Swimming lessons - not allowed to stay

[Swimmum78]

My kids have swimming lessons with a private provider. The swim company use a small swimming pool of a private gym. It’s only 1 lesson at a time with 1 teacher. No life guard or other staff in the pool. It’s not a great pool, there’s no viewing area so I spend my afternoon hanging around a changing room while 1st child goes in, comes out gets changed then second child goes in. There is a gap in between the lessons.

The swim company have today sent a text and email stating that the gym have said parents cannot stay in the changing room during the lesson and we have to wait in reception, which is a walk through the gym.

Aibu to think it’s not appropriate to leave young children (ages 4 & 7) with only 1 teacher? If either of them need me, there’s no way the teacher could let me know. The 4 year old regularly has an ill timed poo for starters despite me taking her to the loo just before the lesson!!

I’m amazed this is allowed. The 3/4 year old class for like has a teacher in the pool and there are 3 lifeguards on duty. One for the teaching pool and two for the main pool. For the littlies, you have to remain in view in the gallery in case a child needs the loo or has an issue. The lifeguard then takes them to the parent (has happened to me twice). There would clearly be a safety issue if any of the children hurt themselves but for that age group toileting issues are going to be quite common as well. It just seems a crazy set-up really.

Key word is franchise op they are operating under a brand using their name but they sound independently run if theres only one person are they affiliated with the gym? I would be interested to see who the franchise is tbh if I was you I would be contacting them directly and express you're concerns over their operating procedures and wanting to know what their safe guarding, health and safety policies, staff ratio policy are not to mention risk assessments.

Blimey. My friend isn’t allowed to take her twins into our local pool by herself, and they have a lifeguard on duty.

But the instructor is allowed 3/4 with no back up?

Most odd

I've just written a safeguarding policy (for a different activity to swimming) for preschoolers. It's an incredibly long and involved document relating to different guidance. How is he guarding himself against allegations of abuse, let alone, as pp have said, dealing with an injury but looking after the other children? Have you seen the safeguarding policy? Is it being followed or is it just something they've copied or something given to them when they buy the franchise? Because it's not one-size fits all, every setting and activity needs to make sure their policies are appropriate for them.

And if it's the gym preventing them from following their own policy and procedures then the gym shouldn't be hiring the pool to this guy.

I haven’t indicated anywhere that this is an independently run setup with only 1 person. The teacher does not own the franchise. He just works for the swim company. The gym do not hire the pool to the teacher. They hire it to the swim company who provide lessons there. The day I attend is this teacher. Another day it would be another teacher so the safeguarding policies should be set by the company. The communications re waiting in reception etc have come from the head office of the swim company NOT the teacher.

Out of interest what company us it? The owner of the person running the franchise is at fault but so is the teacher they are putting themselves at risk and the children in their care. I would refuse to teach under those circumstances I wouldn't be insuranced if something went wrong for a start.

My eight year old has been swimming with a large company that rents pool space for years.

He is in a class with just three others and, on a couple of occasions, the lifeguard has been suddenly ill and they have subsequently cancelled the lessons (we get refunded). Parents are not allowed poolside unless a child is distressed however there is a great viewing gallery 1 metre from the pool where all the parents watch.

I would not be at all happy with your classes set up. It screams red flags.

Can you swap with the other poster whose swimming teacher wants to empower her and the other parents not to use their phones during the lesson?

It’s swimtime. Just checked on the sta website and it states.

It is an STA requirement that:

When swimming lessons are in progress, there must always be at least one person on duty on the poolside who is competent to respond. This can be the teacher provided they possess appropriate lifesaving competencies, which include rescue skills, CPR, and relevant aspects of the PSOP; this
can be achieved by holding a current STA lifesaving or Lifeguard qualification. A swimming teacher in the water has an extremely limited view of the water and the learners. They should only teach in the
water where there is suitable and sufficient cover on the poolside to watch the class as determined by the individual pools risk assessment.

So it looks like from a safety Point of view as long as the teacher is poolside they do not require more than 1 person on duty. However the sta safeguarding policy goes on to state

Good Practice in the Care of Children
You can reduce situations for the abuse of children and help to protect staff and volunteers by promoting good practice. The following are more specific examples of care which should be taken when working within a swimming context.

• Always be publicly open when working with children. Avoid situations where a teacher/coach and individual swimmers are completely unobsserved.

I will be taking this up with swimtime.

Looking up swim time they offer the option for people to run their business using their franchise model doesnt always mean the best business practice. Listen to your gut something is telling you this set up isnt right majority have told you they wouldn't be comfortable with it. I wouldn't and I would be want a full refund on the rest of the lessons.

Well I'm glad they have a safeguarding policy but the blatant disregard for it is shocking!

While on the phone also ask them to confirm their policy on whether the staff are DBS (police) checked. This should not be optional

They also talk about first aid qualifications.... good. Also ask how often they are required to go on a refresher course. It should be max 2 years

PrayingandHoping that wasn’t swimtimes policy that was from the STA website. I will be contacting swimtime today to ask for their policy and why the set up at this pool doesn’t meet the sta standard.

Does swim time claim to meet sta standards?

Please still also ask re dbs, first aid refreshers as well as the safeguarding concerns

Sounds dodgy to me. Anyone can set up a franchise. You talk of their "head office". For all you know that could be in my back bedroom.

I'd move them. Don't your council run swimming lessons?

I can’t find anything on their website regarding safeguarding. They don’t claim anywhere to meet sta but their md has come from sta. it does say on their website all teachers must be dbs checked and have a lifesaving qualification.

Yes my local council run lessons but for various reasons we weren’t happy with them either. Dd1 attended those for 3 years.

Why is there any difference to you between being in changing room or reception ,as presumably you cannot see the pool from either. I wonder if there has been an accident or theft from changing room. Not sure why you would choose to pay privately for lessons in an environment you are uncomfortable with.

Anyone can be part of a ‘franchise’ it just means working under the brand name- you could actually not have a clue what you are doing, as long as you pay into the franchise no one gives too hoots.

When I had swimming lessons it was one teacher to about 6-8 kids. But the parents were in the viewing aisle watching so they erent alone. I wouldn't like it op