16/07/2026
Please share the below reminder about water safety with parents and carers
We know that many families, children and young people will be enjoying spending time in water over the summer.
Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with the Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Water Safety Toolkit: https://www.hampshirescp.org.uk/parents-and-carers/water-safety/ which includes information on keeping babies and younger children safe in water.
For those of you who also have older children, teens or young people, they may be spending more time away from home once schools have closed for the summer holidays. This could include taking a dip with friends in one of Hampshire’s many rivers, lakes or the sea. While this can seem tempting in warmer weather, open water can be dangerous – even for strong swimmers. Please remind older children of the following advice:
• Stick to lifeguarded areas
• Don't swim alone
• Take it slow when entering cold water to avoid shock
• If in difficulty, 'float to live' [See comments]
If you're the parent of a teenager, do talk to them about not drinking alcohol and swimming.
Remember - phone, float, throw [See comments]
In an emergency, always call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard if appropriate.
By taking a few simple precautions, we can all enjoy the water safely this summer.
Water safety is important for children of all ages. Drowning is one of the main causes of accidental death in children, and in England these incidents have doubled over the last five years.
