We've taken the all guess work out for our members with access to LinkedIn professional Learning for this month's top picks and hand-picked courses in 3 key areas: Health & Well-Being Inclusion Leadership Health & Well-Being Manager as Multipliers of Well-Being: In our Industry we spend a great deal of time working as part of a team. Often, we spend more time with our colleagues than we do our own family and friends. This course taps into the critical role that managers can play in create a positive environment for your team’s mental wellbeing. (5) Managers hold the key to promoting well-being (linkedin.com) Course length: 38 minutes Well-Being in the workplace: Never has it been more important to keep on top of our mental health. This course will provide practical tips for alleviating anxiety, worry, stress and other common mental health issues. Find the tools to avoid burnout and increase happiness and combat those negative thoughts. (5) The path to a happy career (linkedin.com) Course length: 23 minutes Staying positive in the face of negativity: Even the most resilient people can get weighed down when we are faced with continuous negativity. This can be attributed to both circumstantial moments in our loves – such as the current lockdown, or it can be caused by those around us in our workplace such as negative criticism, or a difficult customer. This course will provide you with some tools to maintain positive strength when it feels like you just can't catch a break. (5) Build skills and habits to foster positivity (linkedin.com) Course length: 56 minutes Developing your Emotional intelligence An employee’s emotional intelligence can often be the difference between getting that promotion and not – regardless of your qualifications. This course will explain the fundamental of emotional intelligence and why it’s so important in the workplace. Learning outcomes include Shifting perspective, empathising, playing to strengths, and collecting feedback. (5) What are the benefits of emotional intelligence? (linkedin.com) Course length: 60 minutes Inclusion Royal Life Saving Cultural Competence Course This a free online course to provide an overview of the broad range of cultures we have that make up our community in Australia. The course will help provide a better understanding of appropriate behaviours and understandings of various cultural backgrounds to better equip our workforce of being more culturally aware and inclusive. To book yourself, or your team in, contact our Cultural Engagement Coordinator Lauren Battaglia laurenbattaglia@royalnsw.com.au Course length 3 hours Diversity, inclusion and belonging: Our industry not only employs people from all cultures and backgrounds, but our customers that enter our facilities every day come rom diverse backgrounds, cultures, genders and races. This course will explore the diversity, inclusion and belonging approach and how to apply this to your workplace. Learning outcomes will include tools on hiring and retaining diverse talent. (5) DIBs: An introduction (linkedin.com) Course length: 47 minutes Communicating and Culturally sensitive issues: Discussions about cultural differences can be uncomfortable. It is hard to know if you’re communicating in a way that may be considered appropriate or offensive. This course will provide a better understanding of how to handle these tricky conversations and how to commit to dialogue, rather than debate. (5) Welcome (linkedin.com) Course length: 55 minutes Unconscious Bias: As humans we all possess bias. Our experience in life shape who we are and how we see other. This course will help you recognise your own bias and how to overcome making decisions without bias. The course will not only look at how to overcome your own personal bias, but how you can adopt these strategies to your organisation. (5) Welcome (linkedin.com) Course Length: 23 minutes Leadership How to be an Effective Remote Manager Managing a team can be a challenge at the best of time, but in a remote environment over extended period can be even more challenging. This course will explore the opportunities for managers to help your team thrive. The course will run through a range of strategies and tools to ensure you get the best out of your team, whilst avoiding some of the classic missteps. (5) Making the switch (linkedin.com) Course Length: 69 minutes Supporting your teams as offices reopen We’ve done this before but what happens when we get to return to work after this lockdown? Your team members will all approach this opportunity with different and mixed emotions depending on their individual circumstances. This course will provide some useful tips to assist navigating your employees into a supportive work environment whilst addressing your own needs as a manager. (5) Supporting your team as offices re-open (linkedin.com) Course Length: 35 minutes How to give Negative Feedback to Senior Colleagues We are all faced with moments when we might not agree with something out manager has said or done but might be too scared to speak up. This course will provide some useful tools and strategies on how to approach these situations in a manner that can be constructive and well-received, and ultimately improve your work relationships. (5) Practical advice for giving feedback to your boss (linkedin.com) Course Length: 19 minutes Tech-based Learning PowerPoint: Eight Easy Ways to make you Presentation Stand Out Do you get nervous at the idea of delivering a presentation or the idea of creating a PowerPoint? This course will give you eight easy tools to make your presentations stand out from the rest and give you the confidence to deliver a more professional product. (5) Eight presentation principles (linkedin.com) Course length: 36 minutes

Sunday 25th July marked the very first World Drowning Prevention Day and countries all over the globe united to raise awareness, asking their citizens "What will you do to end Drowning?". Find out more about how you can help prevent drowning>

Royal Life Saving has a great history of conducting lifesaving and water safety activity in regional NSW. This tradition will now expand to the establishment of a full-time training and development officer to be based in Tamworth, who will guide and oversee our operations in the North West of the state. The role is a diverse one and one that requires experience and knowledge of water safety education, trends in vocational training, as well as being passionate and current with industry trends within the aquatic sector. Gary Johnson is a name many people will recognise and we are excited to announce that Gary will head up our operations within this area and he ticks off on all the requirements for the role. If you haven’t met Gary at a conference, over a webinar, or at one of our training courses please read on as Gary has experienced a wonderful, colourful and fulfilling life based around aquatics. Q&A with Gary Johnson: Welcome to Royal Life Saving Gary! We’ve designed some random questions that we thought our readers would enjoy. Do you remember your first experience at a RLS course? Yep, I was in year 4 (1980) when I did my Intermediate Award at Sutherland Swim Centre. To us, the dizzy heights of a Bronze Medallion were the pinnacle. Then I did my first PLG Course at the Gunnedah Pool in 1997 with probably the worst trainer I’ve ever met. A rookie named Jason Phillips. I remember a young Gary Johnson attending his first Trainer workshop in Grafton in 1998. You haven’t put on one extra kilo – what’s the secret to staying fit and healthy? I’m one of those lucky people who got a good dose of the skinny gene. If you could invite 3 people to a dinner party (alive or dead) who would they be? The Attenbro, my convict ancestor James Johnson and Derryn Brown. From your 30 + years of volunteering and working within the aquatic industry what are the Pox (not the best aspect) and Rox (highlights) of your career? The worse was not seeing a kid in time to successfully resuscitate him. Ironically, if that hadn’t happened, I’d never have asked myself the questions that lead me to learn so much. Highlights… there’s nothing like presenting internationally and the friendships you develop from that. Dr Tom Griffiths was my unicorn… my ultimate hero. I could hardly speak when I first met him. Now we’re drinking buddies. Love the guy. You are a passionate volunteer for your local community and in particular your role with the RFS. What are some aspects of volunteering that can assist your professional career? Understanding the complexities of decision making within the constraints of minimal time and serious consequences. The importance of reassuring people. The importance of having strategies to manage critical incident stress. As a committed Conference attendee and speaker, your cupboard at home would be full of conference satchels and pens. How does your lovely wife Vanessa, put up with all the freebies you hoard, and what is the best thing about attending a conference? I used to give all my freebies to my kids. They’d think it was Christmas. Lanyards… I’ve kept the lanyards. The best thing is usually the locations. How good’s a beach side resort? Do you remember your first conference as a Speaker and how did you over come the usual nerves of presenting to the room? I definitely remember it. You can’t be too prepared. Feel the fear and do it anyway. A schooner beforehand doesn’t hurt either. Your presentations are known for their ability to engage, motivate and inspire people in the room and I’m sure you get plenty of emails and messages of support. Who is one of the people that have inspired you as a presenter? I saw Bruce Sullivan present at an ARI conference and thought… I wanna be like that. An energetic, motivated speaker who doesn’t use notes and makes excellent use of pauses. Peter Baines was another speaker that had a big impact on me. Dr Justin Sempsrott is another speaker that I’ll go and watch every opportunity I get. These guys are the masters of toeing the line between presenting and performing without us really noticing. Long after people have forgotten what you said, they’ll remember how you made them feel. You’ve presented and worked in various countries such as New Zealand, the US and the UK. What is one highlight from your time spent abroad?You know how the guy at the party with the accent gets all the attention of the girls in the room? Well, you can be that guy. You’ve got the accent and the time difference means you can party all night. Particularly in the US where I found they love Australians. I could literally walk into a bar and by the time I’d opened my mouth and ordered a beer, people would want to talk to me. You live on the outskirts of the bustling village of Bendemeer on a beautiful property approx. 30 mins from Tamworth. Pox and Rox of living in Bendemeer? My family and the bush ground me. It’s fun acting like the rockstar, but I need to be Gary Johnson. It’s what my soul needs to allow me to do the things I do. Covid lock down on a farm is heaven. The worst part… mobile data for internet access can be painful. No Netflix for us. I’ve seen your fashion sense outside of Council and RLS attire and it’s a little outside of the normal business shirt and slacks. Have you always been passionate for tie died shirts, rock star jeans and Willy Wonker jackets? Hell yeah. I hear people say you only live once. Not true. You only die once. When the occasion arises, I’m equally happy dressed like Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman or an extra in the video clip to The safety Dance. Did I mention I like to sing? For some of us the eighties just never left.

Students in year 10 interested in a career in Sports, Recreation and Aquatics but unsure about University now have a fantastic VET pathway - SIS31015 Certificate III in Aquatics and Community Recreation. This School Based Traineeship combines online learning with on-the-job training that aims to deliver valuable customer service experience, practical industry knowledge and transferable life skills. Gone are the days where a career in Aquatic was just a stop-gap job whilst finishing University or school. The Aquatics Industry is a rapidly growing, and thoroughly rewarding industry, with career opportunities available to a diverse workforce for people of all ages and backgrounds. Royal Life Saving recently profiled a few familiar faces in our industry that started out their own careers through Vocational Education and have built successful and rewarding careers. Read their stories: Scott Vanderheyden: Area Manager; Belgravia Leisure Uni isn’t for everyone – I studied I.T. and never used it a day in my life! Instead, I worked as a Casual Lifeguard for my local council pool before becoming a Duty Manager, Operations Coordinator and eventually Centre Manager at Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre. Now I oversee five different venues as an Area Manager and love the ability to impact peoples’ careers while helping them develop and learn! Throughout my time in the sport/aquatics industry I’ve learnt irreplaceable business skills, made lifelong friends, engaged with the community that I love and have had the chance to make a real positive impact on society. Louise Smalley: Royal Life Saving Society NSW; Swimming and Safety Coordinator After finishing school I worked as a Swim teacher, Pool Lifeguard, Customer Service Officer and casual Swim School Supervisor and loved every minute of it! Before undertaking further tertiary study, I was offered a full time Supervisor position and never looked back. I am now the Swimming and Water Safety Coordinator with Royal Life Saving NSW, managing large, swimming and water safety programs throughout NSW. Just as I’ve had the opportunity to work in several roles and learn many transferable skills along the way, the Cert III in Aquatics and Community Recreation is a great launching pad for a career in the sports, fitness and aquatics industry – especially with the availability of debt-free VET qualifications. Roz Neville: Manger, Willoughby Leisure Centres I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I left school, but I loved sport and being active, especially water and so it made sense to work as a Swim Teacher / Lifeguard. I was very lucky to have some great mentors along the way and after completing some VET study and industry-based training, I gained the skills, knowledge, and confidence to reach my dream job of being a Facility Manager. I have been fortunate to sit on several Industry Committees throughout my career and I am now able to give back to those working in an Industry that has given me so much. Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life! Jason Phillips: Royal Life Saving Society NSW; Regional Manager After thirty years in the Sports and Recreation industry, despite many changes and innovations, the sector remains essentially the same: we’re dedicated to supporting people’s passions and providing opportunities for everyone to safely participate in a range of aquatic and recreational activities. Nowhere is this more important than in our great regional and coastal towns of NSW that boast some of the best beaches and waterways in the world! After joining this industry as a young employee, I enjoyed fabulous on-the-job training and mentoring, built confidence and practical knowledge, and now have a huge range of friends and colleagues throughout NSW that I love visiting and working with.

Swim Brothers is a male only Swimming Program founded by Co-founders Omar and Feroz, after hearing the story of a near-drowning of a prominent leader in their community and his son whilst on a camping trip at Seven Mile beach in October 2019. As a result of this incident, Omar and Feroz launched Swim Brothers – a culturally sensitive learn to swim and ocean skills & safety program for all Men with an emphasis on those most vulnerable. On a cold wet Saturday night in June, a group of 60 men braved the weather to attend an event coordinated by Swim Brothers at Auburn Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre. Royal Life Saving NSW together with Surf Life Saving NSW, collaborated with Swim Brothers to arrange an evening to educate participants about key water safety strategies that will help them stay safe around water. The men were educated on making good decisions around water, identifying water dangers and rip currents, as well as practical demonstrations on how to provide assistance to someone in trouble. Participants also learnt some basic CPR skills and practiced putting those to good use before enjoying a BBQ and some socialising time around the pool. This initiative is a terrific example of organisations working together to educate and upskill the more vulnerable members of our community in vital water safety and lifesaving skills. For more information on the Swim Brothers program, visit their website .

In the Easter School holidays, Royal Life Saving conjunction with Maitland City Council conducted an intensive learn to swim program for children residing in the Maitland Council area from low socio-economic backgrounds who are non or weak swimmers. For many of these participants they had never had a formal swimming lesson. The intensive program saw both skills and water confidence improve daily. A number of organisations worked closely with Royal Life Saving to identify worthy families including local schools, The Smith Family, The Benevolent Society, Brighter Futures and Early Links. One notable participant of the program was a single father who was extremely grateful that his five children were given the opportunity to participate in such a worthy program. This program was conducted at Maitland Aquatic Centre and was proudly funded by Maitland City Council and Royal Life Saving NSW.

With a one-week extension of the current stay at home orders for residents within the defined ‘Greater Sydney’ area, and continued restrictions for the remainder of the State, the NSW aquatic industry is experiencing understandable pressure. The extension requires residents of Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong, and to remain at home, until midnight Friday 16th July 2021. Regional NSW residents must continue to wear masks in indoor settings, restrict the number of visitors in their homes (max 5) and maintain adequate social distancing (1 person per 4 square metres indoors and outdoors). Royal Life Saving NSW is continuing to communicate with the NSW Office of Sport seeking clarity and direction for a safe and permanent re-opening strategy for affected pools and swim schools. The NSW Government is developing a roadmap for exiting the lockdown period which will soon be made publicly available. Royal Life Saving NSW has not been unaffected by these impacts. The Royal Life Saving Aquatic Academy facilities in Seven Hills and Denistone East remain closed as do all other pools and swim schools throughout Greater Sydney. Despite the hurdles, Royal Life Saving NSW remains committed in its leadership and support for the sector. Over the last 3 months Royal Life Saving NSW has fully subsidised 600 newly trained Swim Teachers (via direct government support). Technical Operator subsidies and Pool Lifeguard subsidies are also on the way. These training incentives will be imperative for industry in future Covid-recovery phases. The National Swim and Survive program has been revitalised this year with new support resources and tools available soon to participating NSW swim schools. Royal Life Saving NSW will be engaging with industry across term 3 to showcase these opportunities and new partnership options. The NSW Government recently announced the introduction of a new pre-school swimming and water safety voucher initiative in 2022. This is welcome news for our industry and will assist with concerns of a skills drop for NSW children post-Covid. Royal Life Saving NSW will continue working closely with NSW Government on governance and industry developments around this program. Royal Life Saving NSW will deliver a series of comprehensive Industry Seminars across the state as restrictions are eased. Seminars are planned in each region, and more information will be distributed in the not-too-distant future. Royal Life Saving NSW understands that with stay-at-home orders in place, forced closure of public pools, and zero patronage/ clientele for many businesses, there are significant stresses affecting managers and employees alike. Industry leaders are encouraged to continue monitoring and sharing with their teams, the support opportunities available through State and Federal Governments. Some helpful links have been included below for convenience. The past 18 months have been challenging. Royal Life Saving NSW understands the importance of ensuring swim schools and pools are listened to and will continue communicating with Government to ensure concerns are raised and addressed. Specific questions or support requirements at this time can be directed to any of the six Royal Life Saving NSW offices across the state. Michael Ilinsky CEO Royal Life Saving NSW USEFUL LINKS Financial Support (business): https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/financial-support#:~:text=The%20Pandemic%20Leave%20Disaster%20Payment,the%20Pandemic%20Leave%20Disaster%20Payment. Financial Support (individuals) https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/financial-support-individuals-and-households NSW Government Public Health Orders: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/public-health-orders.aspx NSW Government Mental Well-Being Services: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/your-mental-wellbeing#:~:text=Mental%20wellbeing%20services%20provided%20by,of%20yourself%20or%20someone%20else.

NSW families with children aged 3 to 6 years will have access to a brand new $44 million swimming and water safety voucher initiative as part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to water safety and active participation. “We fully support the NSW Government in the roll out of this new Swimming and Water Safety voucher program. Our research shows us that across the state, only 35% of the 3-6 year age group are currently attending learn to swim lessons. Affordability has been a real barrier for a lot of families. Royal Life Saving will continue working with Government and industry to ensure that no child misses out on such vital life skills as swimming and water safety.” Michael Ilinsky, CEO of Royal Life Saving NSW said. After working closely with the NSW Government over the past 12 months on a range of water safety initiatives, Royal Life Saving NSW welcomed the announcement today from NSW Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, and NSW Minister for Sport, Natalie Ward. "Importantly, every parent should enjoy the peace of mind their child will be safe in and around the water, with the new voucher program helping to achieve this. “Ultimately this is the type of support that will not only save people money, it could help save lives” – NSW Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet. “Families across NSW will be able to use these vouchers when they enrol their children in swimming lessons, helping to ensure every NSW child has access to quality swimming and water safety education before they start school.” – NSW Minister for Sport, Natalie Ward. Royal Life Saving NSW General Manager of Drowning Prevention and Education, Craig Roberts, said the voucher program is an imperative step towards achieving the benchmarks set within National Swimming and Water Safety Framework. “The National Swimming and Water Safety Framework identifies key milestones for Australian children at ages 6, 12 and 17 years,” Mr Roberts said. “At 6 years of age, every child should be able to exit and enter the water unassisted, float and recover to stand, and perform a specified survival sequence. Without the opportunity to participate and practice these skills, the benchmarks within the framework cannot be realised, making the NSW Government’s water safety lesson voucher program an integral step to reducing drownings across the state.” Mr Ilinsky added that the expected increase in participation would also benefit local pools and swim schools with a boost for local jobs. “The aquatic recreation industry has suffered over the past couple of years with interruptions to business from bushfires and the global Covid-19 pandemic. The participation stimulus generated from the new swimming and water safety voucher program will mean more qualified Swim Teachers for our swim schools, and more professional Pool Lifeguards for our swimming pools. Royal Life Saving will continue to support industry with the provision of quality, innovative training solutions across the sector, with new professional development and specialisation courses in the pipeline.” Mr Ilinsky said. NSW families can hope to hear more about the rollout of the new swimming and water safety voucher program in coming weeks, with access to vouchers expected in early 2022. *Read NSW Government Media Release here: https://www.sport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/kids-dive-into-learn-to-swim-voucher-program

The new Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 has been launched by the Hon Mark Coulton, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government on behalf of Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Minister for Sport in conjunction with the Australian Water Safety Council (AWSC) today at Parliament House, Canberra. Each year more than 280 people die due to drowning, with many more admitted to hospital following a non-fatal drowning incident. 41% of drowning occurs in coastal environments (beaches, ocean and rocks), 36% in rivers and lakes, and 61% outside of major cities. Males drown at a rate four times that of females and one-year-old toddlers record the highest drowning rate of any age. The Australian Water Safety Strategy (AWSS) plays an essential role in National, State and Territory, and community approaches to preventing drowning and promoting safe use of the nation’s waterways and swimming pools. It outlines priority areas where Australia’s peak water safety bodies Royal Life Saving and Surf Life Saving, and AWSC Members can work together to prevent drowning on beaches, at rivers and lakes, and in swimming pools across Australia. In launching the Australian Water Safety Strategy, Justin Scarr, Convenor of the Australian Water Safety Council says, “The previous Australian Water Safety Strategy proved effective with the fatal drowning rate reducing by 26% over the last ten years and drowning in children aged 0-4 years reducing by 50%, however drowning remains unacceptably high, impacting more than 280 families each year”. Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck says there was more work to be done to ensure all Australians are safe in the water. “I applaud the Australian Water Safety Council for its commitment to reducing drowning by 50 per cent by 2030,” Minister Colbeck says. “Every drowning prevented or avoided is another family which doesn’t have to face the heartbreak of losing a loved one.” This new Australian Water Safety Strategy seeks to raise awareness about non-fatal drowning incidents, encourage communities to create local water safety plans and promote access to swimming and water safety skills for all Australians, including refugees, migrants and those living in regional areas. “Being able to swim for fun, fitness or health is a great Australian past-time and is a skill that is essential for drowning prevention. The Australian Water Safety Strategy seeks to help all Australians to learn swimming and water safety skills, irrespective of where they live” Mr Scarr Says. In addition to skills, the Australian Water Safety Strategy promotes the importance of frontline water safety services, including volunteer surf lifesavers, lifeguards, and swimming instructors. “The Strategy encourages extension of services, as well as innovative approaches such as the use of drones and emergency stations in remote locations” Mr Scarr says. “Water safety is everyone’s responsibility and the strategy outlines what water safety organisations, councils and community members can do to help. We acknowledge the long-standing support of the Federal Government in reducing drowning in Australia. We have some of the lowest drowning rates in the world but still every drowning is tragic and preventable.” The Australian Water Safety Council was formed in 1998 and provides a forum for collaboration among peak water safety organisations, conducts regular conferences, workshops and symposiums, and develops, monitors and evaluates progress of the Australian Water Safety Strategy. For more information on the Australian Water Safety Council and to download a copy of the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030, visit www.watersafety.com.au Key findings – Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 For every fatal drowning, there are three non-fatal drowning incidents Males drown at a rate 4 times that of females One-year-old toddlers record the highest drowning rate of any age Rivers and lakes account for 36% of drowning deaths Coastal environments (beaches, ocean and rock) account for 41% of drowning deaths 23% of drowning deaths occur while swimming and recreating 61% of drowning deaths occur outside of major cities Fatal drowning rate has reduced by 26% over the last ten years Child (0-4 years) fatal drowning rate has reduced by 50% over the last ten years To stay safe around water, the Australian Water Safety Council urge all Australians to: Supervise children at all times in, on and around water Learn swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills Wear a lifejacket when boating, rock fishing or paddling Swim at a patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags Avoid alcohol and drugs around water Media enquiries to Media Key on 03 9769 6488. A range of spokespeople, including Justin Scarr, Convenor of the Australian Water Safety Council will be available for comment.

Royal Life Saving research shows that 36 people drowned in public and commercial swimming pools in Australia between 2005 and 2015. The leading age group for drowning was children at 19% of fatal drownings. Among drowning deaths involving children aged 0-14 years, there was no parental or carer supervision in 78% of the cases. ​ Even more worrying is the 257 non-fatal drownings in public pools across the same period, of which 45% of drownings were children aged 0-4 years, followed by 21% of drownings being children aged 5-9 years. Key risk factors include: ​ A lack of active supervision by parents or carers of children A lack of swimming and water safety skills

Even though people often assume that the waters in and around Australia are warm, there are many places where the water is cold for a large portion of the year. The extreme effects of cold water on the body and its ability to function means there is an increased risk of drowning. Whilst swimming in winter is uncommon, other aquatic activities like boating and fishing are popular year round. Drowning is still a risk, even when victims had no intention to go in the water. Lifejackets increase the chance of survival when immersed in cold water. Lifejackets keep people afloat and help them retain heat until rescued. Accidental falls into water are, surprisingly, one of the leading causes for drowning deaths. Slippery banks, poor weather conditions and alcohol are all factors which can contribute to falls into water. Alcohol increases your chance of getting hypothermia. In cold situations, the body will attempt to draw blood away from the limbs and to the vital organs to prevent heat loss. Alcohol, however, prevents this and therefore increases the chance of hypothermia There are three phases of the body’s response to cold water immersion Phase 1 Initial immersion and cold shock response Occurs within the first 1 to 4 minutes Increase in metabolism Rapid skin cooling initiates immediate gasp response, inability to hold breath and hyperventilation Phase 2 Short term immersion and loss of performance Significant cooling of peripheral tissues, especially in the extremities, continues with most of the effects occurring over the first 30 minutes Phase 3 Long term immersion and the onset of hypothermia Continuous heat loss from the body eventually decreases core temperature Hypothermia usually only becomes a contributor to death if immersion lasts for more than 30 minutes SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES The key to cold water survival is to conserve body heat. If you find yourself unexpectedly immersed in cold water, discard only heavy garments. Clothing, particularly protective clothing, will help prevent the loss of body heat. Ordinary clothing can reduce the cooling rate by 50%. It is important to retain head covering because a large proportion of heat is lost via the head. Stay calm, rapid movement causes faster heat loss. Stay afloat on your back and hold any buoyant object if available. Adopt the ‘Heat Escape Lessening Posture (HELP) technique’ by drawing your knees to your chin, keeping your legs together, pressing both arms against your side and keeping your head out of the water. Signal for help by raising one arm above the head with an open hand, shout for help and stay calm. ASSISTING SOMEONE IN TROUBLE The key factor in a rescue is self-preservation. Always ensure safety to yourself and don’t put yourself in danger. Shout for assistance and phone emergency services on 000 Talk to them, reassure and signal to assist Try and reach them from the land by lying chest down on the ground, reach out with a solid object such as a branch, post or umbrella Throw a buoyant aid such as a lifejacket or a rescue ring DROWNING PREVENTION TIPS Be prepared – Check the weather report and monitor the conditions of the water before going out Always wear a lifejacket when boating or in a watercraft – Ensure that lifejackets are worn by all people on board, are properly fitted and regularly serviced Never go alone – Always go with someone else and inform others of your destination and when you intend to return, particularly in remote locations Avoid alcohol around water – Alcohol impairs judgement and increases risk-taking behaviour, affects coordination and reaction time, making it difficult to get out of trouble

Have you checked your teaching equipment recently? Equipment, such as kickboards, noodles, lifejackets and small toys, needs to be maintained constantly. Make sure you throw away and replace equipment that has perished, cracked or broken, or gone mouldy to keep everyone safe. Clean equipment regularly and ensure it is completely dry before storing.

When teaching back floating to a hesitant or nervous students, position yourself behind them. This helps to provide sufficient support on the shoulder blades, while maintaining eye contact and providing reassurance. It also encourages students to hold a good and relaxed floating body position with the eyes looking upwards.

Body language is very important to students and parents. A look of disinterest or boredom can easily portray negativity to your students, parents and onlookers. Parents cannot always hear what you are saying so they assess the class by what they observe. This also extends to correct terminology and appropriate language. Choose your words carefully and ensure they are appropriate and relevant to the class participants. Actions such as folding your arms, looking at the clock, looking or staring at other people, being interested in another class or activity happening elsewhere, are examples of negative body language. You should show your class attentiveness, active listening and overall interest. Smiling, actively teaching, talking to your students about the activity or skill, ensuring you are paying full attention to your students, are examples of positive body language. Positive body language contributes to a students’ engagement and learning. You are responsible for the supervision and instruction of all your participants in your class whilst they are under your Duty of Care

Australians aged 45 years and over are being encouraged to consult their doctor before enjoying the health benefits of swimming to prevent drowning deaths involving people with pre-existing conditions. ​ Royal Life Saving New South Wales (NSW) together with the NSW Government has launched a Swim Ready initiative to educate and raise awareness among people aged over 45 years about the link between the use of medication and an increased risk of drowning. Over the past 17 years, 843 people aged 45 years and over lost their lives to drowning in NSW. Of these, 55% involved people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, mental health and dementia. ​ All medication has possible side effects that can have an impact on exercise. This can put people at higher risk of drowning when participating in aquatic activities. For example, dizziness, fainting, chest pain, headaches, confusion, blurred vision and muscle pain, can all affect a person’s capacity to stay safe in water. Drowning data from 2008/09 to 2017/18 suggests that, for unintentional fatal drownings in older people, an estimated 36% were taking some form of medication or drug. Of these, 65% of drownings involved multiple drugs. “More and more Australians are enjoying the health benefits of swimming later in life. Our Swim Ready initiative highlights our commitment to encouraging active lifestyles while ensuring everyone stays safe while they are in the water.” Michael Ilinsky, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Life Saving NSW. ​ Office of Sport Acting chief executive officer Karen Jones said swimming was a fantastic activity for people of all ages but insisted everyone is Swim Ready. “I encourage everyone to swim in a safe and responsible manner, and enjoy the health benefits that it brings,” Ms Jones said. “Swimming should be done in consideration of any pre-existing health conditions that can create a drowning risk.” ​ As people age, changes occur in the way their bodies process medications, and the benefit/risk profile of a medication can change. ​ Chronic medical conditions are more common in ageing populations which means older people are more likely to be prescribed several medications. Multiple drug interactions can be complex and can increase the incidence of side effects in older individuals, which can increase the risk of drowning in this group.