NEW! Leadership Recertification Points System
Updated February 2024
The Lifesaving Society has updated the instructor, coach, examiner and trainer Leadership recertification process effective February 1.
What’s new
The updated leadership recertification process, replaces the former "credit" system with a new Points System. The new process was designed with instructors, coaches, examiners and trainers in mind, and offers a wider variety of options to earn points and recertify with ease.
There are two categories of points – Mandatory and Open. At least 2 points from the Mandatory category are needed to recertify. Points must be earned from the Points List that aligns with your highest level of certification as the requirements vary based on your level of certification.4 points recertifies all of your awards.
How to use the Points System
- Four points are required to recertify any leadership award.
- Earn 4 points from the Points List that aligns with your highest level of certification.
- At least 2 points must come from the Mandatory Category, all other points can be earned from either the Open or Mandatory categories. Some points can be used more than once on each recertification.
- Points cannot be carried forward into future recertification periods.
- After earning the necessary 4 points, recertification can be processed online using your login, or by completing the Leadership Recertification Form and submitting it along with your payment by email, coming to the office in-person, by fax or via mail.
- Don’t have enough points? We have a new option to earn the 4 points required to recertify with our new 4 hour In-person Recertification Course.
Points Lists
NEW! Earn 4 points in 4 hours
In-person Recertification Course (4 hours): This new in-person recertification course focuses on the competencies learned in the instructor, coach and examiner courses and provides a refresher to those competencies. Course content will be updated every two years. This course provides the 4 points required to complete the leadership recertification for instructors, coaches, examiners and examiner mentors. This course does not automatically recertify a candidate. Following successful course completion candidates must complete the recertification process to be recertified.
*First Aid Instructor and/or Examiners who take the In-person Recertification Course, will teach dryland skill items and can participate in the in-water components as much as they are able.
Note: The points earned can be saved for up to 24 months before being applied to a leadership recertification. Candidates need not recertify immediately after the In-Person Recertification Course.
Prerequisite: Current or expired instructor (any), coach, examiner (any), or examiner mentor.
Instruction and Certification: Current Swim or Lifesaving Instructor Trainers teach and certify candidates.
Candidate Recognition: Posted to Find A Member record and awards 4 points towards leadership recertification.
Required references: Candidates should bring the Award Guide(s) that relates to their level of certification, Instructor Manual and Examiner Handbook (if applicable).
Instructional Format: This may be delivered through in-person learning only.
Instructional Time: This is a 4-hour course based on 12-16 candidates.
| In-Person recertification course |
Classroom |
Water |
| Total Time (4 hr.) |
1 hr. 20 min. |
2 hr. 40 min. |
Fees: There is no examination fee for this course. Candidates will pay the appropriate fee when they complete their leadership recertification online, via email or in person.
more information
Affiliates:
Affiliates in Ontario can offer the new In-person Recertification Course after February 1, 2024. An updated version of the Leadership Master Sheet must be completed and submitted after the course for test sheet processing. There is no examination fee for this course, candidates pay the leadership recertification fee that applies to them when they submit their information to our office and their recertification is processed.
Please refer to the Program Guide for information about program requirements.
Instructors, Coaches, Examiners and Examiner Mentors:
The process to recertify and earn points is virtually unchanged. With a wider scope of ways to earn points, recertification is easier than ever. Instructors, examiners and coaches can take the new in-person course anytime during the 24 months prior to their recertification date. This improvement helps anyone who is unable to recertify based on teaching/examining/coaching credits alone.
There are now ‘Mandatory’ and ‘Open’ points, refer to the Points List on the Teaching –Recertifying page that applies to your highest level of certification. You need to earn 4 points intotal to recertify all of your awards together.
All current methods of completing the leadership recertification process including submitting online using your login, sending in the form by email, by mail or by coming to the Lifesaving Society office in-person, remain unchanged. There will be an updated Leadership Recertification Form to complete for the new system.
Trainers:
The process to recertify your trainer status remains largely unchanged – you need to teach instructor level courses to earn points. As with other certifications levels you will need to earn 4 points in order to recertify all of your awards. Please refer to the Trainer Points List found on the Teaching – Recertifying page for the Mandatory and Open points that apply to trainers who wish to recertify their awards. This list will also recertify all of your other leadership awards including instructor, coach and examiner certifications. Use of any other Points List will recertify only the awards that relate to that list – so be sure to use the right one!
Current swim and lifesaving trainers who teach the In-person Recertification Course will find all of the materials needed to teach the course available in the Leadership Library in the following sections: Swim Instructor, Lifesaving Instructor, and Swim and Lifesaving Instructor. Use the new, updated Leadership Master Sheet when submitting completed course test sheets to our office for processing.
For more information contact us.
Stack ‘em up!
You can now “stack points” – meaning instructors who teach or examine the same eligible course more than once, earn points for each time they teach that course within their 24-month currency period.
For example, if you teach two separate Bronze Cross courses, you’ll earn two points for EACH course. You’ve earned all four points.
Refer to the Points List for your highest level of certification to see which options are available to use more than once or “stack.”