National Workforce Registration Scheme
What is the National Registration Scheme for Coaches?
CIMSPA (The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity), commissioned by Sport England and UK Sport following the Whyte Review, is leading the development of a national Workforce Governance and Registration Scheme for coaches across the UK.
The scheme is a major, sector‑wide project aimed at creating the UK’s first unified national coaching register. It will set clear professional and safeguarding standards, ensure consistency across sports, and provide formal recognition for qualified coaches. The scheme is currently being piloted and is expected to roll out nationally in early 2027.
What is the scheme?
The National registration system is designed to record and verify:
- A coach’s qualifications
- Their suitability to work in specific coaching roles
- Compliance with safeguarding and workforce governance standards
HOW THE SCHEME AFFECTS BCCMA COACHES
1. Coaches will be required to join the National Register of Coaches, and venue access may become restricted for those who are unregistered.”
For BCCMA coaches, this means:
· Clubs and venues may start checking registration status.
· Unregistered coaches could lose access to certain sites, competitions, or teaching opportunities.
2. BCCMA coaches will need to demonstrate qualifications and governance compliance
The scheme registers and verifies:
· Qualifications
· Suitability for coaching roles
· Safeguarding & workforce governance compliance
For BCCMA coaches, this means ensuring:
· Coaching Qualifications (Professional Standard Coach)
· Up‑to‑date safeguarding qualifications
· Valid coaching insurance
· Recognised black belt or equivalent
· Verified coaching credentials
3. Professional recognition will become standard across all sports
CIMSPA’s new Professional Status for coaches, introduced in 2025, is part of the same system being piloted by 15 NGBs.
This affects BCCMA coaches because:
- Martial arts instructors will be benchmarked against national standards, not just internal BCCMA pathways.
- Being “professionally recognised” will become a requirement rather than an optional enhancement.
4. BCCMA’s new coach training program is designed to prepare coaches for the new system, therefore
the new CIMSPA Professional Standard for Coach award will become the new standard and will replace the current National Governing Body Level 2 course.
This alignment means BCCMA coaches who complete the course will be ready for Professional Status registration.