For the safeguarding of children Splish n Splash Swim School follow Swim Englands’ WavePower Policy. Please use the link below to access the full document. If you have any questions then Splish n Splash’s Safeguarding office is Andy Down, and is contactable via the website contact us page.
View Wavepower Child Safeguarding for Clubs
Our experience shows that incidents of sexual assault and the taking of indecent images still occurs in changing rooms.
It is imperative all Members of the Organisation, including employees, volunteers, and responsible adults of swimmers attending lessons understand the individually harmful and legal consequences of a person being sexually assaulted, or having indecent images of them taken. Such behaviour is illegal and will not be tolerated in any form.
Swim England has been asked by many clubs to clearly state what responsibility the club has for young members under 18 years in changing rooms before, during and after training or an event or competition. Under the duty of care to safeguard children, the club has a responsibility for the wellbeing of children in the changing rooms. This does not mean that parents have no responsibility, when children are swimming and training, to exercise their duty of care. For this reason, clubs must be clear to parents under what circumstances they require parents to remain at the pool throughout a session. For example, with young children who require assistance with changing, or for those children with a disability who may require additional help that the club is unable to provide.
The changing facilities at our venues are split into male and female changing rooms. During our hire period no other members of the public should be using any of the changing facilities.
• All personal belongings are left at members own risk. Please ensure anything left in the changing rooms are placed in neat piles, to leave as much room as possible available for others to change.
• No responsibility is accepted by Splish n Splash Swim school or the school for the loss of any
personal possessions left unattended during a session.
• Parents should make their swimmers aware of the type of changing room in use, i.e.,
separate for male and female and that they must respect the privacy of others when using the facilities.
• Swimmers are to follow the code of conduct in the changing rooms at all times.
• Parents should not be in the changing room whilst swimmers are changing, unless
their child is aged 8 or under or requires additional specific assistance. In such
circumstances only one parent should accompany the child and the parent or carer should be of the same gender as the child and should only be in the changing room to assist the child changing. If this is not possible, the changing room of the adults gender should be used to change. It is advised that you wait on poolside for 5 minutes to allow some of the other children to change so the changing room is less busy.
Alternative changing options
Take children home in a robe/ towel and change at home.
Cheam Fields – Use the toilet cubicle in the corridor
Perseid Lower – Use the middle room off the pool hall.
Grand Avenue – Use the toilet off poolside.
Once a child has changed and has gone on to poolside the parent or carer should leave the changing room.
• In addition, Swim England do not advise adults to supervise changing facilities as that
place them and the children at risk of allegations of improper behaviour. However, if
appropriate an adult may wait outside of the doors for the changing room to allow
children to call for assistance.
• Mobile phones and devices should not be used under any circumstances in a
changing room area during Swim England regulated activity. All use of mobile
devices in a changing room must be reported to the Welfare Officer and venue.
In the event that you need to cancel your lessons during a term you will be entitled to a refund based on the following.
• Your request to cancel your lessons must be put in writing to info.splishnsplash@gmail.com. Your cancellation notice period will be from the date of this email.
• You will be entitled to a refund for all outstanding lessons, less 3 lessons (i.e. if you had 7 lessons remaining after the date of your email, you would receive a refund for 4 lessons (7 less your 3-lesson notice period)).
If Splish n Splash have to cancel a lesson, we will endeavour to contact you via the main contact details from your booking form (please make sure these details are kept up to date). A catch-up lesson will be offered if possible but if this is not possible a credit will be placed against next term’s fees. If a refund would be preferred, please confirm this via email and send through your bank details so this can be processed.
If you are not able to attend a lesson you will not be eligible for a credit or refund of that lesson. If Splish n Splash are able to offer a catch-up lesson during the same term we will, but this will only be if a suitable space is available.
Photography, filming or videoing, including selfies, are strictly prohibited at all times in the changing rooms and toilets On poolside this can only be done with prior permission of the swimming instructors. Phones/ devises should remain in pockets/ bags whilst in the changing rooms, toilets and on poolside. Responsible adults are asked to ensure that phones, tablets or other recording devises are not used , or visible for themselves or their children when in the pool hall. Instructors may interpret this as an attempt to film children in the pool and will ask you to stop. To avoid confusion, if you need to look at your phone during the lessons, instead of watching your child, please leave the poolside and attend to your business away from the poolhall, toilets and changing rooms. We encourage adults to use this time to enjoy seeing their child(ren) develop their swimming skills and have some “gadget free time”.
Splish n Splash Swim school holds the name, address and contact information on its members and the responsible adults listed on the booking form for these members. The swim school also holds medical information and swimming assessment data. This information is used solely for the business of the school as a teaching organisation and is not shared with any third party. Any additional use of the information held would require written permission of the member. We will only contact you regarding affairs to do with swimming (such as pool closure, enrolments, newsletters, class times, promotion of intensive course or future classes, payment reminders or to discuss a child’s progress). If a child leaves the swim program all hard copies of information is destroyed and will need to be completed again should they return to the program.
We never use your information for marketing purposes or share with third parties.
Splish n Splash Swim school are committed to providing a environment in which everyone who participates in our activities has a safe and positive experience and are protected from harm, regardless of ability, age, gender, religion or disability.
Splish n Splash have a duty of care to safeguarding children and adults whether participating in our activities, coaching, observing or assisting. To ensure this we have in place safeguarding measures to minimise the likelihood of “foreseeable harm” arising.
To achieve this Splish n Splash Swim school will do the following;
– Adopt and implement the most up to date version of Swim England’s WavePower policy. This policy is reviewed by Swim England annually and our guidance will be amended accordingly.
To view the policy, click here. Please also read Splish n Splash’s terms of conditions for specific measures in place to help create a safe, secure environment.
– For all adults working for Splish n Splash, we carry out Safer recruitment checks in line with Swim England guidance, require an up to date Enhanced DBS, and ongoing training to cover safeguarding, Prevent and access to current training CPD to ensure best practice is implemented into all our lessons. Splish n Splash Swim school is committed to ensuring that teaching staff and participants are treated with respect and understanding so that they may participate in any activity without fear of intimidation. Any behaviour that undermines this is unacceptable.
– Ensure that the individuals who work with children provide a positive, safe and enjoyable experience for children.
– Have a Welfare officer to be the first point of contact for any concerns raised within the premises during our lessons, in a confidential manner and in a way that adheres to Swim England’s WavePower policy. Contact details are listed below.
Welfare Officers
Louise L
Andy D
Welfare Officers can be contacted on our dedicated email
All contact will be dealt with confidentially and taken seriously.
Other contacts
Swim England – SwimLine – 0808 1004001
NSPCC – 0808 8005000
ChildLine – 0800 1111