Refurbishment Bulletin /
Keeping swimmers safe
A number of users have raised concerns about the safety of children and other swimmers in the changing area of the refurbished William Penn Leisure Centre, particularly following a recent attack on a 13-year old girl at a pool in Birkenhead.
In designing the proposed layout, the design team have taken advice from Sport England and other professional bodies. Of course it is impossible to entirely design out risk from any public space, and unfortunately it appears from press reports that the attack in Birkenhead could have occurred in any design of changing area. Nevertheless the leisure industry will want to learn any lessons that may arise from this incident.
We have also consulted the NSPCC’s Child Protection In Sport Unit, who have made suggestions on how best to manage our changing area which have been incorporated within the design. Security measures in the new changing area will include:
- Lockable private cubicles, including double and family sized cubicles
- Single-sex changing rooms (available to the public except during schools lessons *)
- Upgraded CCTV supervision of the entrance to the changing area(but not within the changing area itself)
- The shared (pre cleanse) showers will be in constant view of lifeguards
- Regular patrols by staff through the private changing area, at least every half hour. This cannot be guaranteed in the current single-sex only changing rooms, and will also improve cleaning and maintenance.
- Child protection training and criminal record checks for all pool staff (as at present)
- Panic alarms
- Notices advertising the centre’s child protection policy, and how to raise any concerns
* Hertfordshire County Council are reviewing their requirements for school swimming, and have advised us that they anticipate requiring that:
Children will change in separate “school changing areas” as it is not desirable for members of the public to share changing provision with school pupils. Pool operators should be asked, wherever possible, to make arrangements for separate areas or times to enable this to happen.
A recent NSPCC study of child abuse within swimming (In At The Deep End, NSPCC 2002) found that out of 74 cases of abuse studied, all but two were committed by adults known to, or in a position of authority over the child. It also found no evidence that swimming was more likely to attract potential abusers than other sporting or leisure activities.
The protection of children and other swimmers is the very highest priority for Three Rivers District Council and Hertsmere Leisure, who manage William Penn on the Council’s behalf. Unfortunately professional advice and experience suggest that risk cannot be entirely designed out. The best protection which we can give all our users is regular supervision and vigilance.
Patrick Martin
Leisure Performance & Contracts Manager