50 days in Education

Introduction

May 20, 2022

Today marks my first 50 days as Head of Education, and I have been overwhelmed by the support received from our tutors; clubs and facilities; coaches and teachers.

I am particularly grateful to everyone who responded to the CPD and Licensing review survey and those who further engaged with the recent focus group meetings. We have captured a huge amount of feedback and suggestions, some of which we have already implemented, and many others are a work in progress. You can read a more detailed update further on.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce the Education team and to highlight some of the actions we have taken to provide additional learning opportunities and improve current offerings.

Finally, the Education and Clubs & Community teams are inviting clubs to join us for an education planning session. We are hosting sessions for each region and welcome head coaches and club committees to participate (booking link).

The purpose of this meeting is to develop an annual calendar for Swim Ireland courses and CPD. We also want to support clubs with completing a training needs analysis and budgeting. Clubs who have received education support funding through the Swim Ireland Resilience funding will find this workshop particularly helpful.

Aisling McKeever

Course information

May 20, 2022

We now deliver all teaching and coaching courses in three steps, enabling learners to engage at their own pace, in an affordable and time efficient manner. Each step must be completed before moving on to the next one.

When deciding to gain a Swim Ireland qualification it's helpful to know the steps involved and how long the process will take.

Check out our useful Qualification Timeline

The Education team and our tutor workforce are working hard to deliver course practical’s over summer 2022, aiming to offer as many opportunities as possible to individual’s seeking to complete their qualification. We are regularly publishing new course dates, anyone awaiting a course practical receives an email update when a new course becomes available, and these courses are also featured in our weekly ‘news in brief’.

More information on our Events & Courses page

CPD and Licensing Review

May 20, 2022

The CPD and Licensing survey was open for three weeks in March, with 523 responses from a wide range of coaches and teachers. 129 survey participants opted to participate in focus groups which have just recently finished.

Download copy of CPD and Licensing Survey Summary

As we continue to work through the CPD and licensing review we have begun to implement suggestions received and are delighted to share a range of new CPD opportunities now available to Swim Ireland coaches and teachers:

The Concussion Breakdown is an e-Learning CPD available at a discounted rate of €20 (RRP €25) for Swim Ireland members. This CPD is ideal for Water Polo coaches and others who coach athletes at risk of concussion.

Autism in Sport is delivered by CARA and is a three-hour virtual workshop is designed to provide participants with an understanding of Autism, recognise and understand key areas of consideration, and to look at strategies of support to include people with autism within their coaching sessions. (21 June @ 18:30)

Disability Inclusion Training is a virtual workshop delivered by CARA to provide participants with the knowledge, skills, and ideas on how to adapt and modify your sport, physical activity, or physical education sessions to make them more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. (21 June @ 10:00)

Little Lámh for Sport is an introductory virtual workshop for those supporting Lámh users taking part in aquatics activities. It’s a 2 ½ hour online workshop and includes course materials. (23 June @ 18:30 & 21 July @10:00)

Vision Sport Awareness Training is a 1-hour virtual workshop designed to educate coaches, volunteers and teachers on vision impairment and how small adaptations to sport and physical activity sessions can make a huge difference to the experience of the participant with a vision impairment. (various dates and times available)

Anti-doping CPD is an e-Learning course intended for level 2 and 3 coaches who will be responsible for supporting athletes through training and competitions, covering national and international standards.

Recognition of External CPD - we recognise that there are a wide range of formal and informal CPD opportunities available to Swim Ireland tutors, coaches, and teachers (more information). You can apply to seek recognition of external CPD’s.

• A review fee of €10 will apply for CPD valued at 1-2 points.
• A review fee of €20 will apply for CPD valued at 3-6 points.

CPD Exemption - from time to time individuals may face challenges that impact their ability to attend/ engage with Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

If you are unable to engage with CPD for a prolonged period, the Swim Ireland Education team may consider a reduced requirement or exemption for CPD points for a period of one year. No more than two applications will be considered in a five-year period.

Applications will be treated in strictest confidence and can be submitted directly to the Head of Education aislingmckeever@swimireland.ie (more information).