Parents asked to respond to survey on swimming lessons being reinstated
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Aberdeenshire Council has been working hard to establish a swimming lesson programme which can operate safely in the current environment since Live Life Aberdeenshire was unfortunately forced to close its facilities and suspend the Learn to Swim (LTS) programme at the start of lockdown in March.
Though many of the swimming pools have now been able to reopen in line with the easing of lockdown restrictions, they are operating at reduced capacity with reduced staffing levels and in a limited way to ensure the safety of customers and staff.
A spokesman for the Swim Aberdeenshire Team explained: "It is against this background that we are developing a new, temporary programme which can accommodate as many of our swimming lesson customers as possible, though we appreciate that some may not be ready to make a return to lessons at this point.
"We have compiled a survey to assess customer demand and attitudes towards returning to a temporary lesson programme.
"We’d be very grateful if you could give your views, which will be used to inform the developing programme and to ensure we provide a service which accommodates demand as far as possible."
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He continued: "Given the current restrictions on how we can operate, it is not possible to simply resume the Learn to Swim programme which ran pre-Covid-19, so a new temporary programme will be developed to run while restrictions apply, adhering to the most current lockdown guidelines and with the backing of Scottish Swimming.
"This may mean a different approach in some areas – for example, instructors will not be able to enter the pool with participants in pre-school lessons to maintain physical distancing, with parents instead permitted to provide personal support to their child in the water, with the instructor on poolside.
"Lesson capacity will also be restricted, dependent on the capacity of the delivering facility.
"There are also likely to be restrictions on spectating and the use of changing, toilet and showering facilities.
"The full Learn to Swim programme which operated prior to lockdown remains suspended until further notice and customers will be moved to an appropriate/ relevant class as required or they will stay in their same space, level, day and time from March 2020 when the full programme can restart.
"Participation in the new temporary programme will not affect that.
"Swim Aberdeenshire memberships also remain frozen until the full LTS programme resumes.
"Payment for a new temporary lesson programme will be on a Pay as You Go Basis, and where payments have previously been made these will be honoured whatever stage you decide to return at
The closing date for responses is October 15.
