AUSTSWIM launches new online safeguarding training course for swim teachers

AUSTSWIM, Australia’s peak body for the training and accreditation of swim teachers has officially launched its new national online ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People Professional Development’ module.

This timely and critical resource is designed to empower every swim teacher in Australia with the skills and confidence to create safer learning environments for children.             

The new Professional Development module was launched on 3rd June at a sold-out event in Sydney, featuring keynote speaker Phil Doorgachurn, a globally recognised expert in child protection and member of the Australian Government’s National Office for Child Safety Advisory Board.  The event also included a panel discussion with leading voices in safeguarding, including AUSTSWIM Chair Melinda Crole, a lifelong advocate for children’s rights.    

AUSTSWIM Chief Executive Brad Maunsell noted “every swim teacher has a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children they teach. This new online course provides practical, engaging and essential knowledge for instructors working in any aquatic environment.”         

Tailored specifically for swim teachers and aquatic educators, the online Safeguarding Professional Development covers:

• The principles of child-safe practice

• Risk identification and prevention

• Professional boundaries and appropriate conduct

• Responding to disclosures and concerns

• Embedding safeguarding into everyday teaching

The module is available now via the AUSTSWIM website and is open to all swim teachers, regardless of whether they hold an AUSTSWIM licence.          

Maunsell added “with more than 23,000 active AUSTSWIM teachers across the country and thousands more delivering swim lessons every day, this new PD is an important step in lifting safeguarding standards nationally.”               

The online Professional Development can be completed at any time and counts towards annual professional development hours for AUSTSWIM-licensed teachers.              

For more information or to enrol in the course, visit www.austswim.com.au/professionaldevelopment   

Image top. Keynote speaker Phil Doorgachurn launching Safeguarding Module; image below: attendees at launch event. Credit: AUSTSWIM