Overview of qualification
The BTEC level 6 in Advanced Clinical and Sports massage offered by Jing Advanced Massage Training is a celebrated curriculum, the graduates of which are pioneers in the field of massage therapy and major contributors to the wider arena of complementary health.
We are the only educational provider in the UK able to offer a legitimate, internationally recognised BTEC level 6 in massage therapy. The accreditation of the course by Pearson was a milestone and put the UK on a par with other educational leaders in the massage industry such as the US and Canada.
The UK massage industry is dominated by lower – level qualifications – level 2, 3 and level 4. This leaves the UK floundering far behind international leaders such as the USA, Canada and Australia who offer degree level courses as standard. It also puts UK massage therapists at an extreme disadvantage when communicating with other professionals in the field such as osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists who are all trained to degree level. Our level 6 course aims to rectify that discrepancy and provide a clear learning route to excellence for massage therapists in the UK, so that they may have similar standing in the international arena.
Accreditation
• The BTEC level 6 is accredited by Pearson (formerly EdExcel) on the self regulated framework (SRF) and undergoes a rigorous independent standards verification process annually by Pearson. Our centre number is 56928
• The BTEC level 6 has been designed to meet the national standards for massage therapy and covers the NOS for both massage therapy and the new sports massage therapy standards. We have worked closely with the following organisations in the design and delivery of the programme and to ensure that the programme is fit for purpose:
• Complementary Natural Health Care Council – the national regulatory body for complementary therapies. CNHC is the holder of an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, the independent government-appointed body that oversees and scrutinises the work of the nine statutory medical, health and care regulators. These include the General Medical Council (GMC), the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
• The CNHC is the voluntary regulator of standards for both the massage register and (currently in process) a new Sports massage register.
• Our learner’s meet the standards set out for membership of the CNHC in both the current massage register and the newly formulated sports massage register. Students on the programme are able to meet standards for the CNHC massage register after year one of our programme, allowing them access to work.
• One of our co-directors and programme leaders, Meghan Mari is a board of the CNHC, and works with their PSBs (professional specific board members) and others significant stakeholders around the creation and upholding of national standards. This enables us to be fully abreast and agile in terms of emerging developments in the field around standards.
• Sports Massage Association (SMA): the national association of soft tissue therapists who have been taking a lead on creating the new National Occupational Standards for the profession of Sports Massage.
• We are an accredited school with the SMA and have worked collegiately with them in a highly detailed review of our curriculum and learning outcomes. We have taken great care to ensure that the BTEC level 6 aligns with the new NOS for Sports massage and to that end have followed several recommendations from the SMA including moving our Sports and Event module to year one of delivery, and changed methods of assessment to include a thorough practical assessment of sports massage techniques and treatment. Our assessment process has been observed by the SMA and we have taken any points of feedback on board.
• Our learners are now able to become full members of the SMA after completion of year one of the programme and the learning outcomes have been fully mapped against national standards for sports massage.
• Complementary Health Professionals Association, (CHP): We have also worked closely with the CHP to ensure that students who wish to join the massage register of the CNHC can do so after year one of the programme via the CHP.
• Other Professional bodies: We also work closely with all other major professional bodies in the UK including the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) and Complementary Therapists Association (CTHA) to ensure recognition of the level 6.
• General Council for Massage Therapies – the level 6 fully meets core requirements laid out by the GCMT.
• The MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service for UK armed forces: ELCAS
o We are an approved learning provider for ELCAS. Our BTEC level 6 is a Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved course entitling service men and women who are leaving the army to retrain using the Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) Scheme and our average evaluation score is currently 97%.
• Complementary Health Foundation Degree at Sussex Downs: We have worked closely with the staff at Sussex Downs college so that the BTEC level 6 is a recognised pathway for further study for their graduates who study massage at level 5 as part of their course.
Research module
Our learners have the opportunity to enter the world of evidence-based practice by completing their own unique small scale research projects, elevating their status to a similar level to physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths. In a field where there is increasing need for evidence-based research, these projects offer a substantive resource into the use of massage as a complementary health pathway and have led to collaborations with the NHS.
Before beginning their research study, students are required to complete a research proposal and ethics form which are fully scrutinised by our educational team overseen by Dr Bettina Karsten PHD. Participants are fully informed of the nature of the study and full consent is sought before participation. Students are closely supervised by tutors throughout the dissertation and research process
Independent scrutiny
Our programme is subject to a standards verification process annually by an independent adviser appointed by Pearson. The standards verifier independently samples students work and reviews policy and practice. Areas of good practice highlighted by Pearson quality reports include
• Practice centred teaching and assessment.
• Provision of detailed assessor feedback.
• Very high standard of work produced and nicely presented.
• Appropriately qualified and experienced practitioners as tutors and assessors.
• Openness of centre to discuss issues and look for options to continually improving practice
Jing Education team
The BTEC Level 6 programme has been devised and is led by the directors of Jing – Rachel Fairweather and Meghan Mari
Rachel and Meghan have received several awards in recognition for service to the industry and the development of the BTEC level 6. Rachel and Meghan have twice received an ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award at CAM Expo and the Holistic Health Award for ‘Best Training School’
Their book “Massage Fusion: The Jing method for the treatment of chronic pain” (published by Handspring) is selling worldwide, has be recognised as a core training text for massage therapy as well as the physiotherapy category. This is spreading worldwide awareness of the courses we offer. (On a side note the text has just been translated into Korean).
Our research programme is overseen by Dr Bettina Karsten PHD, who is our research project leader for our year 3 students and teaches advanced exercise rehab, bringing her latest research into our classrooms.
Our learners
Our graduates are making a tremendous difference to the industry and to people’s lives and are now themselves becoming leaders in the industry, not only setting up successful clinics working in chronic pain, but also lecturing at high profile conferences such as the British Fascial Symposium, authored books (e.g.: Amanda Oswald – Living Pain free with myofascial release) and working with consultants in the NHS to carry out research (e.g.: (https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/application-summaries/research-summaries/treating-carpal-tunnel-with-a-standardised-massage-protocol-30/).
Diversity and inclusion
As the Pearson website states regarding the SRF “These qualifications may be suitable for learners whose needs cannot be met by any national framework” – this is exactly what our BTEC level 6 offers. Many of our learners have challenges that make access to traditional learning challenging, such as dyslexia, and visual and hearing impairments.
Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion – we provide a route for many who have been disadvantaged by formal education and our learners include a high quotient of women (30-60yrs), black and ethnic minorities, the lesbian, gay and transgender community.
We live the spirit of equal opportunities at Jing by providing a safe space for all.