Terms and Conditions
The SwimEasy Way! Terms, Policies and Conditions.
Terms, Policies
Places: are booked on a first come first served basis. Customers book a series of lessons with us on the basis of a vacant space within a pool.
The re-booking process: will guarantee a customer a place within the programme however will not guarantee a specific time slot. All pupils are subject to movement within the schedules, however due to the variety of ability levels and the possibility of no space being available during the same time slot, no guarantees can be confirmed for the time slots allocated. The Company needs to be flexible in its allocation of places according to ability, but may find it impossible to meet every eventuality. Consideration will be made to siblings and other family members, however not all levels can be accommodated within the same time slots. Pool layout has to be taken into consideration and not all pools can accommodate all levels. When pupils reach our advanced (SwimFast) development levels the Company’s requirement will be to take up the full size of the pool for that level, usually at the later time slots. All pupils will be considered as athletes and will be treated in accordance with the long term athlete development model endorsed by British Swimming. Swimmers throughout all the Ability Stages will be progress in accordance with the “SwimEasy Passport to Successful Swimming! Awards System.”
In the unusual event of a pool closure we will offer an alternative venue. No refunds will be given. Where possible, “make-ups” will be offered and if not possible credit notes will be given in lieu of future payment for future lessons. The Company hires the pools from various different schools/councils and therefore is not directly responsible for the pool maintenance. This obviously means occasionally we come across problems out with our control and have no option but to phone and re-arrange the venue at short notice. This happens very rarely as the pools are well maintained, but, as with everything in life, the unusual can sometimes happen. The company has the added facility of e-mail alerts and e-mail campaigns. All parents are encouraged to supply the company with an e-mail address for quicker communication purposes and for re-booking purposes.
Priority re-bookings will be allocated to those customers who already hold places. Booking of a place to return to the programme must be on time and within the priority re-booking deadline. Failure to do this will mean that spaces within the pool will be allocated to open bookings and filled immediately after the deadline is reached. No taking of names to hold places will be practised. All new bookings (normally by telephone) should be accompanied by a payment with either debit or credit card. Debit Cards are not subject to charges, credit cards will be subject to an additional £2.50 per person/child. Pre-bookings/Re bookings will be available for on-line transactions with SwimEasy controlling the movements and informing parent/guardians of details. Only under exceptional circumstances will cheques be accepted. Cheques are subject to additional charges.
Failure to rebook within the rebooking deadline will mean that your place/places in the lessons will no longer be priority and will be subject to open bookings. If a rebooking is required once the term has begun or after the stipulated notification cutoff date then a late booking charge of £10 per person/child will be applied to the term cost.
In the first instance notification of Priority Pre-booking/Re-booking process/deadline will be; notices at the individual venues, slips to the parents at the individual venues, web site postings and notifications, newsletter article, e-mail alerts. Once the Pre-bookings/Re-bookings process begins all parents will be notified by personalized individual e-mail for every swimmer -in the lessons. –
Once this first e-mail is sent an automatic second e-mail will arrive 7 days after the first e-mail urging you to rebook. Then after 14 days you will receive a third e-mail which will encourage you to rebook now as places may be lost to open bookings.
Fees will be paid annually or by term in advance. Refunds for non-attendance will not be given. The Company pays for staff and teachers for each term/year based on the numbers booked into the programme. Therefore it is our policy not to offer refunds for non-attendance at all, as this affects the whole programme. Fees are determined on an annual basis of 3 equal payments irrespective of term length. The term lengths are on average 11 weeks. Obviously one term may be slightly shorter and another longer, so the Company felt it beneficial to all, to make the payments equal to avoid confusion. A minimum of 33 weeks is guaranteed. Term dates may be subject to change.
Classes: Class numbers are projected target figures and not guaranteed. If a teacher is absent, classes will be joined together if considered appropriate. Whilst the Company tries to employ 100% reliable staff, obviously there are times when sickness or accidents happen at the last minute. We do try to get a replacement as soon as possible but in the unusual event of this occurrence we have to put the classes together; the only option would be to cancel the classes, which is not a happy outcome for anyone. Additional teachers are usually available at each pool to cover any eventualities. Classes are 40 minute time slots with 5 minutes allocated for registration and debrief.
Annual Payments: will remain the same throughout the year regardless of change of level. Make ups only will apply to lessons missed through pool closure etc. As a discount is already given for paying annually the Company’s policy is to keep the payment the same. There would be an administrative charge greater than a refund if that was deemed necessary. Therefore it is easier all round to keep things running smoothly by leaving the payment level the same.
Child Protection: Child protection is in line with the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association (SASA) child protection policies. All teaching and office staff are Enhanced Disclosure Scotland checked. The company operated within an equal opportunities programme. The company reserves the right not to offer places if it is deemed that a pupil is living with a limited physical or mental ability. Our main reason for rejection would be that of unqualified staff.
Conditions:
Bookings will be taken by telephone, payment will be processed, recorded on a secure database and an automatic e-mail will be generated and sent to you. New bookings will not be available on-line through the internet.
Cancellation of booking notified a minimum of 2 weeks prior to commencement of lessons are refunded subject to an administration fee of £10 per booking. The fee is charged due to the extra work caused by removing a child from the system and processing a cheque etc.
Re-bookings are normally done 3 weeks prior to the end of term. To avoid missing out on the continuation of a pupils’ progress, the Company has made the system easier by providing an opportunity for you to re-book and pay on-line for the following term. If you pay annually then each term the pupil is automatically placed into the correct class/stage and level. If paying termly and booking on-line, you are more likely to be able to reserve the time and space you require to retain. If you miss the re-booking deadline times you will have to attempt to re-book along with new pupils during our open booking system. The facility to rebook on line will be made unavailable to you therefore you will be required to call our office to regain a place. In addition to on-line re-bookings telephone bookings are available. Re-bookings once the term has begun will be subject to a £10 late re-booking charge.
Dress Code: All children wear eye goggles and tight fitting costumes/trunks. Baggy shorts are not allowed. The reason for this is if the costumes are too loose they cause ‘drag’ through the water and distorts the feeling of movement for the pupil in the pool. It doesn’t allow them to ‘get the feel of how their body moves in the water. Baggy shorts fill up with air and causes water resistance. Full body wet suits are not allowed as they create false buoyancy skills.
Dress Code: All children should wear a SwimEasy swim cap. In the interests of hygiene all the children should wear a hat to prevent hair trailing through the water and causing others to swallow it. Also it means it keeps the hair off the face and less of a distraction to the pupil during the lesson. It also keeps the smaller children warmer as most body heat is lost through the head.
Parental Responsibilities: Parents must never distract the swimming or teacher and should direct all communication through the lesson coordinator/manager. If a parent attempts to speak to the teacher during the lesson this is a definite safety issue. The Teacher has taken his/her eye from the pupils in their care and in a split second anything could happen. It is unfair on staff and pupils to put the teacher in that situation. If you have any questions for the teacher please ask the co-coordinator who will find out the answer for you and, if necessary, arrange a suitable time for you to speak to the teacher concerned.
Parental Responsibilities: Parents are responsible for children in the changing area. It is not the Company’s responsibility to look after pupils other than the minute they step onto poolside. If you are away from the changing area please make sure you are back 5 minutes before the lessons end as the children get very distressed if parent’s are not about and the co-coordinator is already looking after the pupils for the next session so is unable to be distracted by upset children looking for carers and parents that are late.
In most venues parents will be permitted on poolside however if a particular venue does not allow this practice then; parents can remain on the premises but should not wait on the poolside for safety and insurance purposes. If parents are present on poolside then they must realise that we are dedicated to teaching the children and it is not our job to control parents. Parents should be aware that the Company cannot take responsibility for parents sitting on poolside. Noise is a distraction and all parents must appreciate that continuous chatter is unacceptable. It is also very difficult for the teaching staff to gain full attention from their pupils if they are constantly being distracted by outside sources. Progress can be affected if children are not fully able to concentrate.
Parking: is only permitted in allocated spaces at each venue. The Company has to adhere to the regulations laid down by the letting facility for each pool. The main principle behind the regulations are for safety reasons for all concerned. Please help the Company keep everyone safe and out of harm’s way.
