Useful links and resources
This section includes copies of a number of resources and links to websites listed within the various sections of the toolkit.
Links
NICE
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health.
http://www.nice.org.uk
Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
REPs is an independent public register which recognises the qualifications of exercise and fitness professionals in the UK. REPs provides a system of self-regulation for instructors and trainers to ensure that they meet the health and fitness industry agreed National Occupational Standards and work within a Code of Ethical Practice.
http://www.exerciseregister.org
SkillsActive
SkillsActive is the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning. Directed by employers, SkillsActive leads the skills and productivity drive across sport and recreation, health and fitness, outdoors, playwork and caravan industries.
http://www.skillsactive.com
QUEST
Quest is the UK quality scheme for sport and leisure that aims to define industry standards and good practice through encouraging ongoing development and delivery within a customer focused management framework.
http://www.questnbs.info
Inclusive Fitness Initiative
The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) is a programme that supports leisure facility operators to become more inclusive, catering for the needs of disabled and non-disabled people to raise physical activity participation levels. The IFI also operates an accreditation scheme (IFI Mark), this is the quality mark for fitness facilities based upon the principles of the IFI.
http://www.inclusivefitness.org
Fitness Industry Association’s (FIA) Code of Practice
The Code is designed to ensure that health and fitness operators maintain a basic level of practice to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their customers. By complying with the standards of the Code the industry can raise the level of operation throughout all FIA facilities.
http://www.fia.org.uk/about-us/FIA-Code-of-Practice.html
National Obesity Observatory
The National Obesity Observatory was established to provide a single point of contact for wide-ranging authoritative information on data and evidence related to obesity, overweight, underweight and their determinants. NOO recently commissioned a review of physical activity measurement tools to obtain a copy click on the link below.
http://www.noo.org.uk/uploads/doc721_2_PA_measurement_tools_review.pdf
Resources
- Exercise Referral Systems: A National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF)
This document provides guidelines for exercise referral schemes, with the aim of improving standards among existing exercise referral schemes, and helping the development of new ones. - DH Statement on Exercise Referral (March 2007)
This statement clarifies the position with respect to local commissioning of exercise referral schemes in England. It should be read in conjunction with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Public Health Intervention Guidance 2. - Chief Medical Officers Report ‘At least five a week’
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health. - Let’s Get Moving – Commissioning Guidelines
This commissioning guidance sets out an evidence-based behaviour change model for physical activity. ‘Let’s Get Moving’ incorporates guidelines for commissioning a physical activity care pathway in primary care. - National Obesity Observatory Standard Evaluation Framework
The standard evaluation framework is a list of data collection criteria and supporting guidance for collecting high quality information to support the evaluation of weight management interventions. - Mapping physical activity referral schemes in Northern Ireland
This document provides a detailed report on the nature and extent of exercise referral schemes in Northern Ireland (2008). - NICE Public Health Intervention Guidance No.2
This Public Health Guidance provides an assessment of four commonly used methods to increase physical activity: brief interventions in primary care, exercise referral schemes, pedometers and community-based exercise programmes for walking and cycling. - NICE Implementation Advice: Public Health Intervention No. 2
This implementation advice accompanies the public health intervention guidance on four commonly used methods to increase physical activity. - REPs – Exercise Professionals Supporting the Healthcare Sector
This leaflet provides a quick guide to REPs and the role of exercise professionals in supporting the healthcare sector in promoting the health and wellbeing for people living with long-term medical conditions. - PARmed-X Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination
The PARmed-X is a physical activity specific checklist developed by the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology to be used by a physician (doctor) with patients who have had a positiove response to PAR-Q.
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