are safe and competent. Having a valid licence issued in line with accepted standards is one of the key criteria to accessing our insurance cover https://uka.marshsport.co.uk/

There are a few simple steps that you need to carry out in order to renew your licence and this depends on your role and level of qualification.

Please refer to your email communications for further information.

More details and a step by step guide can be found by clicking the following link:

Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

PVG – Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks from completing a document check for your PVG to be added to your licence. To ensure that your licence does not lapse, you are encouraged to start the process as soon as possible.

As a PVG is not transferable between organisations, you must complete an update PVG linked to your club or Scottish Athletics.

As part of our commitment to safeguarding and safeguarding standards we ask everyone who carries out a role where a PVG check is a requirement to renew their certificate every 3 years.

More information can be found here:

Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks from completing a document check for your PVG to be added to your licence. To ensure that your licence does not lapse, you are encouraged to start the process as soon as possible.

As part of our commitment to keeping everyone safe when they take part in athletics and running activities we want to ensure that leaders and coaches have up to date skills and knowledge in key areas of health and safety and safeguarding.

By linking the mandatory training requirements to our licensing scheme we are able to raise standards of safety across the sport.

• Leader in Running Fitness (incl. Jog Leaders) or Coaching Assistant (and equivalent)
  • Mandatory Safeguarding & First Aid Training and Updates for Licence Renewals (Tier 1) via Athletics Hub – click here to book
• On and Off-Track Coach level (and beyond) qualifications
  • Mandatory Safeguarding & First Aid Training and Updates for Licence Renewals (Tier 2) via Athletics Hub – click here to book

We work closely with UK Athletics to deliver our mandatory training. As the requirements are specific to your role and level of qualification, specific details will have been provided to you in your licence renewal email.

To find out more and see which training you need to complete please visit: https://rise.articulate.com/share/–jpC-vOHAcPFDN3AsZD71sakviaFduI#/

Further guidance can also be found in the following guides:

Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

Yes. Whilst much of the content may be similar to other training you have accessed, the training we offer is focused on specific athletics settings and also covers the key sports specific policies and process you need to have an awareness of.

More information regarding the UKA training can be found here:

https://www.uka.org.uk/coaching/licencing-faqs/

Some First Aid qualifications/ certificates are transferable and map against the UKA training.

To find out if your qualification/ training meets the criteria please check the list of Category B Fist Aid providers here Category B First Aid Providers | UK Athletics or email Firstaidtrainingcertification@britishathletics.org.uk

First Aid training is mandatory for all leaders and coaches with different requirements based on the environment where you deliver your sessions.

To find out which level of training you require please click here: https://www.uka.org.uk/coaching/first-aid-faqs/

If you have forgotten your password please follow the prompts on the relevant page to re-set your password in Athletics Hub and My Athletics Portal

If you are having additional issues logging on please contact coaching@scottishathletics.org.uk

• To upload your passport style photo for your licence, you will need to login to your account on myAthletics Portal using your username (your URN or email) and your password.
• Once logged in, click on ‘My Profile’ in the top right corner, then select ‘Edit’ in ‘Personal Details’ and here you will see a link to ‘Upload New Picture’. You must ensure your image is no larger than 100×130 pixels and the file size is under 4MB.

Further guidance can be found in the relevant page here:

Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

• Once you have completed all the required steps in the relicensing process you will receive an email informing you that your licence is being processed.
• Please note that PVG checks can take up to 8 weeks to be processed so start this as early as possible.
• If you think you have completed all steps in the process and have allowed 8 weeks for your PVG check to be processed please contact us on PVG@scottishathletics.org.uk
• A breakdown of the relicensing steps relevant to your role and level of qualification can be found in your renewal email with further information here: Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

• Once all the relicensing steps have been completed you will be informed via email that your licence is being processed.
• If you have not had this email, please ensure all the relicensing steps, relevant for your role and level of qualification, have been completed. Further guidance can be found in our step by step guides: Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence
• Please allow between 4-6 weeks for your licence to arrive from confirmation that it is being processed.
• Check that your personal details are up to date on your profile on Athletics Hub (https://www.athleticshub.co.uk/) – login and click on your name.

Please follow the steps outlined in your course communication.

More information can also be found in the relevant section on this page: Obtaining or Renewing your Leader/ Coach Licence

PVG – Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks from completing a document check for your PVG to be added to your licence. 

Once we have confirmed that you have completed all relevant steps, please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery of your licence.

Please check that all of your personal contact details are up to date on your profile in the ‘User Details’ section on Athletics Hub (https://www.athleticshub.co.uk/) – login and click on your name.

Please email details to: coaching@scottishathletics.org.uk

If you hold a leader/ coach and a technical officials licence, please follow the steps outlined in your renewal emails and note the following:

mandatory training – please complete the relevant mandatory training for your leader/ coach qualification. The Safeguarding course that you complete will also be applied to your officials licence.

PVG – if you complete a PVG for your leader/ coach licence, this will also be applied to your officials licence. Please ensure that you advise the person submitting your PVG application request that you are applying for both licences.

Self Declaration – if you complete a Self Declaration for your leader/ coach licence, please note that you will also need to complete a PVG for your officials licence to be issued.  Please discuss this with your club Welfare Officer. If you are not with a club, please contact pvg@scottishathletics.org.uk

If you want to keep your technical official’s licence but no longer wish to hold a leader/ coach licence – please refer to the information in the question: I’m no longer an active leader or coach and have no plans to start leading / coaching again – what do I do?

If you have any further questions regarding officiating or your Technical Officials Licence please contact: shonamalcolm@scottishathletics.org.uk