Occupations and Terms of Reference › Health and fitness assessor (screening)
Universal terms of reference · POS-263 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Health and fitness assessor (screening)
To screen new members and measure fitness, so that programmes are safe and people with health risks are referred.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You screen new members. You take health history, measure fitness, identify risks, and refer members who need medical advice before exercise.
Reports to: Fitness club manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Take health history with each member.
- Measure fitness and record results.
- Identify risks.
- Refer members to a doctor when needed.
- Pass results to trainers.
Working conditions and demands
- Screening can reveal serious health issues.
- Members may not want to disclose.
- Confidential health data.
What good looks like
- Every member is screened.
- Risks are referred.
- Results are passed on safely.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every member is screened before they start and advised to see a doctor when they should.
- Exercise is delivered within the member's ability and health status, with clear progression.
- Injuries and incidents are reported and followed up the same day.
- Pools, equipment and rooms are checked and kept safe and hygienic.
- Member data and health information are kept private.
- Promises about results are honest; no false or unsafe claims are made.
- Staff hold valid qualifications and first aid training for their role.
- Children and vulnerable people are protected at all times.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-263 |
| ISCO-08 | 3423 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Fitness and wellness |
| Facility types | Fitness |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-256. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Fitness club manager | Screening rules. |
| Walk-in clinic physician | Medical referrals. |
| Personal trainer | Programme design. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screening | Screens every new member. | Screening complete 100% | Daily | C-01 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Referral | Refers members who need medical advice. | Referrals made where indicated | Weekly | C-02 | T-05 | POL-SAFEG | 2 |
| Data | Keeps screening data private and secure. | Access audit passed | Quarterly | C-01 | T-04 | POL-DATA | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Screening tests within the protocol | Members with serious risk (club manager and medical referral) |
| Order of screenings | Data access beyond need (data protection officer) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Health screening or fitness assessment certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | First aid and CPR certificate | Yes | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Fitness testing or health screening experience | 1 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | C-01 · C-02 |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Health screening and risk identification | Screens simply | Identifies complex risks | Designs screening standards | Screening audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
| C-02 | Referral to medical advice | Refers simply | Refers urgently | Designs referral pathways | Referral audit | Every 12 months | T-05 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Screening complete | 100% | member records | Daily |
| PI-02 | Referrals made where indicated | 100% | referral log | Weekly |
| PI-03 | Data access audit passed | 100% | access audit | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Health and fitness assessor (screening) | 1 years (recommended) | Q-01, Q-02 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner | T-04 · T-05 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |