The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure is pleased to announce that the National Sports Centre (NSC) has received a mark of 100% for its Lifeguard Training programme from the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards.
Hon Graham Cregeen MHK, Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure said: ‘To ensure that quality remains of the highest possible standard, it’s important that the NSC opens itself up regularly for external scrutiny. The assessment results demonstrate that lifeguard training is taken very seriously for the safety and wellbeing of the public. Once again, the NSC has shown that it is one of the best sports centres in the UK. Well done to everyone involved.’
NSC Assistant Manager Simon Walmsley, responsible for training explained: ‘This result is a testament to all the trainer assessors for all their hard work over the years, developing and improving the standards of lifeguard training throughout the Island. The lifeguard training is benchmarked throughout the UK and being marked as one of the best in the UK is a great achievement. Ultimately this means that the public are in safe hands when using the NSC facilities.’
Every year the NSC is subject to external scrutiny by the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards. An external assessment is carried out checking amongst other things that all lifeguarding training is carried out and delivered in accordance with the Royal Lifesaving Society guidelines. The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification is the National Qualification that all lifeguards have to obtain before working on the poolside at the NSC. The NSC is assessed against set criteria and is required to provide evidence to the assessor on all training delivery including Life Support, Lifeguard Theory, First Aid and Rescue skills. All equipment is tested to make sure it’s safe and fit for purpose and all paper work needed to deliver training at the NSC is checked and maintained to an excellent standard.
This year the NSC gained 100% in the assessments, marking them as one of the best facilities in the UK.
The NSC has currently trained and qualified over 600 people many of whom have subsequently joined the Police, Fire Service, Prison Service and Ambulance Service; as well as the NSC and Regional Swimming Pools. The NSC runs several training courses per year, which are open to the general public to enrol. The next session is in April 2013.
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