Safeguarding

Swim Active recognises and accepts its responsibility to safeguard the Health and Welfare of Swimmers under its care by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying. It is essential that Swimmers participating in our swimming lessons can do so in a safe and secure environment.

Swim Active is committed to raising awareness of Child Protection in swimming; and takes every possible measure to ensure that swimming is a safe and secure experience for Swimmers.

To achieve this Swim Active agrees to:

Adopt Swim England Wavepower 2020-23: Child safeguarding policy and procedures – click here for further information.
Recognise that all children participating in activities regardless of their age, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation and ability have the right to enjoy their involvement in our sports in a safe environment and be protected from harm.
Appoint a Welfare Officer with the necessary skills and training as outlined in Wavepower who will take the lead in dealing with all child safeguarding matters raised within the organisation.
Ensure that the Welfare Officers name and contact details are known to all teachers, members and parents/guardians of members that are under 18.
Provide all members of the organisation and parents/guardians of members under 18 with the opportunity to raise concerns in relation to a child’s welfare in a safe and confidential manner.
Ensure that confidentiality is always maintained and in line with the best interests of the child.
Ensure all information relating to child safeguarding matters are held safely and securely.

Swim Active recognises that all those directly involved in the Swim School and its activities have a responsibility to:

Provide a safe environment for Swimmers to enjoy swimming lessons and water-based activities whilst in the care of Swim Active teachers.
Promote the Health and Welfare of its Swimmers through a relationship of mutual trust.

Take all practical steps to protect its Swimmers from physical, sexual or emotional harm by:

Recognising abuse.
Treating all suspicions and allegations of abuse seriously.
Responding in an appropriate way to children who disclose they are being abused.
Providing a structure to deal sympathetically with abuse.

Swim Active requires all teachers to be certified in Child Safeguarding and to:

Understand what child abuse means.
Recognise the signs and symptoms of each category of child abuse.
Identify the foundations of good practice in child protection.
Review their own practices to ensure that it complies with recognised codes of conduct.
Ensure that their own behaviour and conduct is always beyond reproach to prevent exposure to false allegation.
Take appropriate action if concerns are raised which suggest a child is abused.
Deal sensitively and effectively with the issue should it arise.
Identify appropriate action if abuse is suspected. Take any Swimmers’ or Parents/Guardians’ concerns seriously and deal with them confidentially.
Recognise the roles and responsibilities of other agencies/organisations.

If you would like to raise a matter with us regarding our child protection policy or any other issues regarding the wellbeing of a child under our supervision, please contact Gillian Fynn on +44 7919 342785 or by email welfare-officer@swimactive.co.uk, who is the Child Welfare Officer for Swim Active Swim School.

Date: September 2023
Written By: Swim Active
Review Date: September 2024