30th November 2009.
Regulations for Sports Therapists and Remedial Therapists
Sports and remedial therapists in the UK are going to be regulated from January 2010. The announcement was made by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) whose role is to regulate the practice of natural and alternative therapies in the UK as well as set the standards within the industry.
The CNHC had been demanded for several years in order to provide safety and minimum standards to a previously unregulated industry. Until the CNHC opened its doors to sports and remedial therapists, there was no national regulator that sports people and their trainers could go to, to seek fully qualified practitioners who meet minimum standards. In January that will change.
The CEO and Registrar of the CNHC, Maggie Dunn, said: "This is not only an important development for the CNHC but also for the sports industry. Any sports and remedial therapist applying to the CNHC register does so in the knowledge that they have to meet specific standards."
Dunn also reminded the delegates at the conference at which the announcement was made of the timeliness of the expansion of CNHC's role, saying "This is vital at a time when the country is preparing for the greatest sporting event in the world, the Olympics. We need to be delivering quality on every level in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics and the admission of sports and remedial therapist to the CNHC register is an important development in this process."
The CNHC has not yet been operating for a full year, but has accepted registration from professional therapists in the fields of aromatherapy, massage therapy, reflexology, shiatsu and nutritional therapy. Practitioners who are accepted are allowed to display the CNHC quality mark.
By mid 2010, the register will open to yoga therapy practitioners, cranial sacral and Bowen technique and the Alexander technique. It is entirely voluntary for practitioners to register, but with consumers becoming increasingly cautious about who is treating them, it will soon be a commercial necessity.
CNHC
14th February 2008
Statutory Regulations and the Society of Sports Therapists
We have received a number of queries from some of our members who are also members of the SST, regarding a letter sent to them relating to Statutory Regulations.
To clarify the points raised in the letter, we can state that the Society of Sports Therapists are the only organisation to have made an application for the regulation of Sports Therapy, that has been considered by the Health Professions Council.
There is another association that has claimed to have done this, and, we agree with the SST, that this statement is extremely misleading. One of our representatives was at a recent meeting, and reported back that the Health Professions Council has suggested that Sports Massage would not be considered for statutory regulation, as an independent profession, but that it is best suited to be 'self regulated', something which STO are working on, with the General Council for Massage Therapy.
The position of STO is this; we are a professional organisation for Sports Therapy and Sports Massage, and as such, are entitled to be involved in the regulatory processes (both 'statutory' and 'self regulatory'). We support the Society of Sports Therapists in their work towards statutory regulation of Sports Therapy, and we would directly oppose those associations making false claims. STO have not made any application for the regulation of Sports Therapy, (nor has it ever claimed to have)as this has already been made by the Society of Sports Therapists, and as such any other application made to the HPC would be counter-productive, and not in the interests of our members, or the industry as a whole.
The regulation of Sports Therapy would mean that Sports Therapists get the recognition they deserve, and the title would be protected, ensuring that the public are treated by professionally trained therapists.
If you have any comments on this subject, please feel free to contact us.
Open letter from Christian Platts, STO Registrar
30th January 2008
Dear Colleagues
2008 is set to be an exciting year for the Sports Therapy Organisation and for its members
We have consulted with a cross section of our members to see how we can better represent their needs and as a result made some dramatic changes to our range of services. Last year we had a record number of applications from students and graduates of sports therapy and sports massage courses from training providers across the country.
STO staff have been extremely busy, actively working with leading industry bodies, not only regarding the application for regulation of sports therapy but advising on strategies and criteria leading towards the new self regulation of the complementary therapy industry.
We are also leading the campaign for work opportunities within the sports industry to be accessible to our members, and have gained the support of many other professional bodies in our bid to prevent this monopoly continuing.
The STO are in the enviable position of being recognised as a professional body, by both the Health Professionals Council and by the newly formed National Healthcare Council (NHC), which means our members will gain greater recognition during any regulatory changes. Since the early summer of 2007 the STO have been members of the General Council for Massage Therapy, and are playing a part in the regulation processes of both the Sports Therapy and Sports Massage industries. We are currently securing seats on the steering committee of NHC to ensure our members are well represented
The STO are the only organisation to be directly involved in both statutory and self regulation and as such we are being actively lobbied by SST and GCMT for our support in their respective regulatory processes. We aim to remain independent to secure further benefits for our members; this is because we believe that both industries are equally important in providing opportunities of work. We should remember that the 2012 Olympics are not that far away.
There has been a lot of misleading information given to therapists over the last few years, by associations hoping to increase their membership numbers. There have been instances of work opportunities advertised solely for members of certain associations within the sports and massage industries which flout regulations on discrimination. Fortunately, most of the information can now be directly challenged. STO will now directly confront these organisations and associations with FACTS from the relevant bodies and inform our members of any information that will affect them. We now believe that the STO hold a strong position in the market place and can provide its members with unrivalled opportunities for development.
Proposals for 2008
1) Work with SST and GCMT in progression of regulatory process.
2) Have additional packages for members.
3) STO will contact ALL relevant sporting bodies, including the British Olympic Association, to lobby for an end to discrimination when advertising vacancies. We do this with the support of SST and GCMT.
4) STO will work with a promotions company, to get members into exhibitions, sporting events etc.
5) STO will have sponsored listings in GOOGLE
6) STO will offer its members the chance to run 'community' training courses, which may attract local funding.
7) A new committee will be set up, with branches, to include, promotion, education and complaints. Members will be encouraged to apply for a position on the new committee.
Please help us to continue our work in the industry, and provide you with a secure future.
We look forward to hearing from you, and welcoming you as members of the Sports Therapy Organisation.
Christian Platts
Registrar
