A mum has hit out at the "discrimination" she alleges her autistic son faced when he was told he couldn't swim unsupervised on holiday. Ceri Morris' 12-year-old son Eoin is autistic and non-verbal but absolutely loves swimming - so Ceri booked a holiday at Kiln Park near Tenby, where he could enjoy an indoor and outdoor pool.
But when Ceri, from Broughton, Flintshire, took Eoin for a swim, she claimed she was told he couldn't swim unaccompanied and was given a wristband that said "Under eights must be accompanied by an adult" - even though he was 12. Ceri claimed Eoin was discriminated against because a lifeguard saw him stimming - jumping up and down in a repetitive action brought on by his autism.
Ceri claimed: "We were sitting on the grass behind the pool but you could see the pool and watch the kids. I walked down and as we got there Eoin did a jump because he stims a lot and he jumped. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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"The lifeguard asked me how old he was, I said he was 12, they asked if he could swim, I said: ‘Yeah he’s really good.' They said I had to go in with him because under 14s had to be accompanied by an adult, but they’d already let my friend’s two daughters in and I could see my friend sat by the pool. I know Eoin - he’d be in there for six hours, or all day, if you let him. I looked around and there were loads of kids in the pool unaccompanied."
Ceri asked if she could sit on the side of the pool and put her feet in, rather than staying in the pool with Eoin. She claimed the lifeguard was "quite abrupt", and put the wristband on Eoin.
When Ceri realised the wristband was meant for under eights, she wasn't happy. She said: "He’s clearly 12, I’ve told them that he can swim, but because he’s stimmed they made me get in and made him wear a wristband for an 8-year-old. I’m not gonna let my kid drown - I can still see him from the edge of the pool!"
Ceri said her mum agreed it "wasn't right" what had happened. Haven made it clear that it was stated in its terms and conditions that children under the age of eight, as well as those under 14 who could not swim, had to be accompanied by an adult.
The company acknowledged that children under 14 might be asked to take part in a swimming test to use the pool unsupervised, a policy not advertised publicly. Haven said a test was held at Kiln Park during the family's stay, but that Ceri chose not to have Eoin take part in it.
But Ceri denied that a test was offered. She also added that the test would still be discrimination against disabled kids, adding: "That's still discriminating against disabled kids - Eoin could swim a length, but he wouldn’t because he doesn’t understand the instruction. I’ve tried to get in touch with them because I don’t think it’s fair. I didn’t use the pool for the rest of the holiday because I didn’t want to deal with the confrontation, except for one time when that particular lifeguard wasn't in, and it was fine."
Ceri said she contacted Haven, the company that operates Kiln Park, several times. She claimed she received an email from customer relations saying the lifeguard involved was upset about any upset caused, and had the "best of intentions" in trying to keep the children safe. The email offered "sincerest apologies" on behalf of Haven, but Ceri said: "They took my friend’s word that her kids could swim, and everyone else’s word. Eoin was the oldest kid by far with a wristband on.
"I was just fuming to be honest. It’s the fact they haven’t taken ownership of the fact that it’s direct discrimination. It’s purely the fact he’s disabled, quite visually. But if I tell them my kid’s 12 and he can swim, my kid’s 12 and he can swim," she claimed.
The holiday was booked through the Family Fund for families of disabled children, an organisation which works with Haven. Ceri said the Family Fund had been good to work with.
However, she said Haven should either put wristbands on every child or rethink the policy. She said: "It just made me really angry. It’s the same thing in every situation you’re in - it was his holiday, I didn’t really want to be fighting with people."
A spokesperson for Haven said: "We’re sorry to hear about Mrs Morris's experience at Kiln Park swimming pool. If deemed necessary by the lifeguard, children under the age of 14 may be asked to take part in a swimming test. However, we will be reviewing this incident to understand where improvements could be made to our policies and which allow greater flexibility for guests on a case by case basis."
Haven indicated that Eoin was given the under eight wristband as Haven didn't have a specific band for under 14s.
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