Sharing inclusive practice was the game of the day at the Local Authority Professional Officers Group Meeting last week. SDS with 85 professional officers from 30 local authority areas joined together to hear how partners had embedded inclusive practice throughout school and community sport.
Dougie Millen, Lead Manager from sportscotland set the scene for the day by explaining the importance of embedding inclusion within practice and the importance of engaging participants with disabilities in physical activity and sport as they have the lowest representation in sport and have been impacted the most by the pandemic.
The SDS Performance Manager then gave an overview of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games and highlighted the performances of some of the 33 Scottish Para athletes competing in the games before an overview of Return to Sport was presented by regional manager Lynn Allison.
The morning was rounded off by the SDS Regional Team facilitating sessions on a new Inclusive Club Resource being developed and “Having the Conversation” with participants with disabilities.
Particular thanks go to Fiona Donald Swim IT, Brian Pahlmann and Ruth Watson Aberdeen AAC, Chris Cleary and Jill Coleman, Renfrewshire and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively who presented in the afternoon sessions providing an overview of and Inclusive Mainstream Clubs and Inclusive Leadership Programmes.
A managers discussion group discussed how the gathering of local data and how it can be used to inform planning. Thanks to Lori Ure (Live Argyll) and James Fenna (Dundee Leisure and Culture) for delivering presentations on their practice.
Gavin Macleod SDS CEO said “We were delighted to see the large numbers in attendance at the recent Local Authority Professional Officers Group Meeting. This demonstrates the significant commitment to equality and inclusion at a local level and the role that SDS continues to play in embedding inclusion for participants with disabilities within strategic planning and operational delivery.”
The date for the next meeting is Tuesday 1 February 2022. If you are a professional officer or manager and would like to join the network, please contact admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com or telephone 0131 317 1130.
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