BASI Qualification Equivalence and Insurance Implications
We wanted to bring to your attention some important information that we have recently been made aware of concerning licence validity & professional liability insurance in various countries where members are reliant upon qualification equivalence for permission to operate.
We are aware that some individuals holding BASI qualifications working in other countries with equivalence may, for a variety of reasons, have let their BASI CPD and therefore their BASI Licence lapse. If you are one of these individuals, it is our duty to inform you that continuing to do so may place your professional liability insurance cover at risk in case of third-party claims.
After speaking to a major snow sports insurance broker in France, they advised that, if a professional Snowsports instructor was challenged in a court of law in case of an accident, third-party liability insurance cover would most likely be null and void if an investigation found the professional to not have an up-to-date teaching licence. The view of BASI’s own professional liability insurance provider has stated to us that “
if there has been a change to the material facts in which an insurer has accepted a risk, then this could impact the insurance and as such needs to be disclosed to the insurance company.”
The key piece of information here is that qualification equivalence in another country is not the same thing as holding a qualification from that country. Equivalence and recognition of a qualification from another country is granted based on certain criteria, but the basis upon which recognition was granted does need to be maintained. It is vital to note that, for example, the Carte Pro in France is not a teaching license but a professional qualification recognition document. Members holding a Carte Pro are encouraged to keep their teaching license up to date to ensure that whatever professional liability insurance they have in place is valid, be that a BASI license or a French Diplôme if they have joined the French system.
There is no obligation to renew your BASI license. It remains your choice to do so and there are a wealth of benefits associated with keeping it up to date. However, if you're relying on a BASI qualification for your equivalence & ability to operate in another country, then we would strongly recommend that you keep your teaching licence up to date to avoid the exposure described above.
It is now easier than ever before to revalidate your BASI license; we have increased our online CPD offering and many first aid providers offer blending learning solutions. Furthermore, if you have concerns about insurance coverage due to your residency status,
this article explains who benefits from the BASI Insurance cover.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. We are committed to supporting our members.