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Scottish Cycling Coaching FAQs
When do the Scottish Cycling Coach Education courses run?
Coach Education Courses run all year round at venues across the country. For the latest Course Programme follow the link below:
Is there any funding available to assist with the costs of a Coaching Award?
Yes, there are a number of funding options available to coaches. We have put together a fact sheet exploring this topic that can be downloaded below:
What first aid qualification do I require?
The minimum first aid requirement for all British Cycling Coaching Awards is a Health and Safety Executive recognised course in Emergency Aid. These courses are run by various first aid organisations including the Red Cross and St. John's Ambulance. Qualification are normally valid for a period of 3 years. You are required to submit a copy of your First Aid Certificate when first applying for an Award. Thereafter, it is your responsibility to ensure that the certificate is kept valid by attending update courses. Your British Cycling coaching licence and insurance is only valid when you are in possession of a current first aid certificate and valid British Cycling membership (gold,silver or ride level).
Who can attend a British Cycling Coaching Award?
Our courses are open to all British Cycling Gold, Silver or Ride Members who hold a valid first aid certificate. We have courses aimed at people new to coaching (e.g interested parents, riders, sports science graduates) through to experienced coaches looking to improve/update their knowledge. We also have a specially designed course for people holding Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) designed to enable them to deliver cycling activities within their school. For more details of our Coaching Awards follow the link below:
Are the Scottish Cycling Coaching Awards recognised nationally?
Yes. Our existing programme has been developed in line with the UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) and are aligned to the National Occupational Standards for Coaching, Teaching and Instruction as defined by SPRITO, the National Training Organisation (NTO) for Sport, Recreation and Allied Occupations. These standards define the minimum level of knowledge and competence that someone must have to be able to coach others and are linked to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). It is our goal to continue to produce courses that are accredited onto the NQF in the future.
What do I have to do to keep my qualification valid?
Once you have gained your British Cycling Coaching Award, you will need to maintain the following in order to benefit from the insurance package and to retain a valid coaching licence:
- British Cycling membership (gold or silver level)
- Valid first aid qualification
We encourage all of our qualified coaches to keep their knowledge and skills up to date by attending regular CPD workshops, courses and events. As our course programme develops attending regular CPD will become a requirement of keeping your coaching qualification valid. For more information regarding CPD click here.
Now that Club Coach and Activity Coach Awards are no longer being delivered by British Cycling, is my qualification still valid?
If you are currently a qualified Activity Coach or Club Coach then your qualification will remain valid for the foreseeable future. To keep your qualification valid you must hold British Cycling membership at a minimum of silver level and hold a valid first aid certificate. Trainee coaches should aim to complete their coaching award before their deadline in order to keep their qualification valid.
Can I lead with a mountain bike coaching award?
Coaches and leaders relying on British Cycling insurance have a continued responsibility to ensure they have the most appropriate award in relation to their operating environment. Following the launch of British Cycling's level 2 Mountain Bike Discipline Specific Unit (L2 MTB DSU) anyone undertaking coaching within a mountain bike environment on technical terrain should ensure that they obtain both the core UKCC level 2 award and the MTB DSU.
Coaching within the MBLA awards should only be conducted as an ancillary activity to the main activity of leading. Neither the TCL or MBL are stand alone coaching awards and British Cycling's coach and leader insurance, provided through membership, does not extend to covering coaches or leaders operating out with their remit.
Leaders running sessions where the emphasis is on coaching rather than leading riders may be deemed to be operating out with their remit.
The L2MTB DSU does allow an element of leading on a pre-risk assessed route. It is recommended that the distance and severity of the route is minimised and reflects the ability of your group. The route should only be used to access the coaching area or observe the riders ability, there should be no coaching along that route.
A combination of both a leadership award and a coaching award allows for the greatest degree of flexibility in delivery.
