The C.H.E.K Institute Phoenix Scam: What They’re Hiding
Gavin Jennings — Qualifications & Companies
Gavin Jennings, the CEO of the C.H.E.K Institute, has not renewed his own Level 4 qualification since December 2019. It expired seven years ago and was never reinstated. Despite this, he now publicly claims to be a Level 5 C.H.E.K Practitioner — a qualification he never earned, completed, or was ever awarded.
The company he ran, CHEK Europe Ltd, was dissolved on 31 December 2020. Rather than going through formal insolvency procedures, the business and assets were transferred to family members and new companies were opened under different names. This pattern — close one company, transfer assets, start another — is known as phoenixing. It allows debts and liabilities to be left behind while the income stream continues uninterrupted.
Paul Chek — Licensing & Credentials
Paul Chek, the founder of the Institute, has not held a valid California massage license since it expired in 2012. It was never renewed. Despite having no active government license to practice bodywork, he continues to treat clients and teach others how to do so.
His claim to be a “Medicine Man” comes from the Nemenhah Band, an organisation founded by Phillip Landers that has been publicly discredited. No federally or state-recognised Native American tribe acknowledges or recognises their teachings or credentials. The organisation has been listed on Quackwatch as a questionable alternative health group.
Paul Chek also claims to work a 200-hour week. This is physically impossible — there are only 168 hours in an entire week.
The Phoenix Pattern — How It Works
The pattern is consistent and verifiable on public record: a company is closed down, often at the end of the year; the business and client base are transferred to a spouse or family member; a new company is opened to carry on the same operations; no formal insolvency process is ever filed; and debts and liabilities remain with the dissolved company while the income continues in the new one.
Every independent C.H.E.K practitioner is required to pay renewal fees every two years, maintain their qualifications, and keep their certifications current. The leadership at the top of the Institute does not follow these same rules. They allow their own credentials to lapse while requiring everyone else to stay compliant.
