NWSF Member survey - results and overview

 

Introduction

The National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) is at the mid-way point of the UK’s Drowning Prevention Strategy and in order to ensure momentum and increased collaboration, the NWSF has been working with Advisory Group Chair’s to develop a NWSF workplan. Alongside this, we asked NWSF members to respond to a short survey which aimed to explore their views and experiences on the NWSF and potential areas for improvement and future sustainability.  

This survey was a ‘snapshot’ survey for exploration purposes only.  No policy decisions will be made based on these results.

The survey aligned with the creation of the NWSF workplan and Advisory Group discussions.

 

Methods

An online 16 question survey was sent to all Coordinating Group and Advisory Group members in August 2022. The survey remained open until the end of September 2022.

All responses were analysed using Excel. All responses to open-ended questions were thematically analysed and categorised. Charts and graphs have been used to illustrate the data.

 

Key results

14 members responded to the survey (16 % response rate).

• All of the respondents to the survey were positive about their satisfaction level of membership to the NWSF.
• Respondents noted that this satisfaction was a result of the hard work and dedication of the Forum, the accessibility of online meetings, regular contact, networking opportunities and well-run meetings. Areas for improvement included the suggestion that the Forum was too much of a ‘closed shop’ and needed to improve its engagement. Other concerns were specific individual organisational barriers around time commitment.
• Some of the key benefits that members noted as being part of the NWSF included: useful guidance documents, knowledge and expertise, network opportunities, up-to date data and insights and the ability of the Forum to be a conduit to push other organisations messaging.
• Areas where members would like to see further benefit include: increased shared resources, recognition of their own organisation on the NWSF website, better engagement and improved cross-branding.
• 21% of respondents were willing to make a financial contribution to the NWSF either as an organisation or an individual. Reasons why 70% would not be willing to do this were due to budgeting demands or preference for direct sponsorship.
• The top four issues which members would like the NWSF to concentrate on include: watersport safety, general awareness raising, misadventure and education.
• Respondents suggested that the ways the NWSF could assist with this include: sharing more content, providing more WAID stats, understanding differences across the UK nations and sharing local practice.

 

Next steps

The NWSF Communications Advisory Group will take on board the suggestions around awareness raising, cross branding, use of the NWSF website, sharing more content and ways to capture local practice at a national level. This could be achieved for example, through in-depth case studies.

More WAID stats will be available with the release of WAID version 2 in 2023.

The Coordinating Group will further consider how they improve engaging across the whole UK and at local level.

The key topics that were highlighted as key priority areas for members will be pushed out to each of the relevant Advisory Groups.