KEEPING TALENT AFLOAT

Rebecca Givens, a SEND Swim Teacher and Neurodiversity Advocate, says that the aquatics industry needs to better cater for neurodivergent swimming teachers by creating more neurofriendly work systems

In its very first issue, SwimNation explored neurodiversity as “aquatics’ secret superpower”, highlighting how individuals with neurodivergent needs often make incredible teachers. Traits associated with neurodivergency – such as heightened sense of awareness, an amazing ability to spot patterns and a thorough attention to detail – can help make some of the most passionate and diligent swim teachers you will come across in our industry. Aquatics also attracts a high volume of teachers with neurodivergent needs because they often fathom on a personal level the direct beneficial impact swimming has on living with a neurodevelopmental disorder. With ADHD, for example, the repetitive motion of swimming can give the brain what it needs – bodily movement, dopamine release, deep pressure, meditative rhythm and a calm underwater environment which can soothe feelings of overwhelm and chaos.

BRING DOWN BARRIERS

With excellent initiatives like the STA’s Ripple Effect, we’re actively increasing accessible pathways into teaching for those who may initially experience learning barriers. As an ADHD individual myself, training with the STA and other governing bodies, I have always felt adequately and appropriately supported during the courses, able to discuss my needs and how they can be met. However, with initial training complete, the next question we need to ask is – are we retaining these neurodivergent teachers long-term?

Those of us working daily within the swimming industry know only too well that retention rates can feel low, often due to the volume of part-time student teachers who work around other studies or go on to other higher education pathways. We know that there aren’t enough teachers to meet current demand across the UK, but we also need more research on retention rates across the industry, and subsequently how supported our neurodivergent workforce feels and qualitative motivations for those who do sadly leave positions.

Numerous worldwide reports highlight the unique struggles that neurodivergent individuals face across different workplaces. Many neurodivergent groups actually oppose the term ‘superpower’ as it can often underplay conditions and frame them as solely positive, when living daily with the real struggles of a neurodevelopmental disorder can sometimes be nothing short of debilitating.

The truth is that at times, it can feel hard to stay afloat. Neurodivergent people are statistically far more likely to experience mental stress than the general population and this is because the world as we know it – and that includes the structures and systems of the workplace – has been designed for a neurotypical brain.

Sensory overload and overwhelm, difficulties with maintaining routine and consistency, needing visual communication, heightened emotions, memoryretention issues, mental health lows, attention span challenges, an inability to ‘switch off’, burnout and striking healthy work/life balance are just some of the struggles I have experienced myself as a neurodivergent working individual over the last two decades.

The Equality Act 2010 outlaws workplace discrimination based on disabilities and neurodivergency, but what active steps is the industry taking to adjust our working practices to best fit the needs of those who are likely to experience mental stress at work? According to official figures, one in five school children require extra support. Looking at our working contracts, patterns, approaches and communications, are we tailoring the workplace for the same ratio?

Neurodiversity highlights how every individual’s brain works differently – but are some aspects of our businesses still operating on a ‘one size fits all’ approach?

CHANGING THE ENVIRONMENT

One of the challenges is that a ‘secret superpower’ is quite often just that – secret, silent, invisible. Many neurodivergent individuals have mastered the art ofmasking due to lack of previous support and have become experts at struggling through challenging environments rather than asking for things to change. As an industry, we have a responsibility to better understand these incredibly common and complex conditions and work to support them, if we wish to retain diverse workforces.

The basis of good SEND practice always puts emphasis on the system to change, not the individual. The archaic approach, which expected neurodivergent individuals to look at their conditions and adapt, is now widely recognised as unrealistic, demoralising and discriminatory. It also wouldn’t retain staff long-term.

In all areas of society, it is the responsibility of the surrounding environment to constantly adapt to meet a range of diverse needs. As swim providers, we are primed to achieve this – it’s what we do already! Across every swimming lesson, we change teaching methods, equipment and language to best-fit the swimmer’s individual ability. Why are we not consistently taking this approach even further and using it to best support and retain staff?

MAKING WORKPLACES INCLUSIVE

Some examples of best practice around supporting the neurodivergent workforce is to consider giving staff a clear opportunity to disclose and discuss needs (if they wish to), regular supportive catch-ups with their manager and the creation of long-term and non-judgemental working relationships so staff feel comfortable asking for help. The best employers will focus on always having empathy and patience, knowing that (due to underdiagnoses, masking and historical lack of support systems) neurodivergent staff may not yet be able to understand their own conditions fully themselves. Checking-in with staff poolside during their shifts can go a long way and create an atmosphere of support.

Many neurodivergent staff may benefit from the option of flexible working patterns or zero hours contracts to work alongside hyperfocus and burnout cycles. This could include mental health time off if needed and signposts to additional external support systems.

Encouraging a healthy working set-up and clear boundaries between work and non-work will ensure breaks are being taken. To assist with this, employers can offer quiet spaces and break- rooms, zones for sensory down-time away from the major hyperstimulation that is a poolside.

Neurodivergent adults are likely to have communication and information processing preferences and barriers. Insisting someone turns their camera on during a training session or call, for example, can be hugely problematic for some. Employers should always be clear, consistent and visual if needed when communicating with staff. Best practice would be to offer options and choice, while also allowing opportunities for visual learning.

Some members of staff may need more processing time than neurotypical adults – absorbing information, signing a policy, setting-up for a class, reading the registers, making lesson notes. In school, a child with neurodevelopmental needs may have additional time and regular breaks in an exam – what is our version of this in the adult workplace?

Children with SEND face a significantly higher risk of drowning compared to their neurotypical peers According to the National Autism Association, children with autism are 160 times more likely to die from accidental drowning. RLSS DATA

Employers should consider how they can facilitate positive discussions and awareness around mental health and neurodiversity. SEND training for all staff is vital, especially for those managing and working alongside those with needs. Additional professional development opportunities for neurodivergent staff will go a long way – they invest in future skills and allow those who may have previously felt marginalised to now feel valued. Encouraging neurodivergent staff to have a voice and be involved in decision-making will develop their self-esteem, confidence and feelings of self-worth for a community that has statistically struggled in those areas.

One of the most important aspects of supporting those with needs is knowing that no two neurodivergent (or neurotypical!) individuals are the same. While the above advice can serve as a helpful starting point for managers, support must always be tailored and specific to the person, not the condition label.

IT JUST MAKES SENSE

So, why invest so much in our neurodivergent workforce? Well, the children with additional needs that we teach are not only statistically more likely to drown than their peers, but are also more likely to experience negative life outcomes because of their conditions. The education system’s current SEND crisis has made it evident that many children are not able to receive the support they need, affecting their lives long-term.

Yet, one of the last zones in society where I personally witness those children feeling seen and heard is in our swimming pools. I see those positive outcomes in real time – how the water regulates them, makes them feel safe and doesn’t put pressure on them to be anyone else other than who they truly are. That 30 minutes of swimming can regenerate that self-esteem, self-belief and self-value that might have been zapped from a conforming school day.

These children need our pools, need to see evidence of diverse workplaces and most of all they need their neurodivergent teachers. These are the teachers who see them for who they are and are best-equipped to understand their challenges, being able to teach them in a way that meets their needs and ensure they have a positive learning experience. Not only is the neurodivergent teacher actively working towards reducing that shocking drowning statistic but, if we best support them, they can consistently act as a person of trust in the life of a child who is likely to be struggling. That swim teacher is not just a swim teacher – they can become an image of hope for that child’s future. There is lots to do to improve inclusion and we need our swim superheroes to lead us through it. For more information, visit: [https://swimwithrebecca.com](https://swimwithrebecca.com/)