SISFFIT051 - Establish and maintain professional practice for fitness instruction

Unit code: SISFFIT051 | Study level: TAFE

Credit points

N/A

Location

Footscray Park

Werribee

Prerequisites

N/A

Overview

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to establish the industry context for fitness instruction work, develop collaborative relationships with medical and allied health professionals, and use reflective practice and critical thinking for ongoing professional development. It requires the ability to identify and evaluate evidence-based information for use in day-to-day fitness instruction activities.This unit applies to personal trainers who work independently with clients using discretion and judgement to develop and deliver individually tailored client exercise programs, and to provide support to individual clients. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and homes and outdoor locations.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce & extend knowledge and skill competence within set & controlled parameters in accordance with each unit’s learning outcomes & performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.

Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

source information from credible sources about the current context for fitness instruction work in Australia, and identify and evaluate key aspects of:

three established industry practices or standards
three legal or ethical requirements

use critical thinking processes to analyse and respond to the fitness instruction needs of two clients using evidence-based information for each client need:

identify and evaluate current and relevant sources of evidence-based information
develop and document a response to the clients needs that is supported by analysis and evidence

review own professional development:

reflect on and evaluate own fitness instruction strengths and areas for improvement
identify sources of industry information about professional development and continuing education and document two actions for improving own skills and knowledge

use industry terminology and follow protocols for professional communication with medical or allied health professionals for two clients with health issues that are ongoing, and communicate:

client health and fitness status
program progress
questions and concerns
client response to exercise
client goals.

Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

existence and purpose of established fitness industry practices and standards:
bodies that develop practices and standards
types of existing practices and standards, their key inclusions, and primary requirements:

industry accreditation and registration quality assurance schemes
code of ethical conduct
code of practice
scope of practice
qualification, professional development and continuing education requirements
established protocols for pre-exercise screening, assessment and programming

legal and ethical requirements that govern fitness instructors:

maintaining confidentiality of client information including requirements for the collection, use, maintenance and secure storage of private information
obtaining and documenting informed consent to share client information
duty of care
responsibilities under consumer protection laws for fair and honest dealings

permit requirements for use of public spaces:

bodies that typically issue permits including local government, and how to apply for initial and ongoing permits
skill, qualification and accreditation requirements for obtaining permits
key compliance requirements, how to manage, and consequences of non-compliance
how to factor costs into fees charged for fitness services offered

environmental sustainability considerations for use of outdoor spaces:

typical threats posed by the operation of exercise activities in public outdoor spaces, both environmental and social for local communities and other users
typical local government minimal impact codes of practice specific to environmental sustainability, and associated compliance requirements
minimal impact practices that can be implemented by fitness instructors

different models of work for fitness instructors and how those models may impact work practices:
when employed:

following organisational policies and procedures
working under organisational insurance policies

when self-employed:

developing own policies and procedures
establishing legal and risk management requirements for operation, including those for insurance

relationships between fitness instructors and medical and allied health professionals:
types of medical and allied health professionals with whom fitness instructors typically collaborate and their areas of expertise:

accredited exercise physiologists
accredited practising dietitians
chiropractors
general practitioners (GPs)
occupational therapists
osteopaths
physiotherapists
podiatrists
rehabilitation physicians
sports physicians

how to access and search practitioner registers
referral systems and communication protocols for providing and receiving information about client health, fitness and progress
basic health and fitness terminology and abbreviations commonly used in communication between fitness instructors and medical and allied health professionals
benefits of establishing relationships
respective roles of fitness instructors and medical and allied health professionals in supporting client outcomes
behaviours that support effective relationships
barriers to effective relationships
networking opportunities
contemporary issues and priorities in fitness instruction that relate to:

types of services offered
impacts of technology
changing demographics
population health profile and public health priorities

reflective practice in fitness instruction:

how reflective practice is used to learn from the everyday, and as a process to guide decision making
the link with professional development
the need for multiple perspectives

ways that fitness instructors can use:

reflection in action
reflection on action

common steps followed to create a professional development and continuing education plan, typical inclusions and methods of collating information
definition of evidence-based practice and how it relates to fitness instruction roles
how to determine the credibility of information sources
sources of established and credible evidence-based information that underpins fitness instruction:

state, federal and global public health bodies

Australian and international industry bodies:

fitness
sport
exercise science

allied health professional associations
complementary health professional associations
critical thinking processes for evaluating information:

identifying key questions for the evaluation process
distinguishing relevant from irrelevant
extracting and summarising key details

ways of organising information to support its use in day-to-day practice.

Required reading

The qualified trainer and assessor will provide teaching and learning materials as required in the form of workbooks produced by the VUPolytechnic and/or via the VU Polytechnic e-learning system.