Case Study: Biomechanics Education
We welcome Rachel France, Director of Biomechanics Education, to discuss the importance of standards and quality assurance of training. We also explore how becoming a CIMSPA Training Provider and a CIMSPA Employer Partner has benefitted Biomechanics Education and its learners.
Since working with CIMSPA’s partnership team, Rachel has aligned her outstanding training to the CIMSPA Professional Standard Framework, which provides her learners with an excellent opportunity to professionalise in the sector. Through the employer partnership, Rachel has created opportunities for her staff base and learners to access CIMSPA membership. She has also engaged heavily with the Professional Standard Committees, Rachel and Biomechanics Education are a fantastic example of high quality practice and it has been a pleasure working with them in partnership. In the following case study we dive deeper into the impact of our collaborative relationship.
Q1. Why does Biomechanics Education value CIMSPA? And why should other potential sector partners?
“Right from the beginning, every representative of CIMSPA, from the top down, has delivered a service consistently with passion and enthusiasm. I always had the impression that what CIMSPA’s staff do really matters to them. To be able to display that quality across an organisation is a strong reflection of the quality of the chartered institute’s shared vision and values.
Previously, our sector has been stigmatised about our skill set and our level of education so I feel collectively that CIMSPA, along with myself, other individuals and organisations, are bringing the standard higher and changing that perception. We, the sport and physical activity sector, really want to raise our profile. We want to be compared to similar industries such as physiotherapy, GPs, or whatever other sector you wish to compare us to, in the same light. CIMSPA is very transparent in its approach to setting standards and looking to us,as training providers, and other organisations in and beyond our sector to help them to do this.
It was around four years ago when I was first presented CIMSPA’s plan to improve the quality and standards across our sector. It was then that I was introduced to the idea of a professional standards framework and mapping careers in our sector. Since then I have seen CIMSPA work with organisations and individuals across and beyond the sector to develop partnerships and memberships to achieve this shared goal. I believe CIMSPA’s work brings huge value to our sector.
CIMSPA adds value in a number of ways. As an education training provider, CIMSPA helps us to understand the professional standards and guide us to deliver a high standard of service to our learners. This ensures our learners have developed the skills and knowledge needed to be deployed into our sector.
In the time frame that CIMSPA has been active, the number of representatives, partnerships and members, is something to really be proud about.”
Q2. What does CIMSPA’s endorsement mean to you?
“CIMSPA endorsement allows us to feel pride that Biomechanic Education is playing its part in our sector’s development. Being part of CIMSPA supports us to develop personally and professionally in line with standards that are recognised across the sector.
The speed at which CIMSPA has created so many partnerships, endorsements and created so many professional standards is stunning. The amount of work involved in delivering this work is no small feat and that is representative of the partnership that I am already proud of.”
Q3. What benefits has the CIMSPA endorsement and partnership provided to Biomechanics Education?
“Being a CIMSPA partner also enables us to be part of CIMSPA professional development committees and boards. For example, I have an interest in the pilates professional standards framework that CIMSPA has been developing so I was able to join one of the committees to better understand the requirements they needed to meet. As I deal with a high volume of pilates professionals I had a much better understanding of their needs and was able to voice my own opinion too.
I have also received a lot of referrals from the offer Biomechanics submitted during CIMSPA’s Stronger Together campaign. This initiative allowed organisations to support others in the sector by offering exclusive offers to help individuals to develop during the impact of Covid-19.”
Q4. What did the endorsement and quality assurance process reveal or help Biomechanics Education to consider?
“For the whole of my thirty year career, the sector has been desperate for a standard that we can support. The CIMSPA endorsement process came with a sense of quality, it involved the right approach and vocabulary. If you are a smaller operation or a one-man band, you might be worried that you may become complacent. Being a CIMSPA partner comes with being evaluated and I like the slight discomfort of being evaluated, regulated, assessed and checked. I feel there is a value in that and it makes me a better practitioner and education provider.
It helped Biomechanics Education to consider the even more aspects of the learner’s journey, what we can do to improve the quality within our courses, which creates increased confidence but also pride to be associated with CIMSPA. Finally trusted quality assurance and regulation which will guarantee improvement to the standard of the end users experience. This includes:
- How our courses are aligning to professional standards.
- How we can actively promote CIMSPA’s vision for the sector.
- The importance of quality assurance and regulation.
- What does it mean for the end users.”
Q5. How do you think a sector supported by a chartered institute will help your organisation?
“The newly relaunched chartered status represents familiar vocabulary that is associated with physiotherapy, accountancy, and other industries that are also chartered. That allows us to be recognised, even in others sectors, making us more employable and recognisable for quality. In terms of reputation, this is a vital part of our sector becoming recognised as a body of professionals and as people who can actually help the health of the nation. Prior to CIMSPA, I think there was less trust, in terms of professionalism, in our sector. I think it is really going to hold value and I am really proud of our growing reputation and association with CIMSPA. I find all the things to be going on, especially things like chartered, really exciting.
In terms of helping me to attract a higher caliber of students, I am already very selective of participants passing my course and I am now considering in the distant future making chartered membership a requirement to be part of our Intrinsic Biomechanics Association. Currently, I have to spend a lot of time checking qualifications, whereas if we made this a requirement we would have peace of mind knowing that the individuals have already been checked and regulated by the sector’s professional body.”
Q6. How will the REPs merger with CIMSPA benefit your organisation?
“Knowing that REPs has now been combined with CIMSPA is another tick in the box for CIMSPA and provides confidence that it is taking its members and partners in the right direction. CIMSPA effectively absorbs the 20,000 REPs members and again has brought the sector into further alignment and a singular standard. This sends a clear message to the sector.”
Q7. What would you say to training providers that are considering CIMSPA partnership but are currently undecided?
“When it comes to improving movement, physical activity and participation for the health and wellbeing of our nation, CIMSPA is the driving force.”
Q8. Do you have any comments you would like to add?
“Every single member of CIMSPA staff that we have come into contact with for the last four years has shown fantastic pride, loyalty and admiration for what CIMSPA are doing. They demonstrate superb leadership for our sector.”