Regulations

• Code of Conduct
• Insurance
• Membership durations and renewals
• Assessment process
• Application outcome
• Appeals
• Statutory requirements
  • Records
  • BDA Membership

Code of Conduct

All SENR Graduate and Practitioner Registrants must agree to abide by the SENR code of conduct.

All Registrants must conduct themselves in accordance with the SENR Code of Conduct, which provides a set of principles that apply to all sport and exercise nutritionists. The premise of the Code is the protection of the health and wellbeing of service users.

The Code covers four behaviour areas: conduct, performance, ethics, and professional practice.  

Applicants for Registration must agree to abide by the SENR Code of Professional Conduct, pay an annual registration fee, and become a member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA). HCPC Registered Dietitians will be required to take out full BDA membership, whilst others will be eligible for SENR Membership. 

Insurance

All SENR Registrants must hold appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance, which is provided as a benefit of membership of the BDA. 

NB: Applicants not domiciled in the UK or EU with relevant UK qualifications for Registration will need to secure their own insurance to practice. The BDA Professional Indemnity Insurance policy does not cover practice for those residents outside UK and EU jurisdictions.

Membership duration and renewals

Graduate registration

The maximum period of Graduate Registration will be three years; after which time the Registrant will be required to demonstrate the requirements for Practitioner Registration or as a minimum, demonstrate ongoing commitment to maintaining knowledge of current evidence base through their continuing professional development (CPD) activity. This extension to Graduate Registration is usually limited to one 12-month period. Failure to evidence transition to the Practitioner category of Registration after this extension period could lead to removal from the Register.  

Applications for this extension to Graduate Registration should be made in writing to the BDA Office at [email protected] outlining the mitigating circumstances for the extension request, with supporting evidence of engagement in relevant CPD activity during the period of Registration. This supporting evidence can include an up-to-date CV, proof of qualifications and/or training, and professional references.

Practitioner registration

SENR Practitioner Registration is for a period of five years. As such the process of re-registration is for use by applicants who are already SENR Practitioners and must be undertaken every five years.   

Assessment process

Practitioner applications are considered by an Assessor Panel. The Panel is made up of a minimum of four assessors who are highly experienced senior members of the sport and exercise nutrition profession from practice and academia.   

The Panel meets twice per year to consider all applications received within the six month period prior to the meeting. Applications are judged against the Competency Framework and the applicant’s ability to demonstrate adequate experience and evidence against each criterion. It is the applicant’s responsibility to clearly signpost their evidence for meeting each criterion.

Application outcome

The outcome of an application for Practitioner Registration shall be one of the following: 

1. Admission as Practitioner Registrant. The successful applicant is invited to join the Register; 
2. Decision deferred and the applicant receives feedback and is invited to resubmit once essential requirements have been met / evidenced. Each applicant is entitled to resubmit once, free of charge (covered by initial application fee).
3. Rejection for any applicant who fails to meet basic criteria for admission, which may include being unfit to practice, inadequate qualifications or a false declaration. 

 Applicants should note that requests from the Panel for further clarifications / additional information are commonplace. Applicants should also note that there is a balance to be maintained between providing sufficient feedback to understand how the Panel decision has been made, and not doing the work of the applicant in demonstrating their competence to practice.  

If the Panel deems that the applicant requires additional sector experience, it maintains the right to impose a delayed resubmission date until such time as the applicant has obtained further practice exposure or sought mentorship support.   

If the Panel deems that a serious breach of confidentiality has occurred, or identifies activity falling outside the SENR Code of Conduct, this information and only this information, will be reported back to the applicant. No further application feedback will be provided until such time as the applicant resubmits having addressed the serious issues noted. 

Appeals

Applicants have 28 days to appeal against an assessment decision starting from the date of the application rejection email. If an applicant wishes to appeal against that decision, the BDA requires them to send a “notice of appeal”. This can be in the form of a letter or email, but it must include the following: 

• Applicant’s name and address;   
• A statement that makes it clear why the appeal is being brought; 
• The decision against which the appeal is being made; 
• A “concise statement of the grounds of the appeal” (which is explained further below).  

It is the applicant’s responsibility to explain why they believe that the Panel’s decision is wrong. Therefore, the appeal must include a “concise statement of the grounds of appeal” which sets out the case. 

The statement should explain why the applicant believes that any reasons given by the Panel, or any concerns set out by the Panel, are incorrect.  Where the Panel has said that the applicant does not meet any specific standards, an explanation for disagreement with the statement should be made. The applicant must attach any documents upon which the appeal may rely. These documents must be from the original portfolio submitted.

When the notice of appeal has been received, a notice of acknowledgment will be sent.  

• Appeals will be considered by the SENR Registration Committee.  
• A member of the Panel who was not involved in the assessment of the application, will be nominated to review the appeal.
• The outcome will be reviewed by the Registration Committee to ensure due diligence has been observed, and will be communicated to the appellant by the Committee Chair. 

Appeals will only be considered on issues of content (where information is either incomplete or has been misinterpreted).  Appeals on the grounds of process will not be considered. 

NB: For academic associate the process is not subject to appeal as the Panel’s decision is final. Conflicts of interest will be taken into consideration when appointing reviewers. 

Statutory requirements

Access to and administration of records 

Protocols govern sharing and access to information by staff, agents and service providers to records, in order to secure efficient customer care, fair, robust and high quality of administration.      

All correspondence and documents not already in the public domain in respect of an application are treated as strictly confidential to the applicant and members of the BDA and SENR staff, Registration Panel and Board. 

Documents pertaining to an application shall be kept electronically whilst the individual remains on the Register. Portfolio submissions are normally kept for a minimum of five years. 

We request that all applicants retain a copy of their application, including the portfolio submission. 

British Dietetic Association Membership

All Registrants are required to be British Dietetic Association (BDA) members.   

Those who are HCPC Registered Dietitians will be required to join the BDA as full members. SENR Registration will be taken as an additional and separate fee. 

All other Registrants (non-dietitians) will join the BDA as SENR Members and pay one combined fee.