Interesting getting home reading through this thread. Think I might throw a spanner in the works here but it’s been mentioned that WATTOs/RATTOs have to do a currency list (someone said by the end of March?). Where is this detailed?
I have never been asked for proof that I’m current.
As for the original question of what I think is reasonable for an instructor to have done to be deemed current, I’d almost argue that is up to the individual in a lot of ways. If someone has held ML for 30 years, and has been in the mountains every weekend for 25 years, but then takes a year doing no mountain work, I would argue they are in a lot of ways still current as ‘knowledge decay’ (for want of a better phrase) will take a lot longer to happen for them. However on the other hand, if someone passed CWI 2 years ago, and in the first year ran 3 sessions, and managed to run 3 before first lockdown (ie they have technically run 3 sessions in the last 12 months) then I might argue they are not current as they don’t have the previous foundation.
Long story short if you don’t want to read the above, I think it is dependent on the individual and you can’t put a number on currency. i.e. ‘3 sessions a year’
Sorry. My bad. Our WATTO asks us to upload our logbooks to SMS every year as part of the AT register and currency audit.
But I also know some WATTOs additionally ask that log books are included in individual SMS activity apps - especially those top end remit ones so they can do a deep dive into currency and check the last time AT instructor was at that venue, what time of year it was, the type of group etc etc so as to make a better informed decision around competence and currency.
Most of us drop our logbooks into AT apps routinely now as it really isn’t an additional burden and helps approvers give that richer contextual information around the currency of the AT Qd staff straight away.
Many WATTOs know their people well enough to know if they are current; if you are an active instructor delivering sessions the evidence is largely already there on SMS. I guess my approach would be pragmatic; I might only ask for a logbook for someone who is borderline or unknown to me.
Interesting! I certainly used to be a lot more active so maybe it was just a given that I was good to go. I’m still pretty sure my WATTO doesn’t hold a detailed list of staff currencies.
So far the general concensus seems to be that it remains this way and that it is down to a WATTOs assessment of a particular individual. Which I think is fine providing some intelligent thought is applied during the assessment process and it’s not a slavish adherence to a number in an ACATI provided as a guide.
I’m just interested to see that that’s the conclusion people have come to when given this problem to solve, given the amount of complaining about differing approaches depending on what Wing/Region you are in.
Each year we are normally sent the full list of approved instructors in both our Wing and Region. Then means if we are looking to run an activity which we maybe can’t do locally we know who the potential contacts are out there.
I have been doing solo stuff during lockdown. My issue will be submitting my return to my WATTO (which is a lot earlier than last year), because of the more recent impact of C19 on my actual job and time pressures
@anon9987823 (and everyone else) - I’ve uploaded a copy of the skill fade article to the ACC drive. Worth a read; I’ve certainly noticed this in my own practice where I’ve not been able to practice as much during lockdown - primarily in the shooting / weapons instruction area.
To stimulate discussion again…the requirement is probably going to end up being 20 sessions over 5 years plus some CPD to remain current in normal times - although the CPD aspect will be waived for this last year. Still under discussion and finessing of the final wording but that’s the broad thrust of it.
Rationale is to match the requirements of the MTA and the CPD aspects are modelled on the British Canoeing / MTA CPD policies.
As it has here (only via the Region AT panel to be fair), but only to guide WATTOs doing their currency checks. It should be formalised in the return to face to face guidance and later in the ACATIs when they come out.
