The leisure industry and lifeguarding are inclusive, with a distinctive career path achievable for most with dedication, appropriate support, and the correct mentoring.

In this blog post, we look at Dyslexia and how RLSS UK Trainer Assessors (TAs) can support candidates in the training room and when completing assessments.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a neurological difference that can significantly impact education, the workplace, and everyday life. It is classed as a disability and, therefore, comes under the Equality Act 2010.

It is important to remember that Dyslexia's impact on a person's life varies from individual to individual. Still, it can present people with daily reading, writing, and information-processing challenges.

In 2024, British Dyslexia Association (BDA) statistics stated that 10% of the UK population are estimated to be dyslexic, which equates to 6.9 million people (3.3 million of the UK adult workforce – many are undiagnosed) and that 80% leave school without a diagnosis.

RLSS UK Reasonable Adjustments for Dyslexia

RLSS UK is passionate about ensuring its qualifications are inclusive for everyone, no matter their background. Gaining a qualification provides life skills and enhances confidence and mental well-being.

In some specific circumstances, reasonable adjustments can be made to the delivery or assessment of RLSS UK Qualifications to ensure that a candidate isn't disadvantaged in achieving the qualification. For Dyslexia, evidence of the disability needs to be provided, and then reasonable adjustment suggestions should be provided; they should be applied before the course commences.

There are four guiding principles that we have to adhere to when we grant reasonable adjustments; the adjustments should:

• Not invalidate the assessment requirements of the qualification
• Not give the candidate an unfair advantage
• Reflect the candidate's usual way of working
• Be based on the individual needs of the candidate

Once the adjustments have been agreed, when they are implemented during the assessment, they must ensure that:

• They do not impact any other candidate
• Will only provide the intended candidate with the necessary assistance without giving them an unfair advantage over others
• The ATC/Ps are clear about the extent to which the candidate is affected by the disability or difficulty.

Around 7% of RLSS UK qualifications awarded in 2023 involved reasonable adjustments to reflect the individual candidate's need.

The most common reasonable adjustment in an assessment for a candidate with Dyslexia is having up to 25% extra time and/or using a reader.

95% of candidates who had reasonable adjustments made said the changes completely or mostly met their needs. We regularly review reasonable adjustment requests to help develop the NPLQ and actively remove barriers to make it more inclusive.

Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy 

Strategies to Support Candidates

Many individuals with Dyslexia will have strategies for coping with their specific challenges. Still, there are many ways RLSS UK TAs can deliver training and prepare for the assessment to support candidates.

Break the course content down – teach each individual component of the course and then dedicate some time to ensuring the candidate(s) fully understands the learning objectives and skills before moving on to further course content.

Be encouraging and supportive. Ensure you provide positive feedback, check in regularly with the candidate, and are clear with constructive comments.

Make the course content interactive. Multi-sensory resources such as flashcards, videos, and objects can help dyslexic individuals learn the content. The RLSS UK candidate resources include a range of resources.

Encourage questions – allowing the candidates to ask questions at any point can prevent anxiety.

Think visual! Providing the timetable in colour can help clarify what topic is being taught and when.

Having content – giving examples and expanding on scenarios helps to understand what is being taught.

Encourage them to use a laptop (if they prefer). If a candidate finds writing notes and information on a computer more manageable, this is perfectly acceptable within the course regulations.

Preparing for the Assessment

Visit the exam room before the assessment. Ensure that the candidate(s) are aware of the exam environment's location, access, and layout before the exam day.

Provide any sample exam examples – reviewing and completing old exam papers prepares candidate(s) for what they expect to see on the day.   

Ensure the candidate is aware of reasonable adjustments being made for them. Before the assessment starts, ensure that the candidate(s) are clear on how their specific adjustments are applied, especially compared to other candidates. Typical adjustments could be 25% additional time added or a scribe to write down their answers.

Becoming a RLSS UK Trainer Assessor

RLSS UK support isn't limited to any specific qualifications. Hence, as a candidate progresses through their career, the same reasonable adjustments can still be provided, providing the process in the RLSS UK Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration Policy is followed and applied for in writing. 

However, here are some strategies for supporting Probationary Trainer Assessors (PTA) as they prepare to deliver their first course.

Practice delivering the course content—Practice, practice, practice! Ensuring the PTA is familiar with the content is good advice for any PTA. Still, it is especially important for individuals who struggle to read and comprehend the content quickly.

Prompts—The candidate may find it easier to have visual references to remind them of the content. These could be cue cards that break down the main points and discourage the individual from just reading from the PowerPoint presentation.

Adapt the content/slides to their needs—The PowerPoint presentations for RLSS UK TAs are written to accommodate a range of teaching styles, but if changing the slides would help you, they can be adapted, however they must continue to meet the requirements of the qualification specification.

Allow for flexibility in delivering the course—By ensuring that there isn't a room/pool booking immediately after the course, the course can run over the allocated time and reduce potential concerns created by having to deliver the content within a designated time period.

For further information or support or to discuss anything with the RLSS UK team, please get in touch with the Customer Services Team at 0300 323 0096 or [email protected].

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RLSS UK Qualifications

 

*Source: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia/about-dyslexia