Our pool supervision policy is for the safety of Kiwa Pool users.
If you can’t meet the minimum adult to child supervision ratio you won't be able to enter the complex.
It’s your responsibility to look after your children.
Children aged 4 years and under
An adult or caregiver aged 16 years or older must be in the water and within arms reach of children aged 4 years and under, at all times.
Adult to child ratio
- One adult can supervise up to 2 children 4 years and under.
- One adult can supervise one child aged 4 years and under and up to 2 children aged between 5 and 7 years.
Under 2s - a swim nappy is a must
Children aged between 5 and 7 years old
An adult or caregiver aged 16 years or older must be actively supervising. This means watching your child/ren and ready to help them and be near your child/ren so you can hear them and they can hear you.
Adult to child ratio
- One adult can supervise up to 4 children aged between 5 and 7 years.
Children aged between 8 and 11 years old
You need a caregiver aged 16 years or older within the complex at all times.
Q&As on the rules and policy
Answers to some of the frequently asked questions
Why does my child have to wear a wristband?
This helps our pool staff identify a child's age and that a caregiver is looking after the child.
We also use wristbands for large groups and for hydro slide users. This is to assist our staff to manage numbers in the pool.
If my child has a pink wristband why do I need to be in the water with them? I can jump in if I need to.
You need to be within arm's reach and that can't be achieved if you're on the side of the pool.
Adults get a band too so our staff know you need to be within arm's reach of a child.
Not being in the water with your child means you could be easily distracted and take your eyes off your child.
Also young children are still developing their balance - being in the water may affect their balance and they can fall over more easily.
Being in the pool with your child is more fun and a better experience for your child.
What does actively supervising mean?
- Active supervision means watching your child/ren at all times and being able to provide immediate help.
- You must be close enough to see your child, your child sees you, hear your child and be heard by your child.
- For children 4 years and under you must be in the water with them and within arms reach.
Active supervision is not head down using a mobile phone, or being in another pool, or distracted in a discussion or in the changing room or toilet.
If you need to leave the pool side to go to the toilet, you must make sure your child/ren hop out of the water until you're back.
Can I grab a coffee, read a book or use my phone while watching my child?
No. It’s important to remember that active supervision is about constantly watching and always having a clear view of your child.
- You can grab a coffee if your child goes with you.
If my child's a good swimmer - why do I have to actively supervise them?
Being a good swimmer doesn’t take away the other risks within the pool area space such as other children – rough play/risk taking
Rules apply to everyone and for clarity and consistency there's no exceptions. Our policies follow PoolSafe accreditation guidelines to make sure everyone's safe in a high-risk environment such as our pool complex.
It's great that you took the time with your child/ren in the water and they're confident swimmers. We have a big variety of swim abilities coming through our doors so we need to have clear rules around this to keep the pool safe for everyone.
What happens if the rules aren’t followed?
Staff will work to educate pool users, but if children are not accompanied by a suitable caregiver they won’t be allowed in the water.
If there’s continued failure to comply with our policies, you may be asked to leave the complex for the safety of your children and other users.