AIBU to question school swimming changing room supervision and safeguarding?

[NotMyPiggy]

My child is in Y3. They go swimming every week and ask for parent volunteers to accompany them to walk there. I have recently found out that on days when they struggle for a volunteer or staff, there has just been one Mum on her own accompanying the whole changing room of girls getting changed. This Mum hasn't been DBS checked (I suspect, because none of us are asked to be when we take a turn).
I am asking whether this is usual from a safeguarding perspective?

A parent, unless an employee of the school should never be alone with a single child, nevermind children who are dressing. I used to do some coaching, so I had a DBS, even then in a changing room where children were only changing one top for another no one was ever allowed to be the lone adult, it was also two adults at all times.

I’m not a precious parent at all, but in this scenario our children wouldn’t be going swimming with school.

It isn't just unusual, it's illegal

Not unreasonable

The parents for this activity should be checked. Where are the school staff?

Not ok at all. Definitely raise.

Not quite your question, but school should do a list 99 (Children's Barred List) check at minimum on any accompanying adults.

Our school has parents helping with the walking to and from the school, but we don't go in the changing room. The pool is small so children go across in groups of 8-10, and the parents shuttle then back and forth, the teacher and TA stay in the pool to supervise changing

As a teacher, when I've been swimming with school, it has been the teacher / TA that has supervised, not parents. What you have described is not OK. Where is the teacher in all of this?

In the scenarios I have mentioned, the staff attending have been male and have (presumably) accompanied the boys. The only adult female was a parent (no female staff) and she was the only adult in the girls' changing room.

This is not ok! All people having unsupervised access to children MUST be DBS checked!! Even as DBS checked staff with full trust in each other we only change children in pairs to safeguard all involved!

Is it an open plan changing room or are the girls going into cubicles? Our school had open plan, with 8 poolside cubicles, so no adults could go in at all. Why is anyone going in, they are old enough to change themselves.

I feel a bit sorry for this mum, I'm sure she'd rather there were more volunteers, it doesn't sound as dodgy as someone (usually a man) orchestrating a situation to be alone with kids. So don't escalate it in a way that she is in trouble, focus on the school policy.

Every volunteer has to be DBS checked to even walk children to the pool.

You need to urgently raise (whistleblow) this.

Adults shouldn’t be on their own
and even worse when children are changing
and even more worse when not DBS/PVG checked

No adult that hasn't been DBS cleared should be alone with children. At any point.
I've been a primary teacher for 25 years and obviously have DBS clearance (Advanced level).
Every time I go to a new school (I work some supply) it is strict protocol that my DBS is seen and proof of identity documents vertified before I am given a clearance lanyard (the colour immediately shows I have clearance).
Without this I would not be allowed to teach.
If I was, for example, attending an interview, I would be with another member of staff at all times and my lanyard would be a different colour (not cleared).
To further add, I now sometimes tutor in homes. It is strict policy that, even though I have Advanced DBS clearance, another adult over the age of 18 must be present during the tuition at all times. Parents have not been happy with this on occasion, questioning why as I am cleared. It is to safeguard both myself and the child.
I support every one of these regulations.

First reply is correct! Shouldn’t be in changing room unless DBS checked, just been through it with our yr4’s.

As a DSL in a primary school - absolutely not. This is a huge safeguarding failure.

OP doesn't know that she hasn't been dbs checked. She only 'suspects' it.

So don't escalate it in a way that she is in trouble,

Why would the parent be in trouble? The situation is not of her making.

@HelenaWilson My suggestion is that OP politely enquires with the school to check if this lady is indeed DBS checked. She has every right to ask.

When I've done helped with DD's school swimming lessons, the parents at there to supervise getting on and off the coaches etc but we wait outside whilst the children and teachers go into the changing rooms

It's perfectly reasonable to ask whether a volunteer in those circumstances has a current DBS. You may be unaware that some people do have current certificates registered with the Update Service due to current or past employment.

Of course, this means that no girls will be able to go swimming anymore whilst the boys continue to do so if that is not the case - unless the staffing levels make it impossible and therefore all swimming is cancelled for everybody.

A little surprised that a Primary School has zero female staff when it's so unbalanced in favour of women as a sector, but if that's the case, they'll have no choice but to cancel the lessons.

I am friends with one of the mums who has been in this situation and she told me she is not DBS checked and was surprised about being alone. My child then told me it has happened before with another Mum. I don't know whether the other Mum is DBS checked. I do know that in my line of work with children, but not in Education, I am not allowed to be alone with a child.

@NotMyPiggy You need to ask the school, not rely on the word of another mum.

I would ask the school what the supervision arrangements are, and whether all adults are DBS checked.

If this is true and she was asked to be alone with the children in the changing room, she should have point blank refused.

School DSL here, this is unacceptable and would never be allowed in any of the schools I've worked in.

It's for parent volunteers to accompany children on trips or excursions with no DBS checks completed BUT they should be accompanied by a member of school staff at all times. They should never be interacting with children unsupervised, let alone in a scenario where children are changing.

Not only is this placing children at risk, it also puts the parent in a vulnerable position.

I would email the school FAO the DSL and HT (if the HT isn't also DSL) to raise concerns about this and ask them to clarify supervision arrangements for swimming. I would also have a look at what it says about visitors/volunteers in the school safeguarding policy, which should be published on the school website.