“How do other services support service users to go swimming- in terms of assessing competence/ level of skill/ managing risk etc?”
We have recently employed a swimming instructor at Wathwood so people are having lessons, however we do have a pool on site so we are very lucky. However, if they did go swimming external to the hospital, if they have capacity they can go swimming like the general public and would be advised to only swim where they are comfortable and capable to swim. Wathwood MSU
I been to aquafit classes with a patient recently and accessed the water with the patient. It was more about ensuring the patient felt confident accessing the session rather than anything else, with the idea of the patient eventually going on his own. Clifton House, LSU (1)
I would have thought that a lot of that is down to life guards in the pool. We assess generic risk as we would on general community access, and leave is agreed through MDT. Individual patients just need to demonstrate that they will comply with the usual policies procedures of the venue along with general members of the public, or they are whistled out of the pool. I often have a conversation prior to gain people’s previous experience/expectations etc. Also for a first session I book ‘’open to all’’ with the ability to swim widths, get a feel for the water rather than a laned session so if ability is questioned then they do not need to go out of their depth. All based on each individual. Clifton House, LSU (2)