CSP Instructors, Coaches and Contractors

All Clubs, Societies & Projects need to record what instruction, if any, occurs within their activities. This could include: Having external instructors who give group lessons, peer-to-peer training within the members, or attendance at external training centers. A combination of various options is also possible. It is important that we manage and recruit coaches, instructors and contractors properly otherwise it can have some serious legal consequences for our students, our leaders and the Union. 

If you do not have any instructors, you simply need to head to the instructors tab in e-activities and check the two boxes that state: 'No Instruction'. The deadline to have this ticked and submitted is the 1st September. 

If your CSP does have any kind of coaching, instructors or external contractors teaching your members, you must follow the processes below:

Guidance For Choosing Appropriate Sports Coaches
  • Coaching Levels and Pay

    • The below outlines the recommended levels and costs at which you should be recruiting coaches.

      Hourly Rate Imperial Athletes Coaching Structure UKCC Coaching Qualifications Football BUCS Level General Guidance
      £35+ High Level Specialist Level 3 UEFA A Premier or Tier 1
      £30 - £35 Lead/Performance Sport Coach Level 2 (plus relevant experience) UEFA B Premier
      £20 - £30 Sports Coach Level 2 L2 Tier 1 or below
      £10 - £15 Assistant Coach Level 1 / or dependent on experience L1 LUSL

      It is recommended the hourly rate for a new coach should be set at the lowest hourly rate. 

  • Recruiting Sports Coaches and Instructors

    • The Move Imperial Team are more than happy to support you in recruiting coaches by posting Coaching Opportunities on the appropriate recruitment portals online. If you would like help with recruiting. Please use the below attached Job Templates. Fill them in and email them over to imperialathletes@imperial.ac.uk.

      Assistant Coach JD Template
      Sports Coach JD Template
      Lead Coach JD Template
  • Volunteer Coaches

    • It is perfectly normal to have a coach who is a volunteer, sometimes they are students who just want to give back. However, even volunteers must meet the minimum requirements outlined below to become a volunteer coach for a sports club. The only thing they don't need with a Unique Taxpayer Reference.
    • As they may not have any references related to coaching, we would like 1 professional reference and one contact reference from the committee who is allowing them to volunteer for their club.
       

Recruiting  - Documents & Requirements

All Sports and Physical Activity Coaches and Instructors must provide evidence of the following documentation and qualification before coaching and receiving any payment. 

For groups who have coaching or instructors that are not a sports group, the below is a guidance and we would be looking for similar qualifications in the industry they work in. If you are not sure about this, please reach out to activites@imperial.ac.uk and one of the Activities Team will help determine the appropriate requirements.  

NGB Affiliation Essential
Relevant Coaching Qualification Essential
First Aid Certificate Essential
References Essential
Insurance Information Essential
Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) Essential
Mental Health In Sport Certification Desirable

Whilst the need for these documents may feel like it is bureaucratic, having these checks in place is a legal requirement ensuring that we are taking the appropriate steps to protect your members and the coaches we are hiring.

It must be made clear that when you are recruiting any coaches, instructors or contractors that you make it explicitly clear that we are hiring them as a self-employed individual. They will need to provide assurance that they meet HMRC guidelines to be defined as a contractor/supplier, and will need to supply a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) or company number in order to register for payment via this method. 

Process Steps for Coach Approvals and Payments 

  • Step 1 - Negotiate Rates and Complete Forms

    • Once you have found the coach or instructor that you wish to recruit, you must negotiate with them the level at which you are going to pay them and agree with them what volume of hire you want from them. 
    • Once you know that with them, you must get them to complete and sign the contractor agreement below.
       
      Download a Contractor Agreement Form Here
  • Step 2 - Submit your Coach or Instructor for Union Approval

    • When they have completed the Contractor Agreement, they must also send you copies of there insurance, first aid certificate and coaching certificate.
    • Once you have all of these you must use the submission form below to submit the documents to the Union for review and approval.
    • It will take the Union up to 2 working weeks to process all coaching and instructor requests and provide a confirmation. 
    • If confirmed, they will be added to the approved contractor list for the year which will be share with the College as appropriate. 

      Coaches & Instructor Approval Request Form 22/23
       

    • Deadline for Sports Clubs: 1st October

      You must await official confirmation from the Activities that your coach can commence work. Any work that takes place prior to this confirmation being received will not be payable and an investigation will take place to ascertain the circumstances.
  • Step 3 - Set Coach or Instructor up in the System For Payment

    • If approved, you must set your contractor up as supplier in E-Activities using the details they provided on their contractor agreement form. 
    • You can do this by going to E-Activities > Log In > Finance > Expenditure > Purchase Orders > Request a New Supplier
       
  • Step 4 - Regularly Pay For Your Coaches & Instructors

    • You should be receiving a monthly invoice from your coaches and instructors. You should provide them with a Purchase order to add to their invoice. You can find the purchase order process here. 
    • Once they have sent you an invoice, you and then upload it into the system for payment. 
       
  • Step 5 - End of Year Closure of Contracts

    •  Coaching Consultants will submit their final invoices by the end of the financial year (end of July) and will receive their final payment. The above process will need to be followed again at the start of the next academic year if the coach is to continue working with the Union. As a new contract will need to be issued and new Right to Work checks may be required.

FAQs

  • Can I appoint a coach without going through this process?

    • No. It is imperative that you do not allow a coach to work with you without having full confirmation from The Union. Coaches will not be covered by insurances, nor will they have proved their legal "Right to Work in the UK" without going through this process. The Union can be fined and have other sanctions applied if it is found to be failing in its duty to undertake these checks. The Union will investigate any and all instances of coaches working without having followed this process, coaches risk receiving no pay for their work, and disciplinary actions may be taken.
       
  • What if we have issues with our coach?

    • In either case, coaches have signed up to some form of quality assurance. As such, they will be subject to the Union's policies on, amongst others, capability and discipline. Coaches are also signing up as a supplier to the Union. If quality is judged to be below standard, we will discuss this with you and take any appropriate action. In the first instance, you should raise any issues with the Activities Team on activities@imperial.ac.uk