INCLUSION IN PRACTICE

Turning intent into action

Inclusion and accessibility have become a focus point for both aquatics and the wider physical activity sector. In June, The Swimming Alliance led a panel discussion on topic held as part of the Elevate trade show

Since the last issue of SwimNation, members of the Swimming Alliance’s Inclusion Taskforce have taken the conversation around inclusion to a wider industry audience at Elevate. The session, ‘Inclusion in Practice: How Specialist Training Transforms Teachers and Learners’, featured Inclusion Taskforce members Ian Thwaites, Founder and CEO of Level Water and Chair of the Inclusion Taskforce, and Timothy Mathias, Strategic Lead – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion at ukactive. They were joined on the panel by Melona Headley, Founder and CEO of Bold Waters, with Mike Goody, STA Water Safety Ambassador and Invictus Games multi-medal-winning swimmer, hosting the discussion. At the heart of the session was a simple premise: creating truly inclusive aquatic environments starts with a confident, well-trained workforce.

The panel explored how targeted training and professional development can equip aquatic professionals with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to support swimmers from diverse backgrounds and with differing needs – and, importantly, how that investment in the workforce can translate into better experiences and outcomes for learners.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE THROUGH SPECIALIST TRAINING

Ian shared Level Water’s latest research into the impact of specialist disability swimming teacher training, demonstrating how investing in teachers can help develop stronger, more capable professionals while significantly improving the learning experience and progression of disabled swimmers.

Confidence was a recurring theme. Even the most committed teacher can feel uncertain when they have not been given the knowledge or practical strategies to support a learner with needs they have not encountered before. Specialist training can help bridge that gap, moving teachers from uncertainty to confidence and giving them practical tools they can apply within lessons.

That confidence matters to the learner too. When teachers feel equipped and supported, they are better able to adapt their approach, communicate effectively and create positive learning environments in which swimmers can develop and progress.

UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE

Melona brought another important dimension to the discussion: cultural competence across the leisure and aquatic workforce. Creating an inclusive aquatic environment means recognising that people’s experiences of swimming and water can be influenced by their culture, background and lived experience. Barriers are not always obvious, and practices that feel routine to one person can unintentionally make another feel that an aquatic environment isn’t for them.

The session explored how the new Cultural Competence in Leisure and Aquatics CPD can support professionals to better understand the communities they serve, reflect on their own practice and create environments where everyone feels safe, respected and supported. The wider message was that cultural competence should not sit separately from workforce development. Greater understanding can help strengthen communication, build trust and ultimately support greater participation and belonging.

MOVING FROM INTENTION TO ACTION

Taking the conversation to an organisational and sector-wide level, Timothy explored why inclusion needs to be embedded across workforce development, facilities and organisational culture rather than treated as a standalone initiative. The discussion also considered the role of practical tools such as ukactive’s EDI self-assessment toolkit in helping organisations understand where they are now, identify areas for improvement and move from good intentions towards meaningful action.

For lasting change to happen, individuals need the skills and confidence to make a difference, but they also need to work within organisations where inclusive practice is understood, supported and prioritised. That means asking practical questions: Do our people feel equipped? Are there barriers we’re not recognising? Do the communities we serve feel welcome and represented? And are we giving our workforce the tools and ongoing support they need?

INCLUSION AS EVERYDAY GOOD PRACTICE

The Elevate discussion reinforced an important principle underpinning the Inclusion Taskforce’s work: inclusion should not be viewed as a specialist addition to aquatics. Specialist training undoubtedly has an important role to play, whether that relates to disability, cultural competence or another area of inclusive practice. But the longer-term aim is for the knowledge and confidence this creates to become part of what good aquatic practice looks like every day.

Ultimately, strengthening the workforce and improving the learner experience are not separate ambitions. Better-equipped, more confident professionals are better placed to understand and respond to the people in front of them – helping more swimmers feel welcome, supported and able to progress.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

For the Inclusion Taskforce, the focus now is on continuing to turn conversation, research and evidence into practical action. The Taskforce will continue to bring together expertise from across the sector to identify the barriers that prevent people from accessing and enjoying aquatics, share evidence of what works and explore practical ways the sector can respond.

Workforce development will remain an important part of that conversation – from specialist disability training and cultural competence to the wider question of how we ensure aquatic professionals feel confident, knowledgeable and supported when working with increasingly diverse communities.

There is also an important opportunity to identify and share examples of inclusive practice already making a difference. By bringing together charities, training providers, operators, awarding organisations and sector bodies, the Swimming Alliance can help share that learning more widely rather than organisations having to find solutions in isolation.

Above all, the ambition is to keep moving inclusion from intention into everyday practice – strengthening the workforce, breaking down barriers and helping create aquatic environments where everyone has the opportunity to feel welcome, safe, respected and supported.