Mum's anger at kids' pool ban
17 February 2005
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| Adult to children ratios at pools throughout the district are set to change |
A SINGLE mother-of-two had a sinking feeling when she took her children for a swim at a pool in St Albans.
When Jennifer Huggard, from Abbots Avenue West, arrived with her four-year-old son and 16-month-old daughter for their weekly Toddler Splash session at Westminster Lodge she was told she needed another adult with her as under fives had to be supervised on a one-to-one basis
This was news to Jennifer who had taken the children to the pool many times previously without a problem.
But she was told this had always been the policy there.
She said: "I was told that the pool's policy regarding adult-to-children ratios required another adult to accompany us, the ratio being one adult to every child under five. I queried this with the receptionist and she told me the policy had always been in place. I pointed out that clearly it hadn't and asked to speak to the manager."
She said that the duty manager then explained that the policy was at the discretion of the particular duty manager. She added: "Despite my appeals this duty manager refused our admission saying he was within his rights to refuse and was protecting himself from possible compensation claims and disciplinary action."
To add to Jennifer's amazement, when she asked about child-care facilities at the sports centre she was told they were not available at the weekend.
She said: "I am a working single mum. I am now unable to take both my children swimming at the same time and if I take one swimming I have to pay for care for the other - this would apply for both children therefore effectively doubling an already-increased expense."
The policy is the result of 12-year-old guidelines set out by the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management (ISRM) which recommends that adults should supervise no more than one child under the age four and no more than two between four and eight. However, these are only guidelines and they were developed to be flexible. The ISRM suggests that the guidelines need not apply if, for example, children are wearing armbands in a special area of the pool designated for their use or they can already swim. Westminster Lodge's Toddler Splash sessions take place in a special small pool for children separate from the main pool.
Jennifer, along with other infuriated parents, is now calling for something to change. A pressure group called Right to Swim has recently been formed and their plight has gone to the top. At a Prime Minister's Question Time last month Tony Blair said: "I think parents are perfectly well able to judge how they must best look after their children."
The district council admitted yesterday that the new agreed swimming ratio was one adult per under five child in the main pool but one adult per two under-five children in the learner pool - where Jennifer would have taken her children. A spokesperson explained that it followed Health and Safety Executive guidance and was normally conveyed to all their sites by Leisure Connection, which operates the pool on the council's behalf.
"It appears that on this occasion, this procedure failed," she added.
The council has written a letter apologising to Ms Huggard and enclosing free swim passes.
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