This March 2026 Tutor Update from Paddle Scotland highlights updates and clarifies elements from the recent Provider Service Agreement 2026, Just Go Course Authorisations, reminder regarding PSL / PSTL single craft certification, a PSL Provider Mandatory Hot Topic for 2026, Aspirant Providers and Course Observations, and an upcoming Provider Events section.

1. Provider Service Agreement 2026

I wish to personally thank everyone for their engagement, considerations, questions, and completing the Provider Service Agreement 2026. I was delighted that people read, queried, and wanted clarification - this showed a real commitment to and gave me great confidence in our providership team. 

As a result, there are some key points / updates that were raised that I want to share with you.

Clarifications and Amendments:

Scotland, UK and International provision of Services

We recognise that some providers deliver or want to deliver outside of Scotland and the new agreement incorrectly accounted for this. This was an editing error, which I (Noush) apologise for.

2.1. The Delivery Centre grants to the Provider during the Term of this Agreement the right to:

2.1.4. Provide the Services in Scotland, The Provider must be resident in Scotland 6 months of the year.

This will be amended to the following:

2.1. The Delivery Centre grants to the Provider during the Term of this Agreement the right to:

2.1.4. Provide the Services in Scotland. The Provider may on occasion Provide the Services in England, Wales or Northern Ireland or Internationally on the condition they are ordinarily and regularly providing the services in Scotland. The Provider must be resident in Scotland for no less than 6 months of the year.

What does this mean?

This amendment covers that services are to be primarily delivered in Scotland. However, on occasions, services can be provided in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or Internationally, but only if the Provider is ordinarily and regularly delivering in Scotland. All Providers must live in Scotland for at least 6 months a year. The reason for providers needing to be predominantly based and delivering in Scotland is to ensure that we can maintain our standardisation and quality assurance requirements.

Insurance

We received some specific queries regarding insurance requirements. Insurance requirements are very dependent on individual provider’s situations. 

For further information on Insurance covered by Membership, including Club affiliation membership cover, please visit the Paddle UK Insurance Zone https://www.marshsport.co.uk/ngb-schemes/paddle-uk.html

If you have any queries regarding insurance cover, please feel free to contact us at hello@paddlescotland.org.uk, with the subject heading ‘Insurance’ and we will do our best to assist. 

2. Just Go Course Authorisations

As part of our continued commitment to quality assurance and internal verification the following actions will be required relating to all Course Authorisations in the Just Go system.

• All course authorisations must accurately reflect the roles of those involved in the course. 

Staff = authorised providers of the course who will be in attendance and conducting the course / assessment, 

Observer = additional person observing the course / assessment for aspirant provider purposes, 

Administrator = authorised persons to conduct the administration of the course (only available to Delivery Partners). Please note that Administrators will not be authorised to update the Course Notes. 

Paddle Scotland must be notified and agree to any changes to approved course authorisations prior to the course or assessment.

• Course authorisation notes are now a mandatory requirement for all courses that run. Notes are to be updated by the Provider(s) (‘Staff’) that delivered the training or assessment course with the following information:
• Environmental and venue details
• Confirmation of which candidates passed or failed (as relevant), with brief explanations of the decision.
• Any additional information relevant to the course, including whether Conflicts of Interest, Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustments were approved.
• Providers are reminded that they must ensure all administrative submissions are both timely and accurately reflect the courses that are to be / have been delivered.

We will offer additional support and training on the use of Just Go, including administration webinars / workshops for current and new providers in the future. A trial was delivered on 26th February 2026 7pm - 8:30pm. With future offerings to be confirmed in due course.

3. REMINDER: Paddlesport Leader (PSL) & Paddlesport Touring Leader (PSTL) Single Craft Options and correct certification

A reminder that PSL / PSTL Providers can deliver training and assessment in either single craft or multi-craft formats. 

These awards are about group management and leadership, therefore, it is important to identify what craft the Leaders are qualified to look after on journeys. We would trust that a Leader is not going to use a craft they are not competent in to lead a group, whereas the award requires to know they can safely manage and rescue those they are leading and have completed the skill verifications for the award - they have demonstrated competence to lead and rescue those / that craft.

Please ensure that when inputting course authorisations in Just Go, you select the correct craft-specific or multi-craft option.

IMPORTANT: The craft selected should reflect the craft(s) the award holder is qualified to  LEAD, not the craft they are leading from.

• Paddlesport Leader / Touring Leader (Kayak)
• Paddlesport Leader / Touring Leader (Canoe)
• Paddlesport Leader / Touring Leader (Stand Up Paddleboard)
• Paddlesport Leader / Touring Leader (Multi Craft)

This distinction is essential to ensure accurate recording of leadership qualifications and compliance with award standards. Note: This will be identified on the certificate.

Please get in touch with us at hello@paddlescotland.org.uk if you are aware of any errors, please include the course authorisation number and candidate name(s).

Leaders wanting to gain certification in multi craft must be assessed leading a variety of craft." (Paddlesport Leader Assessment Guidance, page. 3 and Paddlesport Touring Leader Assessment Guidance, page. 4)

4. PSL Tutor Hot Topic 2026

As part of our ongoing standardisation and verification process for Paddlesport Leader (PSL) tutors, we’re asking all providers of PSL to complete a short, 7 question, ‘Hot Topic’ quiz.

The quiz is designed to keep everyone aligned with current guidance and to help ensure we’re all delivering the award consistently and confidently. It’s quick to complete and focuses on a few key environmental and venue choices that have come up recently.

To complete the Hot Topic, please log into your Just Go account. Under your Profile, select ‘Credentials’ > ‘Add Credentials’, and search for ‘PSL Hot Topic 2026’, select and complete the questions. Once you are satisfied with your answers hit ‘Save’ in the top righthand corner. It will take a few moments to process. If you have answered all questions correctly the credential will automatically become ‘Active’ on your account and you will receive 5 CPD points. 

If you have answered any questions incorrectly, it will be marked as ‘Pending Approval’ and you will need to redo it by repeating the process.

All questions have been created based on thePSL Assessment Guidance and Environmental Definitions document, so for the greatest chance of first time success you may want to ensure you are confident and familiar with those documents.

TOP TIP:  If you are a Paddlesport Touring Leader (PSTL) Tutor as well as a PSL Tutor, don’t let yourself get caught out!

5. Aspirant Providers and Course Observations

There is significant value in observing courses as part of an aspirant provider's journey. Through observation, aspirant providers can gain insight into the course structure, pacing, and intended learning outcomes, while also noting effective teaching strategies, questioning techniques, and ‘classroom’ management approaches in action.

Seasoned providers play a vital role in shaping the next generation of coaches, and one of the most impactful ways you can offer support is by welcoming aspirants into your courses as observers. Experienced providers can offer invaluable real-world insight that goes far beyond theory and written content - demonstrating good practice, professional judgement, and the subtle art of adapting delivery to meet learners' needs. This generosity not only helps aspirants to build confidence and competence, but also fosters a collaborative culture of shared learning and continuous improvement. In supporting aspirants through observation opportunities, seasoned providers strengthen the quality, consistency, and sustainability of coaching, leaving a lasting impact on both colleagues and learners. Having an aspirant provider can also assist with mitigating conflicts of interest.

To assist us in ensuring a sustainable and collaborative providership team in Scotland, we ask providers to offer observation opportunities to those seeking to become future providers.

It is important that aspirant providers approach course observation with a high degree of self-sufficiency and professional competence, ensuring they are able to operate confidently within the learning environment they wish to observe. Please ensure you are confident that those seeking to observe a course already possess a solid understanding of the subject area, relevant policies, and expected professional standards, to minimise any impact on your course delivery and learners. 

I’d like to thank those who are already supporting aspirants on their providership journey and for their dedication to ensuring Scotland maintains a sustainable and collaborative work force.

Upcoming Provider Events



• PSRC Provider Moderation - 26th April, Twechar Outdoor Centre, Glasgow

Moderation events are aimed at existing Providers and serve as a standardisation exercise to ensure that providers are interpreting the syllabus the way it is intended and is an opportunity for people to share practice. Providers are required to maintain their British Canoeing Coach Update Scheme requirements in order to retain their PSRC Provider role.  Providers are also required to attend PSR Moderation every three years.

To book login to Just Go and click this link:

https://sca.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=306DE722F45EB97249E0E03869709C8CA0CCC291

• White Water Safety Provider F2F Community Event - 9th May, Grandtully Station Park Campsite, Grandtully

This is a one day Community Event for Tutors of the BCAB White Water Safety training course. 

This is a practical event in the top end of the environmental conditions. 

Every three years, all Tutors must attend a face to face Moderation / Community Event. The water based one day event has two functions:

1. Standardisation of assessment standards
2. Skills Verification

To book login to Just Go and click this link:

https://sca.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=5058493DA03563B9FF08D3B50564638376C4742C

• PSRC Provider Moderation - 17th May, Grandtully Station Park Campsite, Grandtully

Moderation events are aimed at existing Providers and serve as a standardisation exercise to ensure that providers are interpreting the syllabus the way it is intended and is an opportunity for people to share practice. Providers are required to maintain their British Canoeing Coach Update Scheme requirements in order to retain their PSRC Provider role.  Providers are also required to attend PSRC Moderation every three years.

To book login to Just Go and click this link:

https://sca.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=39BD5C83D89C7C4A74665C768FA1692C0EABAC93