Drowning Prevention Week: Advice for professionals
Advice for professionals
As Drowning Prevention Week draws to a close, it's important to remember that all messages and resources can be used all year round. Please keep spreading the word to keep everyone safe around water.
Include water safety in everyday work:
Raise water safety during routine contact with families. For example, discuss bath and pool safety at health checks, include water safety in school lessons before summer, and raise it in family or youth work. Keep messages simple – drowning is quick, silent, and preventable.
Use and share trusted resources:
Signpost families to reliable UK guidance such as RLSS UK, RNLI (“Float to Live”), and RoSPA. Encourage swimming lessons and sharing the Water Safety Code. Use leaflets, newsletters or digital messages to reinforce key advice.
Make it a seasonal focus:
Increase awareness in spring and early summer by reminding families about risks and simple precautions (e.g. securing garden pools, discussing open water safety). Use consistent messaging across all services, such as: Stop and Think, Stay Together, Call 999, Float to Live.
Resources for professionals:
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service:
Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS):
Child Death Overview Panel
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
Canal and River Trust
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA)
United Utilities
Child Accident Prevention Trust