The role of Junior Activities Accreditation Officer has been introduced to allow another level of volunteers who can sign off on the Junior Proficiencies and Age Awards, in order to assist in easing the load on existing Assessors, as well as providing a pathway to the role of Assessor. Please note that clubs can still utilise Bronze/SRC Assessors to assess junior preliminary skills evaluations and awards if there are enough within the club to do so.

The JAAO will be able to sign off on the following junior proficiencies and awards:

• Age level pool evaluation (Pool or Beach Swims)
• Competition evaluation
• Age award as per the SLSA Junior Development Age Guides (only up to U13)

For members interested in obtaining this award and assisting with Junior Activities, the following pre-requisites must be in place:

• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Hold valid Working with Children Blue Card
• Be proposed by the club JAC and Chief Training Officer (CTO) for endorsement & recorded at the Club Management Committee (or equivalent) each year
• Be entered onto Surfguard and a proficiency raised each season
• Sign and Submit the JAAO Code of Conduct
• A recommendation to hold the Proficient Bronze Medallion award AND Certificate II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue) or Surf Rescue Certificate (CPR Endorsed)

All JAAOs are now recommended to hold a minimum proficient Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) Qualification to continue to assess Junior Activities. Effective as of February 2023.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of the JAAO role relating in particular to the assessing of awards and/or skills and the “signing-off” of juniors. Whether you are assessing a pool swim for a member to participate in nippers or a junior competency evaluation on the beach, it is important that all forms of assessment are conducted in the same way across the entire state.

In keeping with this, below are some of the responsibilities associated with the assessment of our members in any form:

• Any personal or interpersonal factors that are irrelevant to the assessment of competence must not influence the assessment outcomes
• Any assessment decisions made are based on available evidence that can be produced and verified by another JAAO
• Assessments are conducted within the boundaries of the assessment system policies and procedures
• Any activity which is not in conformance with procedures, work instructions and/or specifications or which may result in the health and safety of any person at the workplace being at risk are ceased immediately
• In the instance a JAAO member is required to be familiar with reasonable adjustment, thus member should communicate with a qualified Assessor within their club.
• For the safety and protection of all members, including yourself in the position that you hold, it is important that a high standard of assessments is retained and members, are not merely just “signed-off” because they were a member last season/you know they can swim/you don’t want to raise extra paperwork just for them.

For further information on becoming a Junior Activities Accreditation Officer, please contact your club’s Junior Activities Chairperson or Administrator.