About
Bath Swim Therapy run swimming/hydrotherapy sessions for youngsters with disabilities and additional needs in fully-accessible, warm water pools. Children are supported by parents or carers within a ...
In-Pool Supporter
Scan me or visit www.sparkachange.org.uk/o/Bath-Swim-Therapy/opportunities/In-Pool-Supporter/27721 to join
Contact person
Detailed description
Act as an in-pool supporter for a delightful youngster during her weekly hydrotherapy swim sessions.
The sessions are specifically aimed at youngsters with additional needs and disabilities and are run by an instructor who is in the water at all times.
The youngster has a heart condition and these sessions offer her an opportunity to safely exercise and develop her skills.
The instructor devises activities, exercises and games for each youngster to do to build their water confidence and water skills. Each child is also accompanied in the water by a parent or carer to help them with this. Because this particular family have two children with additional needs, it is difficult for their parent to give full attention to both of them. The child's parent and sibling will also be in the water at the same time. As an in-pool supporter, you would work 1 to 1 with the youngster to encourage, motivate and help them focus on the organised activity.
We will give you training in the activities beforehand with our instructor and poolside supporter. This role will offer a lot of fun and satisfaction. The sessions are small, friendly and play orientated, there is a maximum of 4 children, and their supporting adult in the pool at any one time. It would suit someone who is good at forming positive bonds with children and enjoys connecting with their interests to find ways to motivate and encourage them.
The sessions take place in Frome on Tuesday evenings. We need a volunteer who could commit to being there for the duration of the young person's swim slot - currently 4.40 to 5.15. We run 5 sessions per half term, a total of 30 per year.
It could offer very useful experience for any body wanting a career working with children, in sports coaching, physiotherapy, care. It would also offer those who already have a career or have had experience in supporting youngsters, coaching swimming, therapeutically supporting individual's physical development, an opportunity to apply their skills in a new situation to support somebody facing challenging circumstances.