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2010 - 2016
Introduced
Centralia is Born

Sue and Paul, started Inspira Academy in the 1990's and were under the 'umbrella organisation' of the Association of Reflexologists who back then controlled some of the teaching in the UK via their 'AoR Schools'.   There were others such as the BRA and IIR.   After a House of Lords report in 2000 that recommended that examinations should be independent of the governing organisation, the AoR took the brave route (many other CAM's didn't) and began working alongside the Awarding Body AQA for the theoretical examinations.   Over subsequent years, the Awarding Body's changed as did the extent of their involvement in all the other aspects of training.   This resulted in the AoR informing all their Schools, which included Inspira Academy that they were no longer involved in any capacity in the development or delivery of reflexology diploma qualifications.   They retained a Training and Education department, but all authority in these fields was removed, leaving only unregulated Continuing Professional Development courses for the AoR to oversee and control.  This was a huge shift and a sad one, as for many years they had been recognised internationally as  leaders in education.   They however, continued in their role as a membership organisation. 


In 2010 there was a mad scramble to change the existing level 3 Diploma to one with Units, Levels and Credits.  Inspira Academy tutors and students weren't keen on the new version and so the quest to develop a higher level training programme began as the 'new' level 3 Diploma was for School and FE, but Inspira Academy also had students looking for something higher up the educational chain.   (Level 5 cannot be taught in Schools as it is levelled at 18+).

Reflexology Awarding Organisations in England had a very small window to meet the Bologna Agreement standards, but in Wales they had adopted Units, Levels and Credits back in 2002, so Agored Cymru (the Awarding Organisation for Wales) were approached and they agreed to develop new units.    After many months of Sue Alma Evans collaborating with the Health Units Officer, the units were ready and went before a Health Board and were declared to be an overall Level 5 (3 reflexology units at level 5 and Anatomy and Business at level 4).    The units were placed on the QALL Pillar and assigned in the Health Skills Sector as:  Nursing and Subjects and Vocations Allied to Medicine ... a first and a huge stride forward for reflexology training!

Initially Sue had started her quest for the students at Inspira Academy, but as other training providers heard about it, they wanted to join and Martyn Finke at PR arranged a meeting for Sue and Paul to talk to everyone.  They went back to Agored Cymru who said the others could join as long as Sue and Paul would be the lynch pin aka the Recognised Centre ... and this is how Centralia was born.   The new Partner Centres had no direct contact with the Awarding Organisation as this was now the 'job' of Centralia.

As mentioned earlier, some reflexology associations and memberships had been overseeing training, but had by now relinquished all responsibility, and released what they termed 'schools' (which was ok as a describing term for Level 3 as aimed at 16+  but not ok for Level 5). As the Recognised Centre, Centralia took on huge responsibility for the syllabus, the core curriculum, the assignments, quality assurance and standardisation, all the things that the AoR had done previously, but of course Centralia also had the educational expertise of the Awarding Organisation as well!  This was a steep learning curve, but with the support and input from all the new Partner Centres an amazing 'Suite of Units' at Level 5 was rolled out across venues in the UK.  The balance of power, of control was finally as it should be ... with a combination of the UK Regulator and an Awarding Organisation providing governance and educational knowledge.   A profession specific organisation providing quality assured and standardised learning materials and then in turn maintaining and ensuring the appropriate standards.  And then the most important of all ... the Training Centre.  Not an independent teacher with their own school/college/academy who thinks they are beyond the need for scrutiny, instead teachers who had layers of authoratitive and relevant knowledge from other educational and qualification organisations to safe guard  the learners, the learning and ultimately, to safe guard the profession itself. 

2016 - 2022
Expanded
Level 5 is developed and moves to Ofqual as well as Qualifications Wales

Lots happened in the development of Level 5 and any mistakes made all informed for the future and so Centralia and its Partner Centres grew and so did the development of a Centralia treatment technique called NEPIP.   A new title was given of Agored Cymru Level 5 Diploma in Practitioner Reflexology.
  The shift over to Ofqual meant a complete re-write of all of the units, but by now Sue was adept as she had also written the reflexology modules for a HND in Complementary Therapies and a Complementary Therapies Degree, as well as partial re-writes between 2010 and 2016 to ensure improvements and staying ahead with current movements in legislation, education and reflexology techniques as well as the profession itself.  
Partner Centres were growing and adding venues.   Sadly we had to say goodbye to  Agored Cymru, who had been very supportive over the last 12 years, as they were unable to facilitate Partner Centres outside the UK and the Belfast venue had an eye on opening up in Dublin.
It was a very equitable departure and Centralia remained the Recognised Centre until late summer 2024 to make sure all learners under their care had been awarded.   Partner Centres were given the option to stay and re-write the syllabus, course content and assignments or come and embark on a new vision for reflexology training with OTHM.
 
2022

The CAREA Matrix is Born
Duopody
NEPIP
CALM
had been long established at some, but not all Academies, but now the drive for a whole person approach to health saw all Academies relishing the opportunity to excel with evidence based models for
Mental > Physical > Emotional
Mind > Body > Spirit
learning and teaching programmes
Today
CAREA Reflexology Education Authority
2024
Duopody Reflexology Directory

 

Recognition as L5+6 Licensed Practitioner

Excellence Rewarded

Partner with other Health Practitioners

Whole Person Approach

 

Recognised Centre for
2 Awarding Organisations
Introduced
Centralia was born in 2010 and
a rebirth as CAREA in 2022

Always at the forefront and leading the way ...