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CODE OF CONDUCT

INTRODUCTION

Physical Activity Australia (PAA) has been supporting, advising and guiding fitness professionals since 1982. Previously known as VicFit, then Kinect Australia, PAA was Australia’s first fitness registration body. PAA’s origins lie in promoting the importance of physical activity and reducing sedentary lifestyles.

HISTORY

Physical Activity Australia, originally known as VicFit, was Australia’s pioneering fitness registration body. In 2014, PAA became a division of Bluearth Foundation; the organisation’s shared mission is to improve the health and well-being of all Australians by making movement part of everyday life.

MISSION

All people should develop their abilities to move with confidence and competence in a wide variety of physical activities that benefit whole-person development and create personal motivation for lifelong active living.

VISION

To improve the health and well-being of all Australians by making moving well a part of everyday life.

AIM

PAA and Bluearth Foundation are working together to:

  • Advocate for recognition of physical activity as an essential part of every Australian’s daily life.
  • Establish quality standards and guidelines for the delivery of professional fitness services.
  • Develop programs that enhance fitness professionals’ reputations and raise awareness of the health benefits they can provide to individuals and communities.
  • Support further development of fitness professionals’ expertise.
  • See that qualifications are recognised in the health sector to contribute to the prevention of chronic disease.
PAA MEMBERS

PAA staff members stay in touch with our 2,000-plus members via regular newsletters, website updates, Facebook and Instagram posts, and electronic direct mail. We inform members about professional development opportunities, new courses, special offers, health and fitness news and business tips. We also liaise with industry experts to assess accreditation applications for professional development courses.

NATIONAL REGISTRATION

Our Exercise Professionals’ Registration Program supports adherence to agreed industry standards of service, care and safety. Registration with us demonstrates to prospective employers, the industry professional and the public that an individual has satisfied the requirements of a comprehensive quality assurance system for fitness professionals, including attaining an appropriate qualification and maintaining appropriate standards of competence for professional practice. The Registration Program sets an industry standard, encouraging good practice for the industry and its professionals.

The Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct (hereafter, Code) is administered by the Board of Physical Activity Australia (hereafter, PPA). While it is a voluntary Code, it is expected that Registered Members of PAA will meet the standards set out within it. This Code should be read with relevant legislation, policies, procedures, thresholds, competencies, and standards that regulate professional practice.

Purpose of the Code

PAA’s Code sets an acceptable standard of professional practice for all its Registered Members. Establishing, publicising, and maintaining standards of ethical behaviour in the professional practice of fitness professionals is important for informing and protecting the public and clients using these services.

The Code sets forth the core values of rights, relationships, responsibilities, and professional standards, including best practices for maintaining honesty, integrity, and professionalism. As a Registered Member, you agree to comply with the Code, which does not replace the principles and procedures adopted by employing bodies and/or relevant legislation.

Should a complaint be made against you, the Disciplinary Policy will be implemented to investigate and respond to any complaint. PAA’s Code is essential for fitness professionals who provide training, coaching, consulting, and other services in a professional setting.

SCOPE OF CODE

Physical Activity Australia Code of Conduct addresses to Exercise Professionals, Qualified Professionals, Industry, Business members, Students, Instructors, Trainers and Specialists in the Fitness industry.

Physical Activity Australia supports individuals and professionals in their dedication to delivering the highest standards of expertise, skills, knowledge, and care to their clients and the industry, ensuring they fulfil their professional responsibilities with excellence.

  • Provide professional beneficence and integrity guidance to professionals and businesses.
  • Frame guidelines that represent best practices for exercising professional conduct.
  • Operates in parallel with other Physical Activity Australia policies and guidelines.
Principle 1 – Professional Standards

PAA Registered Members aspire to adopt the highest professional standards in their work and career development.

Registrants will:

  • Aim to pursue the highest levels of professional and personal standards to enhance the integrity, culture, and standing/reputation of the fitness profession.
  • Endeavour to participate in ongoing professional development to update knowledge and improve their professional skills whilst maintaining the qualifications required to provide a quality standard of service.
  • Allow evaluation of their work, be aware of legal responsibilities and accountability as a fitness professional and must be willing to accept responsibility and accountability for professional decisions or actions.
  • Practice those activities for which we recognise their training and competence, and only use names and titles that correctly describe their professional status, expertise, or scope of practice. Apply fair, reasonable, and honest business principles when dealing with clients and others.
  • On request, provide clients with clear information about your qualifications, experience, and registration details. Always disclose the financial costs of services upfront. Avoid selling, endorsing, or promoting any products, services, or practices that could harm clients’ safety or well-being or take advantage of the professional relationship.

By registering with us, the individual agrees to comply with the PAA Code of Conduct in professional work. Any alleged professional misconduct or failure to comply with this Code may result in sanctions.

Principle 2 – Rights

Physical Activity Australia Registrants will respect their clients and their rights as individuals.

Registrants will:

  • Respect the rights and dignity of every client regardless of culture, needs, values, worldviews, beliefs, or any other legally prohibited grounds of discrimination.
  • Conduct themselves in a respectful manner and be mindful of privacy, bodily integrity, and the mental well-being of clients, whether speaking, writing, or behaving (body language).
  • Safeguard confidential information relating to clients, be discreet in any conversations and not impart personal information to any third party without consent, ensuring compliance with privacy legislation.
  • Be expected to establish and obtain informed consent from each client and maintain proper transparency about any contractual obligations or changes.
Principle 3 – Relationships

Physical Activity Australia Registrants will develop healthy professional relationships with their clients and other health professionals based on openness, honesty, mutual trust and respect.

Registrants will:

  • Always promote the welfare and best interests of the client, prioritising the client’s needs.
  • Be clear, honest and accurate in all forms of communication with clients, professional colleagues and other health professionals, and will not misrepresent themselves when promoting their services.
  • Avoid any inappropriate behaviour in all client relationships, ensuring physical contact is appropriate and necessary and undertaken with the client’s approval.
  • Respect the skills, training and expertise of other professionals and institutions.
Principle 4 – Responsibilities

Physical Activity Australia Registrants will demonstrate and promote a healthy, active, and responsible lifestyle and conduct.

Registrants will:

  • Have a full understanding of the laws and regulations governing the professional practice of fitness professionals, ensuring compliance with privacy, advertising and employment law; and communicate these requirements appropriately to the clients, colleagues and practitioners wherever necessary.
  • Demonstrate responsibility for their physical and psychological well-being to protect their professional knowledge, competence and judgment.
  • Be aware of their working environment and protect participants, ensuring the training environment and planned activities are appropriate to the needs, age and ability of clients.
  • Recognise any potential, perceived or actual conflict of interest and declare these to clients, colleagues and other stakeholders where appropriate and take appropriate action to resolve any conflict of interest.
  • Physical Activity Australia members must take responsibility for saving or storing all their qualifications and certificates. Physical Activity Australia is not responsible for storing members qualifications. All members qualifications, including all professional development certificates, will be deleted once the qualification details are visualised and saved on the member’s file.
Principle 5 – Business Conduct

A Business Member will:

  • Promote Physical Activity Australia (PAA) as the preferred registration body for fitness professionals.
  • Encourage and assist others in understanding our organisation’s activities, role, and importance.
  • Act honestly, fairly and adequately in dealings with participants, other members and the general public.
  • Treat all people with respect and fairness without any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, gender, age, disability or culture when such factors do not jeopardise the safe conduct of activities.
  • Protect staff and participants’ rights to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought and received.
  • Refrain from intentionally spreading false or misleading information, whether written, spoken or implied.
  • Refrain from knowingly using or being party to improper or illegal methods and practices in organisational and operational activities.
  • Refrain from intentionally compromising the professional reputation of any other member.
  • Obey all legal requirements and adopt, as a minimum, accepted industry practices.
  • Ensure staff continue to acquire and maintain professional skills and knowledge, thereby improving personal competence and our organisation’s knowledge base.
  • Never provide false or misleading information about their skills or qualifications.
  • Encourage and assist others to develop appropriate attitudes, skills and knowledge relating to physical activity.
  • Through quality teaching practices, assist all participants and clients in realising their full potential, stimulating the spirit of enquiry and the acquisition of knowledge.
Principal 6 – Online Responsibility

Registrants will:

  • Respect Client Privacy and Intellectual Property:
    • Ensure that any intellectual property or information pertaining to clients, including photographs, testimonials, or any details that could identify clients, is not used without the client’s explicit written permission.
  • Truthful and Professional Representation:
    • Ensure that advertising across all media platforms—such as print, radio, online, and social media—is truthful and professional and does not make unsupported claims or disrespect the profession or industry.
    • Strive to foster professional relationships, share insights, and engage in respectful discussions on sensitive topics, including race, religion, politics, and gender, particularly in online environments.
  • Compliance with Spam Regulations:
    • Adhere to all relevant regional anti-spam regulations (e.g., the Australian Spam Act 2003). This includes:Obtaining Consent: Secure explicit consent from recipients before sending any commercial emails or messages.
    • Clear Identification: Clearly identify your company and the purpose of the message. Avoid using deceptive subject lines or headers.
    • Opt-Out Options: Provide a simple, transparent mechanism for recipients to opt out of future communications and ensure these requests are honoured promptly.
    • Accurate Sender Information: Ensure all header information, including the “From,” “To,” and “Reply-To” fields, accurately reflects your company and the sender.
    • Physical Address: Include your company’s valid physical postal address in all commercial emails.
  • Respect for Intellectual Property (IP):
    • Ensure proper attribution when using the intellectual property of clients, organisations, or other parties, including logos, trademarks, or copyrighted materials.Obtain explicit written permission before using any IP for commercial purposes or in a way that implies endorsement.
    • Do not alter, misuse, or repurpose IP without authorisation, and ensure trademarks are used with appropriate symbols (™ or ®) in their intended context.
    • Maintain confidentiality by refraining from sharing proprietary information, trade secrets, or other confidential materials without authorisation.
  • Encourage Ethical Practices:
    • Avoid misrepresenting affiliations or endorsements through misuse of intellectual property.Report any unauthorised or improper use of intellectual property to the appropriate parties.
    • Ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations when engaging in online activities.
    • By adhering to these guidelines, registrants contribute to a respectful, compliant, and professional online environment while protecting client trust and upholding the integrity of the industry.
Principal 7 – Mentoring & Supervision

PAA registrants will demonstrate respect, patience and leadership when mentoring, supervising or teaching students or colleagues.

Registrants will:

  • Secure the consent in writing of the supervisee, including students, clients, colleagues or any individual or group being supervised, before taking on the responsibility for those under supervision and ensuring the supervision is within their level of competence, scope of practice, the Code and any regulatory body rules.
  • Assess any risks and consider the competency and capabilities of those under supervision and ensure only appropriate tasks are delegated to them.
  • Ensure that, in the context of supervision, the supervisee understands their legal responsibilities, understands and follows the Code of Conduct that applies to the profession, and acts in accordance with the directions of the supervisor and the supervision plan.
  • Work collaboratively with the supervisee to engage in the supervision plan and communicate effectively and honestly to give fair feedback.
Breach of the Code

The PAA Executive team and Directors will use the Code as a standard by which a fitness professional’s conduct is measured. A failure to comply with the Code may result in, as appropriate:

  • If concerns are raised about a fitness professional’s conduct or the safety of their practice, the matter may be referred to PAA management for review. This could lead to disciplinary action if the concerns are found to be valid.
  • Any alleged misconduct or avoidance of compliance with the Code will be referred to the management team. PAA Management may consider any need for suspension against an individual instructor, coach, trainer or business.
  • If you believe a PAA registrant breaches the Code, you may make a formal complaint to PAA. On review, if a breach is found to have occurred, it will be deemed misconduct. Sanctions may include suspension or termination of registered members.

Last updated: December 2024