Education Delivery Network: Educators

Educators apply the skills learnt on the course to deliver high quality clean sport education sessions, both in-person and online, tailored to the performance level of athletes or support personnel desired.  

Educators are a key component of UKAD’s EDN and provide accurate, organisation-specific clean sport education. 

The Educator Training Course is delivered by UKAD National Trainers across two and a half training days over a fortnight. However, with completion of the Introduction to Clean Sport course a prerequisite, realistically the course will cover three days learning.  

Both courses will provide the candidates with skills and knowledge to deliver effective education sessions in-person and online.  

• Online: This course will start with a half day (09:30 - 13:30) followed by two full days (09:30 - 17:30) with a week’s gap in between the full days, all of which will be online.

• In-person: This course will start with a half a day online (09:30 - 13:30), followed by two consecutive days (09:30 - 17:30) in person a week after the half day online.

Candidates will learn about the current best practice in clean sport education and how to best utilise experience and skills to embed the culture of clean sport across the sporting landscape. We will explore UKAD’s Clean Sport Curricula as tools to tailor delivery according to athlete and athlete support personnel performance level, and develop ideas for activities to engage the audience.  

Candidates will have opportunities to practise delivery online during both types of training course and learn how to adapt their skills for in-person delivery, on the purely online course.  

Assessed delivery will take place across the course, aligning to the EDN Observation Matrix. Candidates will receive a copy of the matrix on the course and know what they are working towards.The timings of both types of course have been planned to enable the candidates to have time to reflect and prepare for their assessed delivery, with support from the UKAD Education team available.  

At the end of the course the candidate will have a 1:1 discussion with a National Trainer, providing feedback and the opportunity to discuss the course, their confidence and together form an action plan for their future delivery.  

The candidates will be assessed as one of four levels of Educator – Highly Effective, Effective, Needs Support or Ineffective. Their next steps would then depend upon their level. 

Candidates must complete the pre-reading and the Introduction to Clean Sport course prior to attending their chosen training course. If their outcome is Highly Effective, Effective or Needs Support they will be enrolled onto the Educator Assessment. Once they have passed the Assessment they will be Accredited Educators and will be given access to all the necessary resources and professional development support.

As an ADL for a national governing body you will have written an education strategy and implementation plan.

Developing a workforce is an important part of your implementation plan and we aim to support you to develop this workforce with the Educator Training course.  

It is important that the right candidate is nominated based on the plan for education delivery. UKAD have resources that can support you in the monitoring and evaluation of the education delivery that can be found in the Assurance Framework resources.  

Each NGB has one free space on an Educator Training Course per financial year. For additional spaces the cost per person is £375, reducing to £325 if more than two from one organisation. 

Suitable candidates should have experience in all three of the essential criteria and at least three of the desirable criteria below:

Essential skills:  

• Planning and preparation of educational workshops or coaching sessions (in person and/or online)

• Delivering engaging and interactive workshops 

• Reflection and review of educational workshops 

Desirable skills: 

The ability to: 

• Adapt activities based on candidate experiences, knowledge, behaviour and progress 

• Motivate others to encourage and support learning 

• Co-ordinate workshops 

• Develop rapport with different age groups 

• Present a variety of topics, in a variety of learning environments 

• Evaluate others’ performances by giving/receiving feedback 

• Actively listen and support learning  

• Encourage and guide others to accept and take responsibility for their own behaviour, learning and performance 

Candidates must be selected and nominated by you as the ADL based on the strict criteria around experience and suitability above. We would recommend that you carry out due diligence when selecting your candidate, ensuring they are fully aware of how their Educator role supports your sports education strategy and implementation plan , and ensure you are able to communicate effectively.  

You must ensure the candidate is aware of the structure of the course and the pre-course requirements. 

If the preferred option is the in-person Educator Training Course, it is your organisation's responsibility to organise suitable and travel arrangements. UKAD will provide refreshments and lunch during the training days. 

UKAD will provide Educators with ongoing professional development and resources to plan, deliver and evaluate sessions effectively. If we identify any issues or areas that require support, we will liaise with yourself and the Educator to develop an Action Plan. 

You must commit to regular communication with your workforce and assist with the monitoring and evaluation of their education sessions.  

Educators are a key component of UKAD’s Education Delivery Network (EDN) and provide accurate, organisation specific clean sport education - ideal for delivering tailored sessions to student athletes. 

Having trained 26 new Educators through the Clean Sport Higher Education Partnership during the 2022-23 financial year, we are not currently in a position to extend funded places for the remainder of this academic year (up to and including June 2023).  

UKAD is currently reviewing the price of the Educator training course, which is currently £375 per person, reducing to £325 if more than two individuals from the same institution. We are in the process of planning our Clean Sport Higher Education Partnership programme of opportunities for the next academic year with a small number of targeted funded places through the regional networks being explored. We will publish this in due course, but in the meantime would encourage you to take advantage of the current prices and dates as the courses are filling fast.  

The Clean Sport Higher Education Partnership is free to join and will utilise some of our National Trainers in a regional structure to collaborate, challenge and share best practice. The aim of the Partnership is to support the Higher Education sector to further develop the culture of clean sport across the UK.  

Designed to offer something for all institutions, covering all aspects of Sports Development / Performance, Academic and Research, the Partnership will look to equip elite and recreational university student athletes with clean sport knowledge, as well as targeting students (linked to key Athlete Support Personnel roles) through their formal degree programmes.  

In order for institutions to become Partners, they will need to meet the following requirements: 

• Appoint a Clean Sport Lead 
• Engage with regions or home nations, contributing to regional meetings each semester 
• Develop and deliver a Clean Sport Implementation Plan 
• Case study and quantitative data submission in May each year 
• Review processes and reapply for Partner status 

Read more about the Clean Sport Higher Education Partnership.

Educators are able to deliver across a range of settings and to different audiences, so there is no reason why institutions cannot work together to deliver athlete education. In the first instance institutions are encouraged to reach out to other institutions within their region for support via their Clean Sport Lead.  

Priority for funded spaces on future Educator courses will be given to institutions who either do not have their own Educators or who have used their Educators to support other partners and institutions within their region

Candidates must be selected and nominated by yourself as the CSL based on the strict criteria around experience and suitability above. We would recommend that you carry out due diligence when selecting your candidate, ensuring they are fully aware of how their Educator role supports your institution’s Development Plan, and ensure you are able to communicate effectively.  

You must ensure the candidate is aware of the structure of the course and the pre-course requirements. 

If the preferred option is the in-person Educator Training Course, it is your organisation's responsibility to organise suitable and travel arrangements. UKAD will provide refreshments and lunch during the training days.  

UKAD will provide Educators with professional development and resources to plan, deliver and evaluate sessions effectively. If we identify any issues or areas that require support, we will liaise with you and the Educator to develop an Action Plan. 

You must commit to regular communication with your workforce and assist with the monitoring and evaluation of their education sessions.