AP2 - Swimming and Water Safety Teachers

Purpose

To outline the requirements for those employed as swimming and water safety teachers

Initial Training and Qualifications

Refer to TQ2 - SWIMMING AND WATER SAFETY TEACHERS | Royal Life Saving Society - Australia

Health and Fitness Assessments

A Swimming and water safety teacher should be in good health and physical fitness for the specific duties they are required to undertake in their role.

The owners or operator of aquatic facility and their employees, such as Swimming and water safety teachers, have a Duty of Care to the aquatic users. Part of this Duty of Care extends to the health of a Swimming and water safety teachers and their ability to perform aquatic rescues.

Swimming and water safety teachers employed at an aquatic facility are responsible for managing their health & wellbeing and to inform facility management should their ability to perform their duties become compromised.

The owner or operator of aquatic facility is responsible for ensuring that on an annual basis or following an injury that a Swimming and water safety teacher is able to and is managing their health & wellbeing.

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure that as a result of a health assessment or self-declaration medical questionnaire a Swimming and water safety teacher is categorised using the following assessment categories:

• Category 1 – Fit Unrestricted
• Category 2 – Fit with restrictions
• Category 3 – Unfit pending further assessment
• Category 4 – Permanently Unfit

If a Swimming and water safety teacher falls into category 3 or 4, the employment of the Swimming and water safety teacher should cease or not commence until further assessment is undertaken or further medical evidence is provided.

Reassessment should be after a 30 day period

Swimming and water safety teachers should notify employers in writing of any deterioration of their health that occurs during their employment and after a medical assessment.

Induction

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure that all Swimming and water safety teachers receive an in-depth induction to working at the aquatic facility prior to commencing operational duties as a swimming and water safety teacher.

A record of the completion of the induction should be signed by both the employee and employer and kept for the duration of employment of the Swimming and water safety teachers within a Staff Profile (or similar).

A Swimming and water safety teacher Induction should include at a minimum the following steps:

1. Orientation to the physical layout of the Aquatic Facility including the location, use and maintenance of any plant / equipment relevant to their role
2. An induction into the employment policies and procedures of the organisation
3. An induction into the Operations Manual and any associated equipment, procedures or locations including supervision
4. An induction into the Emergency Plan and any associated equipment, procedures or locations
5. An induction to the team they will be working with

Currency Training and Professional Development

Swimming and water safety teachers should undertake regular professional development to maintain currency in areas of safety and swim teaching methodology.

It is recommended that Swimming and water safety teachers practice their skills throughout the year, either formally or informally due to the professional nature of the qualification.

Swimming and water safety teachers working at a seasonal pool should participate in a facility specific in-service training session at the aquatic facility they are employed at just prior to the start of the season and one at least every three months thereafter until the close of the season.

All other Swimming and water safety teachers should participate in a minimum of four organised training sessions per year to ensure currency of necessary skills and competencies. These can include program specific curriculum competencies and assessments, stroke progression and development, open water topics, personal development such as communication, teaching strategies etc.

Currency and professional development sessions should be varied and cover all aspects of the role of Swimming and water safety teachers and may include but are not limited to:

1. Teaching methodologies
2. Swimming and water safety programs
3. Practice of initiative assessment of and response to simulated incidents
4. Resuscitation
5. Aquatic rescue techniques

It is recommended that training sessions regularly include practical water work.

Annual Skills Assessment

In line with the Assessment Guidelines of the SISSS00132 - Swimming and Water Safety Teacher skill set and the Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, Swimming and water safety teachers are required to demonstrate an up to date knowledge and skill under assessment conditions of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

This annual skills assessment should be delivered and assessed by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in line with the assessment criteria of the competency.

Training Log

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should ensure that a record of all training and professional development sessions is maintained at the place of employment. Note that records must be accessible onsite at the facility.

Records should include the following details:

• Date of training session
• Person instructing/leading the session
• Those attending
• Content of the training session
• Comments on employees unable to complete aspects of the training

Swimming and water safety teachers are recommended to maintain a personal log book recording all induction and in-service training undertaken. This may include additional professional development training provided by organisations other than their employer.

Licencing

All Swimming and water safety teachers should be licenced no more than every 3 years by process of verification of skills assessment and ongoing professional development.

Licencing of Swimming and water safety teachers should include but not be limited to:

• Requiring and citing evidence of training and assessment including CPR and basic water rescue techniques
• Requiring evidence of on-going professional development in both water safety and teaching techniques
• Requiring an assessment that the swimming and water safety teacher remains a fit and proper person to fulfil their duties

Licencing Schemes

Organisations permitted to issue licences for Swimming and Water Safety Teachers in Australia must:

• Require the citing of evidence of training and assessment activities
• Require skills assessments in line with this guidelines
• Require regular training and assessment in basic water rescue skills
• Require evidence of sufficient ongoing professional development
• Require working with children checks
• Have specific mechanisms to engage industry in all decision making in relation to its governance structure and program development of Swimming and Water Safety Programs
• Support the implementation of the National Swimming and Water Safety Framework for its programs
• Verify and provide information upon request, as to whether an individual holds a current and valid licence, except where the law requires such information not to be disclosed
• Maintain documented procedures for the suspension, withdrawal or reduced scope of a licence and any subsequent appeals or complaints

References

• Australian Resuscitation Council Guideline 9.1.1, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training
• Practice Note 15 Water Safety, 2005, Department of Local Government, NSW
• Service Skills Australia, www.serviceskills.com.au
• Standards for State and Territory Registering/Course Accrediting Bodies, 2005, Australian National Training Authority
• AUSTSWIM Standards for Teachers of Swimming and Water Safety, 2011, Australian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety (AUSTSWIM).

Previous Versions

• Guideline PR1 Standard of Swimming Teacher Education, Issue 2, July 1996
• Guideline LTS1 Standard of Swimming Teacher Education, Issue 1, August 1991
• Guideline PR3 Standards of Swimming Teacher Safety Qualifications, Issue 3, July 1996
• Guideline LTS3 Standards of Swimming Teacher Safety Qualifications, Issue 2, January 1994
• Guideline LTS3 Standards of Swimming Teacher Safety Qualifications, Issue 1, August 1991