Swimming pool toilets

Isn’t it usually the case that the cleaner’s cupboard is in the loos? So is he going in and out for supplies or to put the mop away etc? I don’t think the Equality Act would allow you to recruit or deploy a cleaner by sex, so there wouldn’t be a way to guarantee a female cleaner, though of course a sign to say a male attendant might be inside would be good practice.

But if you sense something more going on, you can of course raise it with management and see what they say.

Would you be upset if the police contacted you and said they found a video and he is likely up in court for trading images?

What’s the cleaner “cleaning” that necessitates him being around the changing area so much?

If the toilets can only be reached by accessing the female only space it should not be used or accessed by any male person while the area is in opperation (and in an ideal world ever).

So no
The staff/manager should not be allowing a male cleaner access because that creates a safeguarding hole

• for the staff member as you already are looking at him and rightly asking why is he there and why is he been given access to young children and women.

• for young children and women because sex offenders dont come with handy lables but they to tend to seek out jobs which may give them access to a victim.

Safeguarding recognises that women can also sex offend so nobody is a "safe" person.

But keeping a female space a female (and young children) spaces leaves every woman and child exposed to the same risk profile.

The management should look at the staffing arrangements and at a minimum invest in one of the cleaning in progress signs.

And if he is going in so often I would question why the users are leaving the toilets in such a poor state as to require 5 or 10 min inspections

It's a bit confusing - so the changing rooms themselves are mixed cubicles, like a changing village, given you were there with your son? But there's only one toilet within the changing rooms which is marked female. In that case where do the males go when they need to use the loo?

YANBU in that the toilet should have a sign up saying "a cleaner of either sex might be present" or similar.

However YABU to suggest that a cleaner shouldn't be going in and out of a toilet! Regardless of how large the leisure centre is I doubt they have multiple cleaning staff available at all times!

As pps have said, what is he going to get the opportunity to see/do when someone is in a locked toilet cubicle that he isn't at equal or higher potential of being able to see walking through the changing room to get to the toilet?

If you were paying enough attention to keep track of how often he went in and out, how come you didn't notice whether anyone else came in or left?

Perhaps people were in there which was why he had to leave and come back - because he can't clean a cubicle if someone is in it!

Making judgements on how he looks is very U as well.

So one cubicle male and one female? With a male attendant for both as they are in the same space?

I don’t think a male attendant is unreasonable in that situation but it should be signposted so parents are aware.

in the kindest way OP, do you have a history of abuse which is contributing to your feelings of unease?

As a mother of a young girl who go’s swimming a lot.. this wouldn’t be something I would think about. Like how is the make cleaner gonna act or see anything different in the toilet to in the (i assume) unisex changing room?

The title of this thread sounds like it could be the title of Ed Sheeran’s latest single

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

your post isn’t clear though. There is one cubicle for females? Is that right? But no space for a parent to wait outside? Can it be locked?

the cleaner going in - was this after a person had been in each time?

They may not be able to have a female cleaner at that time. I suppose it depends on shifts etc but it should definitely be clear there may be a male attendant imo. And signs through the changing room if he’s in there too.

id definitely be raising it OP.