Let’s walk through the significant milestones that shaped CKO and learn about our priorities today and what the future holds.
2009
November: The Interim By-Laws of the transitional Council of the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (CKO) was approved
2013
April 1 : CKO became the first legislated body in the world to regulate the profession of kinesiology
2013
May: Administered our first examination
2013
June: Launched our official website and conducted our first Council election
2013
October: Welcomed our first elected Council
2014
February: Signed a ten-year lease of our current office (160 Bloor St East in Toronto)
2016
April: The grandparenting provisions ended as per the Regulation 401/12 under Kinesiology Act, 2007
2018
March: Council approved the amendments to By-Law 21 to comply with the Protecting Patients Act, 2017 (Bill 87) – an importance legislation that aims to reduce sexual abuse, enhance transparency and strengthen public protection
2019
April: Council expressed support for CNO Vision 2020 through a letter to the Ministry of Health, an initiative to modernize regulatory governance in Ontario
2020
March: Transitioned to remote work to respond to COVID-19 pandemic
2020
June: Created Return to Practice and Re-deployment Guidance to ensure patient safety during COVID-19 pandemic
2020
June: Participated in the HPRO’s Anti-Racism initiatives to dismantle systemic racism and advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in our healthcare system
2020
July: Launched a new website for improved navigation, experience and access to information
2021
March: As per the Ministry of Health’s requirement, CKO completed our first College Performance Measurement Framework (CPMF) – a transparent and consistent reporting that enables all health colleges across Ontario to measure and report how they protect the public
2021
September: As part of governance reform, Council approved a competency-based eligibility process for Council nominees and the Succession Planning and Mentorship Program to support new council members
2021
October: Spousal Exception Regulation came into effect under the Kinesiology Act, 2007
2021
April: Launched the first online Peer and Practice Assessment (PPA)
2023
March: As several barrier-reducing regulatory amendments took effect in 2023, CKO broadened the Language Proficiency Policy to include language tests used for immigration to Canada
2023
April: Council approved a new “Emergency Class” certificate to reduce barriers to registration during a public health emergency and enable rapid entry to the work force
CKO TODAY
Registration
Today, there are about 3,000 registered kinesiologists across the province, and our membership is steadily growing. CKO’s Registration Department is responsible for developing and upholding transparent, objective and fair registration practices to ensure only qualified kinesiologists are allowed to practise kinesiology in Ontario.
Entry-to-Practice Examination
One way of fulfilling our public protection mandate is by keeping our registration process up-to-date and relevant to the evolving needs of kinesiology. In 2022, CKO’s entry-to-practice exam moved to an entirely remote and online format, for the first-time allowing applicants the flexibility to schedule their exam at a time that suits their individual needs and geographic locations.
Emergency Class of registration
At the request of the Ontario Government, CKO recently drafted and submitted amendments to the Kinesiology Act, 2007 for a new Emergency Class of registration, which are scheduled to take affect this Fall. This new registration class will help ensure that our healthcare system is better equipped in the event of a public health emergency.
Kinesiologist Core Competency Profile
In keeping with CKO’s continuous improvement strategy, the first comprehensive review of the Kinesiologist Core Competency Profile is underway. The competency profile will:
- Describe the competence required in the role of a kinesiologist at the entry-to-practice level; and
- Guide the update of the entry-to-practice exam, the Exam Blueprint, Practice Standards and Professional Conduct.
Quality Assurance
To ensure all registered kinesiologists are held to high standards and are committed to continuous quality improvement, our Quality Assurance (QA) Program has evolved to include robust educational and assessment components.
Practice Standards and Guidelines
Another way CKO protects the public is by developing and maintaining Practice Standards and Guidelines. The Practice Standards are the minimum standards registered kinesiologists must follow to practise kinesiology in Ontario. The Practice Guidelines help kinesiologists understand their responsibilities and how to make safe and ethical decisions in their practice.
Professional Conduct
Ontarians have the right to receive safe, high-quality care. When they have concerns about a kinesiologist’s practice or behaviour, they can file a complaint or report about the kinesiologist to CKO.
As a mandatory requirement set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), 1991, CKO is responsible for ensuring R.Kins provide ethical, safe and high-quality care that’s within the practice scope and adheres to the Practice Standards. Our Professional Conduct Department works with the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) to review, investigate complaints and reports, and make decisions in the public interest. ICRC is a statutory committee comprised of professional members who are R.Kins and public members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.
Our complaint process
LOOKING AHEAD
2022 marks the completion of our 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. As we enter the next three years, we are embarking on developing a new plan for 2023-2026, and our focus remains to be patient and client safety. With the needs and practice of kinesiology may evolve over time, CKO is well equipped to adapt to the changes while keeping up with our mandate of public protection.
We look forward to the next decade of strengthening member engagement through enhanced communication, keeping the public informed about CKO’s role through more frequent patient/client-focused campaigns, and, most importantly, continuing to hold kinesiologists accountable for delivering safe, ethical, high-quality care to ensure public safety.