This week, 14th June – 21st June 2025, is Drowning Prevention Week.
This is a national campaign, led by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), which aims to raise awareness and reduce preventable deaths by drowning.
As summer approaches, it’s vital to help our communities, especially children, young people and their families, stay safe around water, both at home and outdoors.
Throughout Drowning Prevention Week, Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Safeguarding Children Partnerships are sharing a range of drowning prevention resources, and top tips, to help raise awareness. We would suggest that these are cascaded within your teams.
As Drowning Prevention Week continues, we shift our attention to an often-overlooked source of risk at home - hot tubs, paddling pools, ponds and water features in gardens.
These familiar household items can seem harmless, even fun, but they have been involved in a number of child drownings in recent years.
In the last four years, 16 children drowned at home in paddling pools, ponds and hot tubs. In 2022/23 alone, three children tragically drowned in hot tubs that had been left uncovered.
1 in 3 children who drowned at home did so in garden features such as paddling pools, ponds or hot tubs. These are all places that children play every day, and where dangers can be easily underestimated.
Being prepared, setting rules and staying present are some of the most powerful tools we have to children and young people keep them safe.
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Key Safety Reminders for Parents and Carers
Hot Tubs
- Always cover and lock hot tubs when not in use. Use properly fitted, child-resistant covers.
- Never leave children unattended in or near a hot tub, even for a moment.
- Teach children that hot tubs are not play areas - no jumping, diving or unsupervised access.
- Poor maintenance can also pose a health risk, including skin, ear and stomach infections. Follow the HSE’s Hot Tub Safety Guidance (referring to hot tubs as "spa pools") to ensure water hygiene is up to standard.
Ponds & Water Features
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- Children can drown in just 5cm (2 inches) of water.
- Fill in, cover or fence off ponds while your children are young.
- Check your neighbours’ gardens - young children can easily wander off and find water, even if you don’t think they have access.
- Consider child-safe garden designs until children are older.
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✅ Supervise:
- Keep young children within arm’s reach at all times around water, even near shallow pools or empty-looking features.
- Avoid distractions like phones or conversations.
✅ Prepare:
- Get towels, toys, nappies and dry clothes ready before your children go near the paddling pool or hot tub, so you don’t need to step away.
✅ Prevent:
- Empty paddling pools immediately after use.
- Securely cover hot tubs and garden pools after every use.
- Lock garden gates, especially if they lead to water.
Every small action, including covering a hot tub, pulling the plug or closing a gate, helps prevent future tragedies.
We want to ensure that children, young people and their families are equipped with the knowledge they need to keep their children as safe as possible when using paddling pools, hot tubs or when they are near water.
We would suggest that you share the resources provided within this 5 Minute Briefing, and below, with the families that you work with:
Please look out for tomorrow’s 5 Minute Briefing, where we will be focusing on “What To Do If Things Go Wrong – Self-Rescue & Calling for Help”.
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