New hydrotherapy facility improves a whole school’s wellbeing

Hydrotherapy pool

Hydrotherapy involves doing special exercises in a warm-water pool to help relieve, treat and improve different conditions. It offers tangible benefits to the health and wellbeing of children and young people with a range of disabilities and health conditions. So when Heart of the Forest Community Special School approached The Sedbury Trust about installing an in-house hydrotherapy facility, we of course jumped at the chance to benefit their pupils.

Heart of the Forest Community Special School is the only school in the Forest of Dean serving children and young people who have severe, profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex needs. The school aims to help each pupil to develop as much independence as possible, and deals with communication, relationship-building skills and practical skills. With so many young people benefiting from their care and attention, The Sedbury Trust was delighted to make a large grant towards the creation of a dedicated hydrotherapy facility for the school.

As a result, the school’s pupils can now experience a range of wellbeing benefits from hydrotherapy, such as:

  • The warmth of the water has an effect on the individual neuro-muscular junctions which results in decreased muscle tone and decreased spasticity
  • Buoyancy of the water is used to assist movement of joints, which is either more difficult or painful on dry land
  • Movement in the water and water pressure helps to reduce residual lung capacity for children and young people with chest problems, which enables more efficient lung function and reduces the risk of chest infections developing.
  • Creating turbulence around an extremity (e.g. arm or leg) can increase their awareness of the limb and help with mobility, both in the water and later on dry land
  • Multi-sensory environment helps stimulate the senses whilst calming children with sensory and learning difficulties

We’re thrilled that this facility, with the help of our funding, is benefiting a large number of children and young people in Gloucestershire.