If you will use the leisure centre 2 times per week on average, then you will definitely save money by choosing a membership.  Don't forget you also have free access all the other days of the week as well.

We give extra discounts to families by providing a price of €50 per year, €30 for 6 months to add a child to your membership.

Almost all 12 month Family Memberships paid upfront make savings without even using the centre once per week on average.

We offer you the choice of paying upfront or by Direct Debit (minimum commitment of 3 months).  Portarlington Credit Union have a very low interest rate available to allow you to borrow your annual subs and pay it back by the week.

You can choose from:

• Pay As You Go access
• Occasional special offer memberships.

- 3 Month Membership - Direct Debit only

- 6 Month Membership - Upfront or by Direct Debit

- 12 Month Membership - Upfront or by Direct Debit

Direct Debits are billed monthly from your bank account and have a minimum contract duration of 3 months, but will automatically continue each month unless you advise us that you wish to cancel.

All children under the age of eight years must always be accompanied in the water for unprogrammed swimming sessions. A maximum of two under 8s per adult are permitted.

We recommend that under 4’s or those with specific additional medical or other needs should be accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult on a 1:1 basis.

Children aged 8, 9 or 10 must be accompanied by a responsible parent/adult (over 18 Years) who must remain in view of the child in the water.

Children of 11 years and older do not need to be accompanied unless specific medical conditions deem it necessary.

A copy of our full admissions policy can be obtained at reception.

It is the responsibility of the adult to:

• Provide safe supervision of their children at all times.
• Remain in the water with the children at all times while maintaining a constant watch and be within arm’s length of the children who are weak or non-swimmers.
• Ensure that all non/weak swimmers that they accompany wear appropriate floatation aids if required and stay within a comfortable standing depth.

The following Customer Charter for people with disabilities has been adopted by Laois Leisure Portlaoise

Statement of Intent

• To consult regularly with disabled groups and individuals on the service provided.

• To ensure that all front-line staff are trained in disability awareness and are sensitive to individual customer needs.

• To take positive action for people with disabilities and carers (e.g dedicated swimming sessions free of charge).

• Carers are permitted free access when accompanying a person in need of assistance to enjoy the facilities.

• To aid people with disabilities from the car park to the centre (by prior arrangement)

• To provide a safe and welcoming environment.

• To provide comprehensive information on available activities.

• To ensure all future developments and refurbishments comply fully with good practice and relevant guidelines.

• Ensure the rights to equal treatment established by equality legislation are adhered to and that people are dealt with in a like manner.

• To provide and maintain equipment to make the centre accessible to disabled people, including:

• Wheelchair parking spots
• Signage on wheelchair Parking spots for assistance
• Ramped access to Astro turf pitch
• Wheelchair access to Astro turf pitch
• Semi automatic doors at entrance with push buttons wheelchair level
• Counter top in reception and gym area that is wheelchair accessible
• Hearing Loop at reception , gym and studio
• Lift to gym
• Courtesy wheelchair
• Free entry for carers assisting a disabled user
• Hair Dryers in vanity area at wheelchair level
• Disability Pull Chords in Toilets/ Disabled changing rooms
• Grab bars at toilets and showers
• Wider benches in our disabled changing/shower room
• Shower chairs
• Designated Lockers available for wheelchair users
• Baby changing units at wheelchair height
• Disability toilets located at reception, gym and changing village
• Wheelchair Viewing spots
• Contrast between floor and walls
• Contrast on pool floor tiles to show edge of pool deck
• Pool hoist
• Bravos in Gym
• Machines are all inclusive fitness initiative ( Bright coloured levers on gym machines)
• Gym Programme cards on disk
• Personalised fitness programmes
• One to one gym instruction
• Evac chair on 1st floor
• Disability Emergency Point with Phone at top of Gym Stairway
• Flashing emergency alarms
• PA system
• Level access throughout building
• We use local special need groups for delivery of our leaflets
• We offer work experience for disability groups
• Disability training for all staff
• Our Complaints box is accessible to our wheelchair users
• Disability Liaison Officer

We welcome people with disabilities to use Portarlington Laois Leisure Portlaoise by considering their needs and make every effort to provide a positive experience. If you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to contact us:

Amy Flanagan

Disability Officer

Amy@laoisleisure.ie

(057)8645800

Pam Quirke

Group Operations Manager

pam@laoisleisure.ie

(057)8645800

Customer Charter

Customer Service Policy 

Laois Leisure places a high priority on customer care and is committed to providing the highest quality service every time you make contact with us and visit our facilities. Our Customer Charter outlines the quality of service that you can expect from us: 

Our Staff Will

 • Greet you in a friendly manner and with a smile

 • Treat you with courtesy, respect and dignity.

• Be open, honest and polite.

• Be ready to help

• Respect your confidentiality

• Treat everyone fairly, equally and with respect, ensuring that reasonable adjustments are made for customers who may have special needs and disabilities.

• Have sufficient staffing levels to meet your needs.

• Listen and take customers views seriously to improve the service we provide to you.

• Wear uniform and name badge when working and be suitably trained.

• Keep appointments or let you know in advance if they need to be rearranged

• Not accept offensive or threatening behavior or use it themselves.

• Aim to provide you with a safe, secure, clean and comfortable facility; and work within the stipulations of Laois Leisure’s NOP.

Our Premises Will Be

• Provided with details of fees and charges and other relevant financial information

• Furnished with signage and orientation information appropriate to the Centre.

• Checked daily to ensure they are clean, safe and well maintained. Ancillary areas including changing rooms, showers and toilets will be checked frequently throughout the day to ensure they are clean, hygienic, safe and well maintained

• Illuminated, heated and ventilated to ensure - comfort, good conditions, and safety

• Furnished with equipment which is in good working order, checked and maintained regularly.

• Maintained as we will aim to ensure all faults are reported immediately, fixed in a timely fashion and displayed to the customer

• Supervised by the recommended number of qualified and suitably trained staff to ensure your visit is safe and enjoyable

• Swimming pool water will be balanced chemically and tested every 2 hours to ensure comfort and safety

• Outside pitches area will be free from any form of hazards and safe to use. 

Our Service to You 

• The time and availability of services will be as published in our customer information leaflets. • Foreseen changes will be duly notified to our customers by the display of an appropriate notice within the premises and for bookings and courses we will endeavor to contact customers by telephone/text

• Unforeseen emergency/interruption to services which have been booked will result in refunds and/or an offer of alternative services where possible

• We will publish up-to-date and accurate customer information for all activities. • We will maintain a booking system that is fair and convenient to our customers. • We will make prices competitive and fair to ensure value for money.

• We will aim to answer incoming calls within 5 rings and identify ourselves by name and facility when answering the telephone.

• We will take accurate messages – ensuring that adequate detailed information is noted.

• We will take ownership of the call ensuring that all reasonable care is taken to ensure the customer is dealt with wherever practicable at the first point of call.

• We aim to respond to letters and emails within 10 working days, and respond to email via email, unless you request otherwise.

• We will respect your right to privacy and discuss any confidential or sensitive issues with you in a private room. 

How You Can Help Us

• Enjoy yourself

• Respect the environment and the enjoyment of other visitors by taking note of our Customer Etiquette notices

• Be courteous and respectful towards us

• Keep us informed of any changes in your personal circumstances that may affect the services we provide for you.

• Please behave in a considerate and polite way so that we can give you and other customers the standard of service you would expect

• Let us know what you think about the service you receive and the standard of our facilities so we can keep improving in the future

• Please treat the facilities provided with respect and report any faults to staff immediately

• Please inform staff if any facilities are not up to a satisfactory standard and we will endeavor to attend to areas that are reported as unsatisfactory within 15 minutes.

Your Feedback

 We work hard to continuously improve our services and are committed to providing excellent customer care, good quality services and a great experience. We’d like to know when you’re pleased with our service and welcome your feedback. We would also welcome your suggestions and realise that sometimes things can go wrong. If they do please tell us before you leave so that we can put them right and make improvements. In the first instance, please contact the facility Manager or relevant member of staff at the time of your visit.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Service Standards

The following service standards will help Portarlington Leisure Centre measure and monitor customer service.

Staff

1. All staff shall be in an identifiable uniform and wear a name badge.

2. Staff shall listen to customers’ specific requirements and ask appropriate questions.

3. All staff, where possible, will deal with a customer problem or query and try to resolve the situation to the satisfaction of the customer in the first instance. If a member of staff cannot assist the customer adequately, they shall seek the assistance of their line manager.

Reception

1. Customers will receive a polite, warm and welcoming reception service. Staff will deal with customer queries as quickly as possible. All enquiries should be dealt with courteously, promptly and effectively. This requires centre staff to communicate, listen, thank, assess, inform, take action and take messages.

2. Reception areas will be clean and comfortable, with facilities well sign posted and provision made to display leaflets and other information. A customer information point is in place at reception with up to date information regarding the facilities and services available.

Telephone

1. On answering the telephone, a clear greeting should be given including: - Good morning/afternoon / evening, - Portarlington Leisure Centre, - The name of the person answering the call

2. If a customer call has to be transferred, staff will inform the customer.

3. Should the employee be unable to transfer a call, he/she will take details and arrange action.

Written Comments or Complaints

1. Customers can communicate their impression of service delivery via the customer comment cards or comment book. This can then be handed in at reception or posted in the customer comments box located at reception.

2. All written comments or complaints will be responded to in writing within 10 working days by the Leisure Centre Manager or his deputy.

3. The centre will analyse comments and complaints every quarter to identify trends and ensure that remedial action is implemented.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness in the centre will be a high priority. A documented cleaning schedule will be in operation and its implementation and monitoring will be the specific responsibility of an employee. A weekly analysis of the cleaning

schedule will be carried out and reported at the weekly management meeting. Targets for ensuring cleanliness of the entire centre will be set for each year.

Maintenance

A rolling programme of maintenance will be operative to ensure defects are repaired within agreed timescales and that preventative maintenance systems function effectively. Maintenance defects and associated issues will be discussed at the weekly management meeting. Targets for ensuring a turnaround in defects will set for each year.

Child Protection Policy Statement

Laois Leisure staff have a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in any activity from harm. All children have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled children and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be considered.

Laois Leisure will ensure the safety and protection of all children through adherence to the Child Protection guidelines it has adopted (Swim Ireland Child Protection Policy).

Policy aims

The aim of the Laois Leisure Child Protection Policy is to promote good practice:

Providing children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of Laois Leisure staff.

Allow all staff/volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.

Child Liaison Officer

Our Child Liaison Officer is Amy Flanagan.

Promoting good practice

• Child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, can arouse strong emotions in those facing such a situation.
• It is important to understand these feelings and not allow them to interfere with your judgement about the appropriate action to take.
• Abuse can occur within many situations including the home, school and the sporting environment.
• Some individuals will actively seek employment or voluntary work with young people to harm them.
• A coach, instructor, teacher, official or volunteer will have regular contact with young people and be an important link in identifying cases where they need protection.
• All suspicious cases of poor practice should be reported following the guidelines in this document.
• When a child enters, the club having been subjected to child abuse outside the sporting environment, sport can play a crucial role in improving the child’s self-esteem.
• In such instances the club must work with the appropriate agencies to ensure the child receives the required support.

Use of photographic/filming equipment

• Written consent to take and use images of children should be obtained prior to the taking of photographs and/or video footage.
• Parents should be made aware of when, where, and how the images may be used to give their informed consent.
• This includes comprehensive information regarding use of images e.g., in print, multi-media, broadcast; for what purpose, e.g., promotion, publicity, evaluation, audit, review; and where possible an indication of who the audience will be e.g., the public, the participating children and their families, other organisations and institutes.

Good practice guidelines For Parents/Guardians (Ref: Swim Ireland)

Parents/guardians have the primary responsibility for the care and welfare of their children.

• Parents/guardians should work in partnership with their children’s club to create and support a safe environment through the promotion of good practice and measures in place to prevent poor practice and all forms of abuse.
• Parents/guardians have a responsibility to ensure that the measures in the Safeguarding Children Policies and Procedures 2010 are implemented and to make sure their children are treated with fairness, respect and understanding.
• They should foster an open approach to discussing safeguarding issues to allow their children to tell them about anyone causing them harm or making them feel upset.
• Parents/guardians as representatives of their child/children are subject to and should be aware of the rules and procedures of Swim Ireland, and their Club, where changes are made that affect them or their children.
• Parents/guardians should be informed of all matters relating to ethics and good practice.
• They should encourage their children to participate in sport for fun and enjoyment and should ensure that their child’s experience of sport is a positive one.
• Parents must read and understand The Good Practice Guidelines for Parents and should always remember that children play sport for their own enjoyment not that of the parents/guardians.
• Have an awareness of and respect for Swim Teachers and other adults and their roles within the Club.
• Understand the complaints process and follow the proper procedure if you feel unjustly treated, with the knowledge that any complaint will be dealt with fairly and confidentially.
• Know your child’s training and/or competitive programmed, and accept it is your responsibility for delivering and collecting your child/children. Parents/guardians should ensure they do not leave their child/children waiting unsupervised at any time.
• Ensure the environment is safe and enjoyable for your child/children.
• Be a role model for your children and other young people by maintaining the highest standards of personal conduct and respectful behavior in any activity related to the Laois Leisure or Swim Ireland.
• Allow your child to focus their efforts and success in terms of their goals rather than winning being the main objective.
• Promote participation for children that is fun, safe and in the spirit of fair play.

Complaints Procedure

• Laois Leisure views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person that has made the complaint.

Our policy is:

• To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.
• To publicize the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint.
• To make sure everyone at Laois Leisure knows what to do if a complaint is received.
• To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way.
• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired.

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any

aspect of Laois Leisure.

Where Complaints Come From

Complaints may come from any person or organization who has a legitimate

interest in Laois Leisure - Portlaoise

A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.

Email: portlaoise@laoisleisure.ie

Or

Laois Leisure - Portlaoise

A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.

Email: portlaoise@laoisleisure.ie

Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to

know and following any relevant data protection requirements.

Responsibility

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with Laois Leisure

Bullying (Ref Swim Ireland)

Definition of bullying

• Bullying can be defined as repeated aggression be it verbal, psychological or physical conducted by an individual or group against others.
• Bullying and harassment should be prevented by anticipation of an occurrence and having a planned course of action.

Bullying Behavior

• Bullying behavior is intentionally aggravating and intimidating and occurs mainly in social environments such as schools, clubs and other organisations with children and young people.
• It includes behavior such as teasing, taunting, threatening, and hitting and extortion by one or more children against a victim.
• A bully operates using furtiveness, threats, and fear.
• Bullying can, therefore, only survive in an environment where the victim does not feel able to tell someone who can help or in a situation where it is not safe to do so.
• Bullying can take place between adults, children and child to adult or adult to child, and is not restricted by age, socio-economic background or sex.
• Each case of bullying must be dealt with as soon as the symptoms are apparent, or bullying is suspected.

Types of Bullying

• Bullying can occur in several ways and in various forms.
• Traditionally bullying would take place where the opportunity arises for a bully to meet a victim face to face – e.g., in a changing room, going to or from school/Club, travelling on a bus.
• This afforded a victim the opportunity to escape situations where they may be vulnerable.
• Unfortunately, today the technological advances in methods of communications have meant that people are much more accessible using mobile phones, email, social networking sites, etc.
• This means that a victim can be targeted by a bully without being physically present.
• Bullying need not be solely physical where a victim is physically harmed; bullying can be verbal, involve the use of gestures, by exclusion, and using extortion.

Recognising the signs of bullying

• The following indicators are warning signs that a young person might be the subject of bullying: Reluctance to come to a venue or take part in activities
• Physical signs (unexplained bruises, scratches, or damage to belongings)
• Stress-caused illness – headaches, and stomach aches which seem unexplained
• Fearful behavior (fear of walking to swimming, going via different routes, asking to be driven)
• Frequent loss of, or shortage of, money with vague explanations
• Having few friends
• Changes in behavior (withdrawn, stammering, moody, irritable, upset, distressed)
• Attempting suicide or hinting at suicide
• Anxiety (shown by nail-biting, fearfulness, tics)

This list is not exclusive to a victim of bullying.

there may be other possible reasons for many

of the signs listed above. Some signs will be

more attributable to the bullying occurring

within a child’s peer group and some where an

adult is concerned.

If you are worried about sharing concerns about abuse, you can contact social services or the Garda direct, or the ISPCC Child Protection Helpline on 01-6767960, or Childline on 1800 66 66 66.

Links:

Swim Ireland Safeguarding Children Policy 2010

http://www.swimireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2013/02/SI-Safeguarding-Children-Policies-and-Proceedures-2010.pdf

If you would like a copy of our full Child Protection Policy, please don’t hesitate to ask the Receptionist

Child Admission Policy

• All Children under the age of 8 years must always be accompanied in the water for unprogrammed Swimming Sessions. (7 and under)

• Where children aged between 4 and 8 years old are accompanied by a responsible adult, a maximum number of two children per adult are permitted. We recommend that children under the age of 4 be accompanied by parent or a responsible adult, on a 1:1 basis

• This ratio is maintained irrespective of the number of children under 8 years old wishing to swim (i.e. 4 children:2 adults, 6 children:3 adults)