Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Republic of Ireland
  • News
  • Jobs in our industry
Royal Life Saving Society UK ( RLSS UK )
My account RLSS UK Shop Find a course Donate
Menu
  • Find a Course
  • Your Account
    • Locations for RLSS UK Services
    • Guides, Tutorials & FAQs
    • Access Your RLSS UK Account
    • Webinar Wednesday
  • Water Safety
    • Water Safety Advice For You
    • Water Safety Advice For Your Business
    • Education Resources
    • Water Safety Toolkit
    • Industry Approved Aqua Parks
    • Water Smart Award
    • Open Water - Event Safety
    • Managing Safety
    • Beyond Swim
    • Local Water Safety Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • RLSS UK's A-Z
    • Who Are We?
    • Who We Work With
      • Commercial Partners
      • Strategic Partners
      • Water Safety Partners
      • RLSS UK Advisors
      • Consultancy Projects
    • Job Opportunities
      • Our Jobs
      • Trustee Opportunities
      • External Jobs
      • Apprenticeships
      • #IStartedAsALifeguard
    • International Work
  • What We Do
    • Our Qualifications
      • All Qualifications
      • Become a Lifeguard
      • Become a First Aider
      • Become a Trainer
      • Become a Training Centre or Provider
        • Find out more
        • Regulated Qualifications and Compliance
      • Pool Management
      • Additional Qualifications
    • Our Awards
    • Our Shop
    • Our Membership
    • Our Clubs
    • Lifesaving Sport
    • Safeguarding
    • Consultancy Service
    • Meeting Room Hire
    • Safety Guidance
    • Renewal Information
  • Support Us
    • Fundraise
      • Fundraising Opportunities
      • Meet Our Fundraisers
    • Charity Lottery
    • Send an eCard
    • Our Appeals
    • How to donate
    • Support for Families
    • Leaving a Lifesaving legacy
      • Leave a gift in your will
      • 1891 Life Fellows
    • Our Campaigns
      • Drowning Prevention Week
      • Don't Drink and Drown
      • Lifesaver • Lifechanger
      • #BeaRookieLifeguard
      • #BeaLifeguard
      • #BeaLifesaver
      • Runners and Walkers
      • Spring Clean
      • Support a campaign
    • Become a Corporate Partner
    • Volunteer
    • In Memory Of
  • Events & Campaigns
    • All Events
    • Our Campaigns
      • Drowning Prevention Week
      • #DontDrinkandDrown
    • RLSS UK Events
      • View All
      • Speeds 2022
      • Open Water Festival 2022
      • Honours 2022
      • National Lifesaving Championships
      • Virtual Pool Lifesaving League
      • Lifesaving Sport Challenge
      • RLSS UK AGM 2022
    • RLSS UK Industry Courses
  • Latest
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • News
    • Blogs
    • #EVERYDAYHEROES
  • Admin
    • Log in
    • Republic of Ireland
    • News
    • Jobs in our industry
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Water Smart Award
  1. What We Do
  2. Our Awards

Water Smart Award

The RLSS UK’s Water Smart Award sets out a national standard for water safety. It is the essential skill-based programme to ensure safety and competence around water. It is a standalone award and provides a gateway for participants to go on to complete further awards to develop skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe whilst enjoying the water.

  • About the Water Smart Award
  • School swimming curriculum
  • Want to qualify as a Water Smart Instructor

As the UK’s leading provider of water safety and drowning prevention education, RLSS UK has produced an award that sets out a national standard for water safety. Everyone should have fun and be able to enjoy the water – take the opportunity to learn some essential water safety skills for life to help keep yourself and others safe.

Find a Water Smart Award provider near you!

About the Water Smart Award

RLSS UK created the Water Smart Award to establish an essential skill based programme, that as experts we consider everyone in the UK & Ireland should achieve to ensure safety and competence around water, which ultimately supports our ambition to prevent drownings.

It has been designed as a standalone award from our other water safety programmes and provides a gateway for participants go on to complete further awards to develop skills and knowledge to keep themselves and others safe whilst enjoying the water.

The award’s focus is on five main areas, these include:

  1. Water Safety Awareness
  2. Getting In and Out of the Water Safely
  3. Safely Staying Afloat
  4. Safely Moving in the Water
  5. Performing Rescues Safely (Optional)

School Swimming Curriculum

The Water Smart Award has been developed in line with the Curriculum Swimming outcomes and supports the development of these skills in the UK and Ireland.

Find a Water Smart Award provider near you!


Want to qualify as a Water Smart Instructor?

Already a member of RLSS UK?

If you’re a member of RLSS UK and already hold one our water-based Instructor qualifications you’ll be able to update to deliver this award for free.

Please note: You will need to be in current RLSS UK Membership and hold a valid Trainer or Instructor Qualification. Anyone that has probationary status will not be eligible for this opportunity until they are fully signed off.

Check the opportunity area of your RLSS UK Account
For a guide on how to view available updates and opportunities, click here.

Login to your RLSS UK account (powered by tahdah)
New to RLSS UK?

If you hold a valid Instructor or Teaching qualification with another organisation from the list below and would like to take your skills to the next level to become a Water Smart Instructor, you can do this by clicking below.

  • Swim Teacher Level 1
  • Swim Teacher Level 2
  • Swift Water Rescue Technician (DEFRA Level 3)
  • Youth Group Leader (Scout, Guide, Cub Cadet)
  • School Teacher (Fully Qualified)
  • AET Qualification
  • RLSS UK Rookie Instructor
  • Instructor Other Organisation (SLS GB/ SLS Wales/ STA/ Irish Water Safety)

Please note: You will need to be in current RLSS UK Membership in order to deliver the Water Smart Award, one of the payments you will be asked to make during the application process will include payment for an annual Lifesaving Academy membership.

To access the Water Smart Instructor Application, please either login to your RLSS UK Account (powered by tahdah) or create your account if you are new to RLSS UK. When you have successfully logged in, please view and complete an Instructor/ Trainer application click here for a step-by-step guide.

New to RLSS UK

Create your RLSS UK account (powered by tahdah)

Already hold an RLSS UK award or qualification

Activate your RLSS UK account (powered by tahdah)

Published: 1st January, 2016

Updated: 22nd June, 2021

Author:

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • National Lifesaving Championships: Entry

    National Lifesaving Championships: Entry

  • National Lifesaving Championships: Regional Heats

    National Lifesaving Championships: Regional Heats

  • Trainer Assessor Joshua secures volunteer role at Commonwealth Games

    Trainer Assessor Joshua secures volunteer role at Commonwealth Games

    RLSS UK Trainer Assessor Joshua Dovey has secured his role in the media team for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

  • National Lifesaving Championships: Important Documents

    National Lifesaving Championships: Important Documents

Related

  • Rookie Lifeguard

    Rookie Lifeguard

    RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard programme gives your child the skills they need to be confident in the pool and by the sea.

  • Survive and Save

    Survive and Save

    The Survive & Save Programme is our lifesaving award scheme for anyone aged 12 years and over. The awards are challenging but fun to complete and are arranged into Bronze, Silver and Gold levels to ensure that participants get the opportunity to develop their lifesaving skills as they progress through the awards.

  • Save a Life Series

    Save a Life Series

    In the UK, 77% of people either don’t know or are unsure of how to perform CPR and millions of people wouldn’t know how to give basic first aid to another adult. This course can show you how.

  • Water Rescue Equipment Training

    Water Rescue Equipment Training

    RLSS UK has developed a two-hour Water Rescue Equipment Training session to ensure as many people as possible are confident and competent in the use of water rescue equipment found around waterways.

  • Pool to Pond

    Pool to Pond

    “Pool to Pond” is a programme designed to support you making the transition from the pool to open water.

  • Life Support

    Life Support

    This award is designed members of the community and there is no minimum age limit. Life Support can be taken as a separate standalone award or as part of the Survive & Save Award Programme.

  • Life Support 3

    Life Support 3

    Life Support 3 covers the basics of how to perform CPR, including the diagnosis and treatment for Choking, Bleeding and Shock on an Infant, Child & Adult Casualty.

  • Duke of Edinburgh

    Duke of Edinburgh

    RLSS UK has now become a National Operating Authority with the Duke of Edinburgh.

  • Welsh Baccalaureate

    Welsh Baccalaureate

    The purpose of the Community Challenge is to develop learners’ skills whilst encouraging learners to identify, develop and participate in opportunities that will benefit the community.

  • Community Instructor

    Community Instructor

    Community Instructor is the qualification needed to deliver the Save a Life Series, RLSS UK’s Community Outreach Programme: Save a Baby’s Life, Save a Child’s Life, Save an Adult’s Life and Save a Series AED.

Most read

  • National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)

    National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)

    Become a Pool Lifeguard with the RLSS UK's National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) We have trained over 90,000 Lifeguards. Click here to find out more and book onto a course!

  • Activate or Create your RLSS UK Account (Powered by tahdah)

    Activate or Create your RLSS UK Account (Powered by tahdah)

    Find out how to log in to your RLSS UK Account (Powered by tahdah), view our how-to guides and all the latest FAQs.

  • Find a Course (RLSS UK Course Finder)

    Find a Course (RLSS UK Course Finder)

    Looking to find a course? This page will direct you to where you need to go.

  • Cold Water Shock – the Facts

    Cold Water Shock – the Facts

    The term ‘cold water shock’ refers to a range of natural reactions that our bodies take to protect us when we enter cold water (although these reactions can sometimes work against us).

  • Rookie Lifeguard

    Rookie Lifeguard

    RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard programme gives your child the skills they need to be confident in the pool and by the sea.

  • RLSS UK Qualifications and Awards

  • Contact Us

    Contact Us

    If you are looking to make an enquiry to the society, our customer service team will be able to help.

  • National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ)

    National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ)

    The National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ) is the core qualification for anyone seeking employment on UK Beaches. The NVBLQ ensures that the qualified lifeguard has the knowledge and skills required to operate effectively across a range of beach environments.

  • National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC)

    National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC)

    NRASTC is a supervision and rescue qualification for teachers working on the poolside or in the water during programmed activities, such as a swimming lesson.

  • How RLSS UK Certification Works

    How RLSS UK Certification Works

    How certification for our National Pool Lifeguard Course and all RLSS UK courses work.

Tag cloud

First Aid Membership Survive and Save

Our charity impact

Every day we give children the chance to enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water, safely.

Find out more How do you want to help?

Popular

  • COVID-19 Support
  • Contact Us
  • RLSS UK's A-Z
  • RLSS UK Shop 
  • Your RLSS UK Account
  • Find my Certificate
  • Find a Course
  • Branches 
  • Clubs
  • Trainers & Centres
  • Safeguarding
  • Policies
  • GDPR
  • Drowning Prevention Week

Support us

  • RLSS UK Shop
  • Drowning prevention week
  • Charity lottery
  • Send an eCard
  • Our appeals
  • How to donate

Members

  • Login
  • Logout
  • Manager
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Policies
  • GDPR

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is a registered charity in England, Wales (1046060), and Scotland (SC037912). Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (3033781). Registered office: RLSS UK, Red Hill House, 227 London Road, Worcester, WR5 2JG Images and copyright © RLSS UK.

Manage Cookie Preferences