Level 3 Certificate Exercise Referral

This allows access to the Level 4 Qualifications (eg Level 4 Exercise Management for Low Back Pain)

Summary:

-online course (start anytime)

- phone/skype tutorials (as required)

-case study (with client)

-final assessment (held regularly at HFI Centres)

Qualification Structure and Unit Content

This qualification comprises of five units:

1. Principles of Physical Activity and Exercise Referral M/502/6113

2. Effective Exercise Programming for Clients with Medical Conditions H/502/6111

3. Instructing Exercise with Referred Clients A/502/6115

4. Professional Practice in Exercise Referral F/502/6116

5. Anatomy and Physiology for Exercise and Health A/600/9051

Successful achievement of all five mandatory units must be achieved for the full qualification.

Unit 1 Principles of Physical Activity and Exercise Referral M/502/6113

Assessment

This unit is assessed via a worksheet which is externally set by Active IQ and internally assessed worksheet.

The worksheet should be completed by the learner during the course or as homework. There are 18 questions and 44 marks available, the learner must achieve 31 or more to pass the worksheet. To ensure the assessment criteria are met, ensure the answers give sufficient detail.

See sample answers within this guidance document.

The worksheet is in the learners LAP (Learner Achievement Portfolio).

Unit 2 Effective Exercise Programming for Clients with Medical Conditions H/502/6111

Assessment

This unit is assessed via:

• an external theory paper consisting of multiple choice questions set by Active IQ

• a conditions table

• a case study which is internally assessed

Conditions table

The table should be completed by the learner during the course or as homework. Learners must

complete the following for each of the conditions listed:

• Cause

• Pathology / presentation

• Long term health risks

• Benefits of physical activity

• Medications /treatments

• Effects / side effects

There are 56 marks available, the learner must achieve 40 or more to pass

To ensure the assessment criteria are met, ensure the answers give sufficient detail.

See sample answers within this guidance document.

The table is in the learners LAP (Learner Achievement Portfolio).

Case study

Learners should identify a suitable exercise referral client who can act as their case study for 6 weeks.

This will enable them to design, agree, deliver and adapt their programme as necessary.

Learners should ensure they have the client’s permission to use their personal information in the

completion of the case study by asking them to read and sign the informed consent form provided.

This should be submitted within the case study as evidence.

The chosen client should have a minimum of TWO conditions that have been covered in the

qualification.

Cardiovascular disease: hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia

Metabolic/immunological: obesity, diabetes Type 1 and Type 2

Musculoskeletal: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, simple mechanical back pain, osteoporosis and

joint replacement

Respiratory: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Psychological/mental health: depression, anxiety and stress

The case study must be no more than 2500 words - a word count and copy of the checklist should be

included on the front of the case study.

Case studies should ideally be word processed (if this is not possible, written submissions can be made

with prior agreement by the personal tutor). Arial in size 12 font should be used for word processed

assignments. Page numbers should be used.

A patient consent form MUST be submitted with your case study

Within the case study the learner must complete the following sections.

Client details and information: learners should collect and record ALL of the following information about

their client, using the headings/ form provided in the LAP (Learner Achievement Portfolio).

Learners should carry out an informal interview with their client to obtain the following required information:

• personal details

• medical history

• current lifestyle

• physical activity history

• goals of the client

Screening forms and information: learners should provide the following:

• a copy of the referral form

• a description and/or copy of any pre-exercise screening questionnaires or standard procedures

employed.

• a description of any fitness tests / functional assessments employed

Condition specific exercise guidelines: learners should complete the pro forma documentation in their

LAP as appropriate to their client and the exercise programme.

Programme objectives: learners need to complete the pro forma documentation in the LAP taking into

account the principles of training, what the agreed objectives of their 6 week programme are and their

client’s medical conditions.

Programme session plan: the learner should complete one session/ class plan in their area of expertise* e.g:

• circuit class

• gym-based session

• ETM class/aqua class for your client

(* the type of session submitted will depend on the learners specialist area. Please do not accept a

session plan for an area in which the learner is not qualified.)

The aim of the session plan is to demonstrate the learners understanding of the principles of training

and the recommendations/further considerations and contraindicated exercise previously outlined in the

‘Programme Design’ section.

This session plan should include information regarding:

• duration of warm up and cool down (they do not need to include a detailed description of these

components since this is assumed to be prior knowledge)

• duration, to include structure and timing of components (as appropriate)

• intensity – this should include how they plan to monitor the client

• adaptations made to session design / individual exercises (group sessions should be designed to

enable an inclusive, integrated session that can cater for all individuals)

• a brief explanation as to why they have included certain exercises/equipment and not included

others in the session

• the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency, given their client’s medical conditions

Modification summary: at the end of week 4 learners should complete the modification summary

summarising any feedback from their client and how their client is progressing towards their goals.

Learners should identify at least one aspect of the programme that they need to modify and describe the

modifications they intend to make.

See sample answers within this guidance document.

All pro forma documentation can be found within the learners LAP (Learner Achievement Portfolio).

Unit 3 Instructing Exercise with Referred Clients A/502/6115

Assessment

This unit is assessed via a formatively observed session.

Formatively observed session

During the course the assessor will need to see the following competently instructed from the learners

planned session:

• warm up

• main section

• cool down

Learners do not need to be observed instructing their whole session or be observed instructing a real

exercise referral client.

The assessment can be completed on a number of occasions but the following must be observed as a

minimum:

• warm up – 5 minutes

• main section – 15 minutes

• cool down – 5 minutes

The assessor may move the learner on if all the criteria have been met and the minimum time has been

observed.

This checklist is within the learner’s LAP and consists of 20 assessment criteria. The assessor needs to

follow the key when assessing this aspect of the learner’s competence.

If the learner is competent a tick (a) is placed in the relevant box.

If the learner is not competent an X is placed in the relevant box.

If the assessor wants to question a criterion, a Q is placed in the box. The question must be recorded

on the assessor feedback page and the learner’s answer also recorded. Questioning needs to take place

after the learner’s taught session.

If the learner is competent and the assessor has a comment about any of the criteria, a bullet (_) needs

to be placed in the relevant box and then the comment recorded on the feedback page.

Ensure any comments and questions relate to the performance criteria and record this in the left hand

column of the feedback page.

Referral: a X in a grey box means the learner is not competent and has been referred. Feedback needs

to be given where this occurs and the learner needs to be given an action plan to enable them to gain

competence.

It is down to the discretion of the assessor as to whether they need the learner to repeat the whole of the

25 minute session again, or just part of it.

Session and self evaluation: after the taught session the learner needs to complete their session

review form. This is located within their LAP. The learner needs to provide sufficient detail to meet the

assessment criteria.

Unit 4 Professional Practice in Exercise Referral F/502/6116

Assessment

This unit is assessed via a worksheet which is externally set by Active IQ and internally assessed.

Worksheet

The worksheet should be completed by the learner during the course or as homework. There are 17

questions and 45 marks available, the learner must achieve 32 or more to pass the worksheet. To

ensure the assessment criteria are met ensure the answers give sufficient detail.

See the sample answers within this guidance document.

The worksheet is in the learners LAP (Learner Achievement Portfolio).

Unit 5 Anatomy and Physiology for Exercise and Health A/600/9051

Assessment

This unit is assessed via an external theory paper consisting of multiple choice questions set by Active

IQ. Please see Annex 1 for further information on the bones, joints and muscles which must be covered

within this unit.