Watch Around Water
Watch Around Water supports responsible adults to keep children safe in and around the water.
Watch Around Water was developed by Aquatics & Recreation Victoria, Life Saving Victoria and the Play it Safe by the Water campaign. It ensures every child is adequately supervised while visiting public aquatic facilities.
The Watch Around Water policy applies to all our pools.
What is the Watch Around Water policy?
Children under 5
- Must be accompanied into the centre and the water by a responsible adult over the age of 16.
- Must stay within arm’s reach at all times.
- Each responsible adult must not supervise more than 2 children under 5.
- Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff.
- When children are under supervision of a teacher (e.g. swimming lessons), a responsible adult 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.
- The child must wear a pink wristband to indicate age. The responsible adult must also wear a wristband(s) to indicate the children they are supervising.
Children under 10
- Must be accompanied into the centre by a responsible adult over the age of 16.
- Must be constantly and actively supervised.
- Responsible adults must position themselves to have a clear view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between them and the child/children.
- Responsible adults must not be distracted from actively supervising their children.
- It is strongly recommended that responsible adults accompany the child into the water and remain within arms reach when swimming in our main pools (water 1m or deeper).
- Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff.
- When children are under supervision of a teacher (e.g. swimming lessons), responsible adults must observe the child for the duration of the lesson, ready to collect them at the conclusion of the structured learning.
- The child must wear a yellow wristband to indicate age. The responsible adults must also wear a wristband(s) to indicate the children they are supervising.
Children 10 and over
- Responsible adults must use their knowledge of an individual child's swimming ability and general development to determine the level of accompaniment required.
- It is recommended that children 10 and over not be left at the pool unsupervised.
- If a Lifeguard is concerned for the child’s safety, they will be removed from the water.
Responsible adults
- Responsible adults must not supervise a total of more than 4 children under the age of 10 and no more than 2 children under the age of 5.
- When ‘within arm’s reach’ conditions exist, responsible adults must enter the water with their child and be ready to rescue their own child should they come into difficulty.
- When ‘constant and active supervision’ conditions exist, responsible adults must maintain the ability to provide immediate assistance should their child come into difficulty.
Supervision during structured learning and swimming lessons
- For recreational swimming on either side of the lesson, the full Watch Around Water Policy applies. Responsible adults must accompany children under 5 into the water if the child is swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson. Children under 10 must be actively supervised by the responsible adult if swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson. At no point will there be an exception or exclusion that applies to children swimming recreationally.
- When responsible adults have multiple children participating in multiple lessons, it is recognised that it is not always practicable to supervise all of those children during the lesson time if their lessons are occurring in different pool spaces. Therefore, responsible adults should aim to split their time between lessons ensuring regular check-in with Swim Instructors.
- Responsible adults should refrain from distractions such as phones, other recreational activities and/or should not leave the centre. Should the child or Swim Instructors require the responsible adults assistance, Swim Instructor staff should be able to locate and gain their attention.
Your child, your focus.
Watch Around Water
Watch Around Water supports responsible adults to keep children safe in and around the water.
Watch Around Water was developed by Aquatics & Recreation Victoria, Life Saving Victoria and the Play it Safe by the Water campaign. It ensures every child is adequately supervised while visiting public aquatic facilities.
The Watch Around Water policy applies to all our pools.
What is the Watch Around Water policy?
Children under 5
- Must be accompanied into the centre and the water by a responsible adult over the age of 16.
- Must stay within arm’s reach at all times.
- Each responsible adult must not supervise more than 2 children under 5.
- Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff.
- When children are under supervision of a teacher (e.g. swimming lessons), a responsible adult 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.
- The child must wear a pink wristband to indicate age. The responsible adult must also wear a wristband(s) to indicate the children they are supervising.
Children under 10
- Must be accompanied into the centre by a responsible adult over the age of 16.
- Must be constantly and actively supervised.
- Responsible adults must position themselves to have a clear view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between them and the child/children.
- Responsible adults must not be distracted from actively supervising their children.
- It is strongly recommended that responsible adults accompany the child into the water and remain within arms reach when swimming in our main pools (water 1m or deeper).
- Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff.
- When children are under supervision of a teacher (e.g. swimming lessons), responsible adults must observe the child for the duration of the lesson, ready to collect them at the conclusion of the structured learning.
- The child must wear a yellow wristband to indicate age. The responsible adults must also wear a wristband(s) to indicate the children they are supervising.
Children 10 and over
- Responsible adults must use their knowledge of an individual child's swimming ability and general development to determine the level of accompaniment required.
- It is recommended that children 10 and over not be left at the pool unsupervised.
- If a Lifeguard is concerned for the child’s safety, they will be removed from the water.
Responsible adults
- Responsible adults must not supervise a total of more than 4 children under the age of 10 and no more than 2 children under the age of 5.
- When ‘within arm’s reach’ conditions exist, responsible adults must enter the water with their child and be ready to rescue their own child should they come into difficulty.
- When ‘constant and active supervision’ conditions exist, responsible adults must maintain the ability to provide immediate assistance should their child come into difficulty.
Supervision during structured learning and swimming lessons
- For recreational swimming on either side of the lesson, the full Watch Around Water Policy applies. Responsible adults must accompany children under 5 into the water if the child is swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson. Children under 10 must be actively supervised by the responsible adult if swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson. At no point will there be an exception or exclusion that applies to children swimming recreationally.
- When responsible adults have multiple children participating in multiple lessons, it is recognised that it is not always practicable to supervise all of those children during the lesson time if their lessons are occurring in different pool spaces. Therefore, responsible adults should aim to split their time between lessons ensuring regular check-in with Swim Instructors.
- Responsible adults should refrain from distractions such as phones, other recreational activities and/or should not leave the centre. Should the child or Swim Instructors require the responsible adults assistance, Swim Instructor staff should be able to locate and gain their attention.
Your child, your focus.
