SCOPE

This section of the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (GSPO) provides practical guidance for owners or operators of aquatic facilities in relation to measures needed to protect children and young people from abuse and/or related harm as a result of participation and/or attendance:

• In an aquatic facility
• In programs and/or services delivered by an aquatic facility or at an aquatic facility
• In programs and/or services delivered by a third party organisation in association with an aquatic facility
• In formal aquatic programs and/or services delivered by a person or organisation outside of an aquatic facility

This GSPO applies to all Hotels, Motels, Camping and Caravan Grounds, Commercial and Public Aquatic Facilities and Learn to Swim Schools, and Body Corporate who own or manage an aquatic facility for the purpose of swimming or recreating such as a pool or waterslide. It may be used for public waterways such as Rivers, Creeks and Streams.

This GSPO has been developed by Royal Life Saving Society Australia under the guidance of the National Aquatic Industry Committee and include key information for adoption by the Commonwealth, State and Territory and Local Governments and owners or operators of facilities or locations with aquatic environments.

This GSPO has sought to address all of the 10 National Child Safe Principles and the 11^th standard from the Victorian legislation, that providers of services to children are to comply with.

In this GSPO, the following terms are used:

• must – indicates a legal requirement that businesses must comply with
• should – indicates a recommendation
• may – indicates a choice
• can – indicates a possibility or a capability

‘Children and / or young person’ has been used in this guideline to define persons up to the age of majority.

In Australia this is the age of eighteen.

LIMITATIONS

The content of the GSPO is general in nature only and do not constitute professional or legal advice. You and your organisation should seek your own legal advice in relation to any legal or professional matter that you or your organisation may have.

GUIDELINE CONTENT

RLSSA ACCEPTANCE AND RELEASE NOTICE

This document is a managed document. For identification of amendments, each document contains an issue date, number and a page number. Changes will only be issued as a complete replacement document. Recipients should remove superseded versions from circulation.

Authorisation:

Amendments in this release:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The production of this section of the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations has been made possible by the contributions by the following organisations:

• Aligned Leisure
• Aquatic Recreation Institute (ARI NSW)
• Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV)
• Australian Council for Swimming and Water Safety Teachers (AUSTSWIM)
• Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA)
• Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA)
• Belgravia Leisure
• BlueFit
• City of Greater Geelong
• City of Norwood
• Fair Work Ombudsman
• Leisure Institute of Western Australia Aquatics (LIWA)
• Leisure Management Excellence
• Moreton Bay Regional Council
• Royal Life Saving Australia and its State/Territory Member Organisations
• Stevens Vuaran Lawyers
• Sunshine Coast Council
• Swimming Pool and Spa Association Australia
• Swimming Australia
• The Y

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

In the spirit of reconciliation, Royal Life Saving Society Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continued connection to land, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; Elders past, present and emerging.