Swim England releases new policy on club supervision ratios

This article was updated 7 February 2024 with updated documents at the foot of the page. 

Swim England has published a new policy regarding the supervision ratio applicable to competitions for clubs, counties and regions within aquatics.

Previously, the national governing body shared it’s supervision guidance within its team manager training and as a part of Wavepower.

As part of Swim England’s commitment to providing a safe environment for all members, a policy is being introduced to support volunteers and paid staff by giving them a clear understanding of the expectations required.

When working with groups of children and young people, it’s vital to ensure there’s enough adults to provide the appropriate level of supervision.

Staffing and supervision ratios can be difficult to determine and coaches and team managers have a responsibility to ensure that children are safe and that they can compete in a safe and enjoyable environment.

The revised policy builds on feedback from clubs with additional clarity provided over applying the ratios, the inclusion of a Teacher as part of a low-level competition and ensuring the policy reflects Wavepower.

The policy reinforces the commitment of Swim England’s Heart of Aquatics plan for 2023, which looks to ensure that there is a ‘positive culture across its sports and that the highest standards of welfare and safeguarding are in place’.

You can download the full Team Manager, Coach and Chaperone policy by clicking here.

Alongside the document, Swim England has also prepared some FAQs to help guide clubs into implementing the new policy. This FAQ document can be downloaded by clicking here.