Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) is a UK-based scheme for fitness instructors and personal trainers. It recognizes industry-specific certifications and provides public liability coverage and requires that participants adhere to an industry-specific code of conduct.
In 2020, it was defunct and its members were transferred to CIMSPA. What does this mean for fitness professionals?
How do I become a rep from home [adamlewisschroeder.com says] avon rep? REP?
If you are a member of Prospect already, speak to the representative who runs your branch about becoming a rep. There isn’t a fixed amount of time it takes and it will depend on whether you’re eligible to fulfill union responsibilities in work time (sometimes called facility time) and how much free time you have. You won’t be punished for being a union avon rep and there is law that protects you from being victimised. Some branches have equality reps, like women’s officers or black members’ representative.
What is CIMSPA
CIMSPA is a professional association for fitness and health professionals. It is a well-known industry body that regulates trainers. Its goal is to protect the public’s interests when employing fitness experts by ensuring that they have all the necessary skills and technical knowledge and also training and insurance. It is also responsible to ensure that it is maintaining and developing professional standards for the fitness industry.
The organization combines input from a variety of stakeholders such as employers NGBs, deployers and Become a Rep From Home awarding organizations, higher educational institutions, avonrep; https://rowledgeschool.Com, training providers, and practitioners to shape the sector and support its professionals and their workforce. This is achieved by working in partnership with the sector to comprehend and identify the requirements of the profession as well as the barriers that hinder the ability of the profession to provide.
CIMSPA as part of its mission, provides a structure to establish a quality assurance system for fitness through an endorsement process. This process is a way to recognize both the content as well as the quality of formal qualifications and training. CIMSPA typically approves the regulated (Ofqual) qualifications that are recognized by an approved awarding organization such as Focus Awards, Active IQ or YMCA Awards as well as certain types of specialist continuing professional development training (CPD).
CIMSPA membership also confers a certain degree of status in the business. Members can access specialist insurance, including public liability coverage up to PS10m and personal accident coverage. It also offers a record of professional development, which allows members to access free online learning courses and offers access to a career portal which is regularly updated with new jobs.
The organization is also part of the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals. This means that its members are able to make use of their registration to work abroad if they have the appropriate qualifications. The body is working to ensure that a consistent standard is set throughout the world to allow the industry to grow and maintain its standing.
The organization is a non-profit and works in partnership with other organizations to provide support, education and guidance. The CIMSPA Academy also offers its members free online courses that cover a range of subjects relevant to the industry.
Are REPs qualifications recognised internationally?
The Register of Exercise Professionals was an independent public registry that operated through a membership system. It was designed to safeguard the public, and also to give employers and fitness professionals peace of mind that they were working with an individual who had been certified and recognized qualifications which aligned with National Occupational Standards.
REPs was a UK registered company and as such it only covered the UK fitness industry. Having REPs was not a legal requirement, but it did give clients the confidence that the fitness professional they were working with was fully trained and operating in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism.
In the year 2020 REPs was sold to UK Coaching and an agreement was reached with CIMSPA that combined the REPs directory with the CIMSPA Directory. Fitness professionals still have the option to join both REPs and CIMSPA however, renewal of REPs membership is no longer an option.
While REPs no longer operates in the UK but they do have a global presence through ICREPs which connects international registers and their fitness professionals. If you’re a REPs registered personal trainer in the UK then you could work as a personal training in other ICREPs countries such as Australia. Ireland, Poland, South Africa, and UAE.
It is important to note however that REPs cannot guarantee the employment of fitness professionals or insurance coverage. REPs is an industry association and Become a Rep From Home not a governing authority, is voluntary. Top international certification bodies like ACSM, NSCA ISSA NASM and ACE are not associated with REPs. REPs will not provide employment or insurance coverage for their fitness professionals.
In addition REPs is committed to making sure that their members are current with the ever-changing trends in the fitness industry. This is the reason REPs has a REPs points system that requires members to accumulate a certain number of REPs points each year in order to keep their REPs status. These REPs points are based on their level of qualification and the number of CPD courses they have attended.