PAWS
Partnership Approach to Water Safety (PAWS) is a multi-agency approach to improving water safety that combines the knowledge and experience of those individuals and organisations that best understand, and can manage, risks in and around water.
There are 3 key key stages:
Prevention:
This stage focuses on raising consistent water safety awareness through education, engagement, and media platforms.
Improved Incident Response:
This stage focuses on training the public on how to safely respond in the developing stages of a water emergency. Additionally, this stage focuses on Search and Rescue (SAR) organisations conducting multi-agency training events
Review:
This stage focuses on learning from significant water events through the use of the Drowning and Incident Review (DIR).
PAWS updates
The new documents below were developed to assist PAWS Chairs in the management of their local group. It is vital that the consistency of messaging and approach across Scotland is maintained. The following documents set expectations and support mechanisms available to PAWS Chairs to help ensure this consistency as well as the protection of Water Safety Scotland.
PAWS - Guidance for Chairing a PAWS group
WSS Editable Partnership Approach to Water Safety
Editable PAWS document for PAWS groups
Hotspot Action Plan - Editable document
MORE Info
PAWS groups are currently active in 31 of Scotland's local authorities.
Guidance for establishing a paws group
A partnership approach to water safety
If you wish to find out if there is a PAWS group in your local area, or you are looking to establish one, please contact us using our contact form. Our team will answer any queries you might have and provide full support.
PAWS Chair report
We issue an annual survey to PAWS Chairs, which enables us to monitor dissemination of national resources and messaging at local level. Below you can view the latest report that was produced using the results of this survey.