RoSPA Senior Policy Manager, Carlene McAvoy, explains her role, what her team do and how RoSPA works to prevent drowning.

I am RoSPA’s Senior Policy Manager, focusing on leisure safety and drowning prevention. My role concentrates on providing policy advice and leading RoSPA’s water safety programmes.  I am delighted to have just returned from 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, where I had the opportunity to present on two key projects that RoSPA has been involved with: The Drowning and Incident Review Process and Water Safety Scotland.

Before I delve into some of the incredible projects being undertaken across the UK, I would like to introduce my amazing, dedicated and hardworking team:

• Rachael Brogan, our Policy Officer
• Emma Dudley, our Water Safety Development Manager for Scotland
• Peter Gallagher, our Water Safety Development Manager for Wales
• Jack Prinzel, our newly appointed Policy Assistant.

Drowning prevention is important – we know that globally there are around 300,000 deaths due to drowning annually. In the UK, there are about 600 water-based fatalities each year. These happen across the lifespan and also across the country – from Cornwall in England to the Highlands of Scotland. 

RoSPA’s unique position, as the Secretariat to the National Water Safety Forum, Water Safety Scotland and Water Safety Wales, puts us at the heart of drowning prevention in the UK.  As a team, we drive forward RoSPA’s key projects and policy and work collaboratively with our partners across the country to held drive down drowning fatalities and save lives.

Here is a just a snapshot of some of our key projects:

• Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention – RoSPA was the national data focal lead for the drowning prevention report in the UK. Due to be published in November 2024, this report will the first global report on drowning from member states across the world
• Water Incident Database – WAID2 is being developed to take over WAID1, the original database for collating annual data. The new version will have updated and improved data taxonomies and timelines for clearer data analysis. It will also aim to streamline the process of collating the data and intends to update and improve the quality and insights. 
• The National Water Safety Forum – this is our key UK committee which drives forward the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy. As Secretariat, we help drive forward projects and the workplans through Advisory Groups on topics such as education, recreation, data and campaigns. Three of our key projects currently focus on progressing Respect the Water campaign, mapping local water safety groups and reviewing the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy
• Water Safety Scotland – this is our key programme in Scotland which drives forward all drowning prevention work in the country. Tied to a Ministerial Action Plan and Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy, projects take place on a wide range of topics. Most recently – the creation of Experiential Learning Guidance, Guidance on Unique Location Codes, Water Safety Signage and education resources which are age and stage appropriate (tied to the Curriculum). Coming soon is the release of a six-year review of Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy and guidance for local authorities on how to create a Water Safety Policy.
• The Drowning and Incident Review (Scotland) – This review process gathers data and aims to understand the contributory factors of a water-related incident to help gain a better understanding of how to prevent similar incidents occurring in future. It is one of the worlds first processes and has already shown huge improvements to data and evidence insight as well as providing (to date) over 99 recommendations following incidents that may help to prevent future incidents and fatalities.  The data will shortly be published by RoSPA in an online dashboard.
• Water Safety Wales – this is the key programme in Wales and RoSPA is delighted to be working with the Welsh Government to provide Secretariat and management services to Water Safety Wales with a focus on key projects including: reviewing Wales’ Drowning Prevention Strategy, the creation of education resources and improving local government management of water safety.

From some of our above programmes and projects, hopefully you will be able to see the wide range of activities we undertake but also the creative solutions to policy issues that we have created. Working closely with our partner organisations, we have clear aspirations but also concrete plans, projects and policies to drive down drowning fatalities.

The National Water Safety Forum, Water Safety Scotland and Water Safety Wales are all partnership organisations and their success lies with their collaboration. All groups have opportunities for involvement and if you are interest or want more information – please do get in touch!

Carlene McAvoy is a Senior Policy Manager at RoSPA and the founder of Water Safety Scotland