Disabled girl can't use pool

Thirteen-year-old Faith Scott has been in a wheelchair since birth after she was diagnosed with hydrocephalus – a condition in which there is excess fluid in the brain.

Her weekly swimming sessions are the only exercise she gets.

However, the teenager has been unable to use Peebles Swimming Pool following the installation of a new hoist at the Borders Sport and Leisure-run facility.

And now she is forced to go to a pool in Perth instead.

Faith’s mum Wendy told the Peeblesshire News: “Before this happened, I took my daughter swimming every week. Now I have to drive two hours to Perth pool and back but can only manage this once a month if I’m lucky.

“This was one of the only activities my daughter could actually do and the only exercise she gets.

“We can’t take her to the cinema, or bowling, or out for meals because she gets very unsettled and so this was one of the only things that we can do that makes her happy.

“Faith used to enjoy the hydrotherapy pool located at Borders General Hospital but the facility shut in 2013.”

Faith previously looked forward to her weekly swimming sessions in Peebles. 

She was transferred to a special chair in the changing rooms which was wheeled out to the pool, and then attached to a metal bar on the poolside which swivelled round and lowered her into the water.

However, with the new set up, she is faced with the impossible task of moving herself from the wheelchair onto the new hoist fitted at the poolside.

Wendy explained: “This requires the person to get out of their chair, side step, which they can’t do, and sit on this seat. Most wheelchair users don’t have this ability in their legs. The person they’re with would have to try and lift them. In slippery conditions this makes the whole thing very dangerous. Peebles High School even carried out a risk assessment carried and deemed the it unsafe for pupils and for staff.”

Faith is part of a programme at Peebles High where where she is encouraged to use local facilities on the two days she is home from the additional needs school she attends in Lanark. 

“Part of this programme is swimming but she hasn’t been able to do this at Peebles for four months,” Wendy continued. “I don’t have a clue why they changed it in the first place. The chair they had before worked perfectly.

“Apparently the bar was an obstruction to the lifeguards so they had to change it. I don’t understand because the bar can be removed and put away when not in use. This is what they do at Perth.”

And Faith isn’t the only one affected by the change at Peebles. Wendy revealed she also witnessed a woman struggle to climb into the purpose-built hoist for half an hour before giving up and having to leave.

She has repeatedly raised her concerns with pool bosses at BSLT but, six months later, she claims nothing has been done.

Turning to the Peeblesshire News for help, Wendy said: “I am just unspeakably annoyed that no one is responding to this ongoing problem that affects so many people. The school have told me they have loads of kids that they can’t take swimming anymore because of this.

“I have brought this up with the swimming pool and with Borders Sport and Leisure but no one is getting back to me. Borders Council says it’s all about inclusion inclusion inclusion and then they go and do this.

“Enough is enough. I am tired of being ignored.”

BSLT confirmed it was aware of the problems in Peebles.

A spokesperson said: “While meeting all of the relevant safety standards and being effective for many of the pool’s users, we are aware that this new design is not suitable for all of our customers.

“We are constantly looking at ways to increase access to our facilities, including the recent installation of graduated steps at Peebles swimming pool, however we do understand that this option isn’t suitable for all.

“A teacher visited earlier this week with a pupil to assess the possibility of using the steps but unfortunately this isn’t going to be an option.

“Unfortunately, due to continued funding cuts, we do not currently have the funding required to purchase an additional hoist, which would cost between £6,000 and £10,000.”