Safety Training Awards (STA) has launched a new online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme designed to help swimming teachers deliver guided aquatic movement sessions for adults, older people and individuals living with long-term health conditions, disabilities or age-related mobility challenges.

Developed in collaboration with swimming teacher Ann Lindley, the STA Guided Aquatic Movement Sessions CPD provides practical guidance on adapting swimming skills and water-based movement to meet individual participant needs, enabling teachers to deliver safe, inclusive and engaging sessions that support health, wellbeing and social connection.

As well as helping more people enjoy the benefits of being active in water, the programme encourages swimming teachers to broaden their skills, diversify their teaching and develop new opportunities within the aquatic sector.

Helen Done, Qualifications and Business Development Manager at STA, said: “Swimming teachers already have an incredible range of skills and experience. This CPD demonstrates how those skills can be adapted to support adults and individuals with a wide range of physical, neurological, mental health and age-related challenges through enjoyable, participant-led aquatic movement sessions.

“It’s an opportunity for teachers to continue developing professionally while helping leisure facilities offer activities that bring communities together, promote healthier lifestyles and enable more people to experience the physical, mental and social benefits of being active in water.”

The programme has been developed with Ann Lindley, whose passion for aquatic movement was inspired by her mother’s diagnosis of Cerebellar Ataxia. Seeing how movement in water helped improve her mother’s confidence, mobility and wellbeing led Ann to work alongside healthcare professionals to explore how water-based activities could support people after formal rehabilitation had ended.

With the support of Eckington Active in North East Derbyshire, Ann established inclusive community aquatic movement sessions for people living with long-term health conditions, disabilities and age-related mobility challenges. Following their success, the programme has expanded into a second leisure facility, helping even more people enjoy the benefits of moving in water.

Ann Lindley said: “Water has an incredible ability to make the impossible feel possible. I’ve seen first-hand the difference it can make to people’s confidence, independence and overall wellbeing.

“My hope is that this CPD will inspire more swimming teachers to use their knowledge and creativity to develop inclusive aquatic movement sessions within their own communities, ensuring more people can enjoy the physical, emotional and social benefits that water has to offer.”

The self-paced online programme takes approximately four hours to complete and explores a wide range of topics, including inclusive teaching, participant-centred approaches, adaptations for individual needs, adult teaching strategies, health and wellbeing, essential movement and swimming skills, and the safe, effective delivery of aquatic movement sessions. It also covers evidence-based practice, legal responsibilities and opportunities for further professional development.

Designed primarily for swimming teachers, the programme is also suitable for aquacise instructors, whose existing knowledge of water-based movement provides a strong foundation for the course.

There is no formal assessment. Learners complete a declaration confirming they have read and understood the course content before receiving one STA CPD point and a downloadable certificate of completion. The programme does not expire, allowing learners to revisit the content whenever they wish.

By equipping more swimming teachers to deliver guided aquatic movement sessions, STA hopes the programme will encourage greater participation in aquatic activity, help people stay active and connected within their communities, and demonstrate the valuable role swimming teachers can play in supporting lifelong health and wellbeing.

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