Watch Around Water
As a partner of Life Saving Victoria and member of the Platinum Pool Program, La Trobe Swim School is an advocate of Watch Around Water (WAW).
WAW is a campaign educating the public about active supervision and encourages parents/guardians to take on the responsibility of this role whilst visiting aquatic facilities.
The campaign is to reduce the number of fatal and non-fatal drowning incidents and associated injuries in public aquatic facilities in Victoria within the 0 – 4 year age group.
When visiting our facilities, parents/guardians will be expected to follow the below. At times, Lifeguards or Duty Managers may check in with you, politely asking you to put your device away, and play your part in actively supervising your child/ren.
Children Under 5 Years – supervision during and after lessons
- Must be accompanied into the centre and the water by a responsible parent/guardian over the age of 16.
- The child must wear a pink wristband to indicate age. The parent/guardian must also wear a wristband to indicate the children they are supervising (including during lessons).
- Must always stay within arm’s reach meaning parents/guardians must physically enter the water with children i.e. cannot be sitting on the edge of the pool with feet in the water. This can largely be attributed the inherent risk associated with the depth of our pool.
- When children are in swim lessons a parent/guardian may not be required to be in the water with the child. However, they must observe the child for the duration of the lesson, ready to collect them at the conclusion of the structured learning.
- Each parent/guardian must not supervise more than 2 children under 5. Unsupervised children may be removed from the water by staff.
Children Under 10 years - supervision during and after lessons
- Must be accompanied into the centre by a responsible parent/guardian over the age of 16.
- The child must wear a yellow wristband to indicate age. The parent/guardian must also wear a wristband to indicate the children they are supervising (including during lessons)
- Must be constantly and actively supervised.
- Parents/guardians must position themselves to have a clear view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between them and the child/children.
- It is strongly recommended that parents/guardians accompany the child into the water and remain within arms’ reach when swimming in our main pools (water 1m or deeper).
- Unsupervised children may be removed from the water by staff.
- When children are under supervision of a teacher (e.g. swimming lessons), parents/guardians must observe the child for the duration of the lesson, ready to collect them at the conclusion of the structured learning.