About My Course

National Pool Lifeguard (NPLQ)

What’s being a lifeguard like?

Lifeguards benefit from varied working hours which you can easily fit around your other commitments, working within a team and there’s also the opportunity to progress your career within the leisure industry as most leisure managers start off as Pool Lifeguards.

Benefits

Excellent starting point for a career in the leisure industry
Opportunity for career progression, as most leisure managers start off as Pool Lifeguards
Varied working hours
Work within a team
The NPLQ is recognised around the world, so potential to work and travel
Great way for students to fund studies
Learn essential life skills, including First Aid and CPR

Course content

The NPLQ covers all elements of Pool Rescue Techniques, Lifeguarding Theory, First Aid and CPR. The course is physically demanding and will include swimming to set times, lifting casualties and diving to the deepest part of the swimming pool. Training and assessment for the NPLQ is in three sections and all must be successfully passed to attain the qualification.

Section 1 – The Lifeguard and the Law, Swimming Pool Supervision

Section 2 – Intervention and Rescue and Emergency Action Plans

Section 3 – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, AED and First Aid

About the assessment

Assessment for the NPLQ takes place at the end of the course. It determines your knowledge and understanding of the principles of working as a pool lifeguard and assesses your ability to apply the skills and knowledge in a work-related environment.

The assessment is split into three sections:

Practical pool assessment
Theory Assessment for all 3 sections
Practical First Aid & CPR assessment

Course Prerequisites

Every candidate attending a NPLQ course must be 16-years-old at the time of taking the NPLQ final assessment and be able to:

Jump / dive into deep water
Swim 50 metres in less than 60 seconds
Swim 100 metres continuously on front and back in deep water
Tread water for 30 seconds
Surface dive to the floor of the pool
Climb out unaided without ladder/steps and where the pool design permits

Course Fee

£250 and includes you latest manual and qualification registration

Maintaining your NPLQ Status and Renewal

NPLQ renewal candidates may renew their qualification within the period of validity of their existing qualification as stated on their certificate. This will include a full assessment of lifeguard knowledge and skills by an independent assessor. Candidates must have access to the most up to date copy of ‘The Lifeguard’ manual prior to assessment.

The following is required to be completed by candidates prior to the renewal assessment of their qualification to demonstrate their ongoing professional competence:

20 hours Continued Professional Development within the last two years from the date of previous assessment covering content from the NPLQ syllabus:
- In-water swimming pool rescue skills (at least 4 hrs)
- CPR (at least 4 hrs)
- First Aid (at least 4 hrs)
- Lifeguard theory (at least 4 hours)

Continued Professional Development can be achieved by:

Attendance at Lifeguard ongoing training and competency assessment* (strongly recommended)
Attendance at alternative training, face-to-face or online, relating to In-water swimming pool rescue skills, CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard theory

Approved prior learning (APL)

In some circumstances, candidates may be able to show evidence of prior achievement to exempt themselves from sections of the course.

Where candidates wish to claim a training exemption, they must provide the course trainer with original qualifications prior to the start of the course. A maximum of 12 hours accreditation for prior learning may be claimed.

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