In 2018, the UKPSA Executive Council appointed Richard Clifton as the Chair of the UKPSA Training Committee (UTC). After a four-year tenure, he stood down at the last AGM and has subsequently been appointed as the Chair of the National Range Officers Institute (NROI). With a change of leadership of the UTC, it was felt appropriate to take stock and catalogue all that was achieved during his tenure such that the membership could both see exactly what has been achieved; but perhaps more importantly be assured that the systems and procedures that were developed are safe, fit for purpose and reflect recognised ‘good practice’ within the sport.
Richard was supported during his time as the Chair of the UTC by the following:
- Jim Sephton
- Vanessa Duffy
- Josh Hicks
- Roy Kenneth
- Ken Trail
- Iain Corrigan
- Graham Guest
- Andy Williams
System and Procedures Developed and Adopted
Leading a thorough overhaul of the Associations Training Policy, the following was developed by the UTC over the past 4 years:
- UTC management and motion tracker. An auditable system was put in place to capture all decisions taken by the UTC with a structured programme of work to overhaul the Associations training policy.
- UKPSA Training Guidance. Now at Revision 04 2022, a capstone policy document which was developed to draw together the following key policies under one accessible document:
- UKPSA Competition licence structure, training records and the digital competition license.
- UKPSA Currency requirements of all qualifications.
- UKPSA Volunteer Agreement.
- UKPSA Code of Practice for Shooting Sports Coaches and Instructors Rev 02
- UKPSA Child and Vulnerable Adult safeguarding policy.
- UKPSA Combined Training Curriculum. Now at Revision 9, the Combined Training Curriculum (CTC) defines the scope & content of learning for all firearm-based training, including Action Air, delivered by UKPSA Training. This overall policy is supported by the following:
- UKPSA Safety Course Management procedures
- UKPSA Short Firearm Course Delivery Handbook (SFCDH)
- UKPSA Handgun Competency Check procedure and documentation
- UKPSA Long Firearm Course Delivery Handbook (LFCDH)
- UKPSA Long Gun Competency Check procedure and documentation
- UKPSA Management of Train the Trainer (T3) Seminar Draft 08
- UKPSA Covid policy. The policy to underpin the extensions to competency and currency qualifications adopted throughout the Covid pandemic.
- UKPSA Trainers Uniform policy.
External Accreditation
A key work strand of the overhaul of our training policy was to seek and secure external accreditation of our systems and processes. After a sustained effort by the UTC, our training systems have now been externally inspected and the training solutions endorsed, by 1st4Sport. This is the first time in the Association’s history that its’ training systems have been externally accredited by a respected 3rd party organisation. We are now in a much stronger position should the Association be challenged with regard to the quality of the training system.
Growth
A major project for the UTC centred around how to grow new members of the training cadre in a safe and sustainable manner. Seeking an alternative to the protracted ‘apprenticeship’ model previously used, and often cited as a barrier to entry, the Train the Trainer or ‘T3’ Seminar system was developed and trialled. Embracing practices used widely elsewhere, and with the assistance of Bob Dunkley who facilitated all but one of the development courses at his range, the T3 Seminar is now the system, on both platforms, for qualifying our Instructors and Assessors.
Whilst the T3 Seminar is still being continually refined and developed, it has since its’ adoption delivered:
- 4 Long platform Club Coach/Assistant instructors
- 10 Long platform Instructors
- 1 Long platform Assessor
- 1 Action Air club coach
- 2 Short platform Club Coach/Assistant Instructors
- 13 Short platform Instructors
- 3 Short platform Assessors
The expanded team of trainers, enabled with clear supporting documentation, the systems developed by the UTC and accredited by 1st4Sport, have been selfless in their incredibly hard work delivering our Safety Courses and assisting individuals to develop their skills in dynamic marksmanship. Whilst delivering training is one of our Charitable Objects, perhaps most importantly they are enabling more and more people to access the sport at Club level and beyond. This herculean effort by all concerned has resulted in 1057 competitors trained over the past four years as follows:
- 2021 – 361
- 2020 – 154
- 2019 – 299
- 2018 – 243
The impact of Covid in 2020 clearly playing a large part in suppressing the otherwise continual growth in training delivery.
Wider Influence
The effect that transformation of the Association’s training policy and doctrine has had is not however confined solely to our own Region. Indeed, the quality of both our Short and Long Platform Course Delivery Handbooks has been recognised by a number of other IPSC regions. They have taken our doctrine, translated it to their local language and adopted it as the benchmark for their own training. Absolute proof, should it be needed, that the positive holistic direction the UTC under Richard Clifton took over the past four years has been absolutely right. Whilst hard to measure, this amongst other activities led by the Association, sees us held in very high regard across the IPSC family as reflected on by RD’s of Regions who’ve adopted our systems.
Reflecting on everything which has been achieved as a result of his first-class leadership and management, the UTC has decided that the Bob Dunkley Medal for 2021 will be awarded to Richard Clifton, for his outstanding contribution over the past four years in furthering the aims UKPSA Training in support of Vision 2026.
UKPSA Training committee.
Aug, 2022.
Photo Credit: Photopsia.de
