Safety Training Awards

Awarding Organisation of The Swimming Teachers’ Association

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 STA, registered charity number 1051631 in England and Wales and SC041988 in Scotland

Approved Training Centres

Safety Training Awards specialises in qualifications for the leisure industry and is regulated by Ofqual (England) and Qualifications Wales, and accredited by SQA Accreditation (Scotland).

STA uses the Approved Training Centre (ATC) model to ensure our regulated qualifications are available across the UK, promoting consistency, high standards and public confidence in the qualifications we make available.

In order to deliver STA regulated qualifications you must become an Approved Training Centre (ATC). An ATC is any business, organisation or tutor which has the required resources and competence to deliver, tutor, assess and quality assure qualifications whilst meeting our approval criteria.

The ATC model includes any business, organisation or tutor who wish to offer regulated qualifications. This could be an educational establishment, such as a school or college, or a training provider.

The ATC Model

How to Become an Approved Training Centre (ATC)

There is no cost to gain ATC status with Safety Training Awards.

To become an ATC, businesses/organisations/tutors need to gain centre approval status with Safety Training Awards by reading and understanding the ATC manual and by completing the online ATC application process, providing evidence that the relevant resources, policies and procedures are in place to ensure continuous adherence to the relevant regulations and requirements.

International ATCs choosing to deliver STA qualifications

The UK regulators have implemented new regulations in relation to the verification process for UK regulated qualifications. Due to these changes STA are implementing a new policy for International ATCs – where English is a first language the International ATC will be able to continue offering STAs UK regulated qualifications, if English is not a first language the International ATC will no longer be able to offer STAs UK regulated qualifications. However, they will be able to offer STAs new unregulated courses.

Click here for more information on STA’s unregulated courses.

Become an Approved Training Centre (ATC)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Why wouldn’t you want to join the STA as an ATC? You can deliver all of our aquatic, lifesaving, pool plant and first aid qualifications from a single ATC, which saves on costs and reduces administration. Plus, you have the assurance that we are a recognised Awarding organisation for OFQUAL, SQAA and QW. We also have a dedicated customer support and admin team who will guide you through the application process and help set you up as an ATC.
Our team will provide you with the latest guidance and explain the compliance policies needed to support a learner’s journey. If required as part of the application process, if this is new to you, we can also assist by sending you guidance on how you can write your own policies.
Once we have reviewed your application, we will then arrange for a Pre-Approval visit, which will be conducted by a member of the quality assurance team. Once this is completed and approval is granted, the ATC will be activated and you can register and deliver STA courses.
Yes you can, and you can choose to deliver either our regulated (UK) qualifications as an ATC or our unregulated qualifications (or both).

As an international organisation with many international members, our unregulated courses have been created to offer flexibility for tutors and employers in countries, which do not follow UK legislation, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or professional body requirements. The courses have been shaped to offer a high standard of quality training, but by being unregulated, tutors delivering them overseas do not need to be attached to an ATC.