If you do have any welfare concerns, or just questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our welfare officers - either: Mike Dixon or Lisa Moore at: [email protected]
Responsibility for swimmers aged under 18 during Exmouth Swimming Club sessions at LED Exmouth
The health, safety and welfare of all our swimmers is the top priority in everything we do at Exmouth Swimming Club. For our younger swimmers this is achieved in partnership with the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer. We therefore wanted to clarify all aspects of when the club is responsible for a swimmer and the role expected from the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer.
The Club’s default position is that, except when the child has been registered by the coaching team poolside and is in the pool or immediately poolside during their session, the responsibility for a child’s health, safety and welfare remains with the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer.
The club recognises that across the swimming sections there is a spectrum of ages and that the parent/guardian/designated carer will want to make their own decisions on how they meet their own responsibility, so we try to be as flexible as possible in what we require across the different club squads. These are outlined below:
Learn to swim: A child’s parent/guardian/designated carer is required to be with the child at all times, and to be on poolside throughout the session.
Junior & Youth Squads: Although the ideal remains that the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer is present on site, in a viewing area, throughout, it is recognised that they may not want to be present during the training session itself. It is important to remember that whatever personal decision you make, as soon as your child finishes their lesson, they will be released poolside on the assumption a parent/guardian/designated carer is present, or arrangements have been made. No formal handover will occur.
Your child should be made aware that if they ever do not find their designated parent/guardian/carer present once they are released from poolside, they need to immediately inform the coaching team.
There is an emergency contact available (see below) to alert the coaching team if a child needs to be held back due to unavoidable circumstances. However, this is for an emergency scenario only.
We also recognise that for older children in these squads, the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer may delegate responsibility for travel to and from, and to attend the session, to their child. Again, this is a decision for the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer, but in making that decision, it is important to recognise that the club is only responsible for the child between registering them poolside for the session until they leave poolside at the end of the session.
Competitions away from LED Exmouth
The arrangements for these may differ from those outlined above, but still may require children to be accompanied. Full details will be given as part of the invitation to participate in any particular event.
Participants emergency contact details:
It is essential that we have a parent/guardian/designated carer’s emergency contact details for all swimmers. Please ensure you have provided these to the club and that you keep them up to date. You can check the details that we hold for you through the Sports Engine website that is used for your billing. If there are any updates required, please email: [email protected]
Should you have any general questions for the club about the above, or other aspects of health, safety and welfare at the club for children or adults, please contact: [email protected]
To contact the welfare team direct: [email protected]
Poolside Emergency Contact:
To get a message to the poolside coaching team in an emergency, please phone the LED Exmouth Leisure Centre Switchboard and ask that a message is immediately passed to the club coaching team poolside. Telephone: 01395 266381
We take the wellbeing, safety and happiness of all our community very seriously at Exmouth Swimming Club and follow Swim England guidance and policies.
Useful information:
Below are some useful websites related to swimming, safeguarding and welfare:
Responsibility for swimmers aged under 18 during Exmouth Swimming Club sessions at LED Exmouth
The health, safety and welfare of all our swimmers is the top priority in everything we do at Exmouth Swimming Club. For our younger swimmers this is achieved in partnership with the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer. We therefore wanted to clarify all aspects of when the club is responsible for a swimmer and the role expected from the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer.
The Club’s default position is that, except when the child has been registered by the coaching team poolside and is in the pool or immediately poolside during their session, the responsibility for a child’s health, safety and welfare remains with the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer.
The club recognises that across the swimming sections there is a spectrum of ages and that the parent/guardian/designated carer will want to make their own decisions on how they meet their own responsibility, so we try to be as flexible as possible in what we require across the different club squads. These are outlined below:
Learn to swim: A child’s parent/guardian/designated carer is required to be with the child at all times, and to be on poolside throughout the session.
Junior & Youth Squads: Although the ideal remains that the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer is present on site, in a viewing area, throughout, it is recognised that they may not want to be present during the training session itself. It is important to remember that whatever personal decision you make, as soon as your child finishes their lesson, they will be released poolside on the assumption a parent/guardian/designated carer is present, or arrangements have been made. No formal handover will occur.
Your child should be made aware that if they ever do not find their designated parent/guardian/carer present once they are released from poolside, they need to immediately inform the coaching team.
There is an emergency contact available (see below) to alert the coaching team if a child needs to be held back due to unavoidable circumstances. However, this is for an emergency scenario only.
We also recognise that for older children in these squads, the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer may delegate responsibility for travel to and from, and to attend the session, to their child. Again, this is a decision for the child’s parent/guardian/designated carer, but in making that decision, it is important to recognise that the club is only responsible for the child between registering them poolside for the session until they leave poolside at the end of the session.
Competitions away from LED Exmouth
The arrangements for these may differ from those outlined above, but still may require children to be accompanied. Full details will be given as part of the invitation to participate in any particular event.
Participants emergency contact details:
It is essential that we have a parent/guardian/designated carer’s emergency contact details for all swimmers. Please ensure you have provided these to the club and that you keep them up to date. You can check the details that we hold for you through the Sports Engine website that is used for your billing. If there are any updates required, please email: [email protected]
Should you have any general questions for the club about the above, or other aspects of health, safety and welfare at the club for children or adults, please contact: [email protected]
To contact the welfare team direct: [email protected]
Poolside Emergency Contact:
To get a message to the poolside coaching team in an emergency, please phone the LED Exmouth Leisure Centre Switchboard and ask that a message is immediately passed to the club coaching team poolside. Telephone: 01395 266381
We take the wellbeing, safety and happiness of all our community very seriously at Exmouth Swimming Club and follow Swim England guidance and policies.
Useful information:
Below are some useful websites related to swimming, safeguarding and welfare:
- Kidscape - have a helpline and downloadable leaflets on what to do if your child is being bullied. The ASA have formed a relationship with Kidscape and can when required refer swimmers who have been bullied to attend the WIZ course in London. www.kidscape.org.uk
- NSPCC - Help for adults Worried about a child? Call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000.
- Childline - Help for children and teenagers. Need advice or just want to talk? Call ChildLine 0800 1111. Calls are free and confidential.
- Wavepower - Child Safeguarding for Swim England Clubs www.swimming.org/swimengland/wavepower-child-safeguarding-for-clubs/
