Staff, volunteers and other adults should not be in the changing room when children or young people are undressed or showering. The presence of adults in changing rooms can make some tamariki and rangatahi feel uncomfortable. This situation can also be unsafe for the adults. 

At the same time, adequate adult supervision is needed to ensure there aren’t opportunities for harmful behaviour.  

Adults supervising children and young people will need to find a balance between: 

• being on hand to detect and prevent any harm  

• ensuring that children and young people are safe  

• ensure they have privacy when showering and changing.  

One approach is to remain close enough to the changing rooms to hear how things are going, and to prevent others from entering the facilities, without being in the changing area. 

However, supervision may be needed in changing rooms if: 

• children are too young to be left alone or change themselves  

• the facilities have established policies or guidelines saying younger children must be accompanied  

• the group includes disabled children who need additional support and assistance with changing (and you have permission to assist from caregivers, whānau and the tamariki and rangatahi themselves) 

• children could injure themselves or access a potential risk, such as an unattended swimming pool 

• you have concerns about managing bullying, fighting or other harmful behaviour 

• there are concerns about photographs or videos being taken in changing rooms 

• mixed use of the changing facility by adults and children is unavoidable 

• changing rooms or toilets are open to the public. 

If it is necessary to supervise tamariki and rangatahi in changing rooms, ensure that:  

• there are at least two staff or volunteers there at all times  

• the adults supervising are the same gender as the children and young people using the facilities 

• the adults supervising are vetted and approved for this duty. 

If you’re an adult responsible for supervising a group of tamariki or rangatahi, look out for their safety around changing rooms and bathrooms at all times. 

• If a child or young person enters a changing room and they don’t return in a reasonable time, check if they are okay. Always take someone with you. 

• If adults aren’t available to supervise and wait outside during a toilet visit, use a buddy system. This is where children can nominate two or more ‘buddies’ of a similar age and gender who can go with them.  

• Perform random checks of out-of-the-way and out-of-sight locations, including corridors. However, always announce yourself loudly and wait for permission before entering changing rooms being used by tamariki and rangatahi. 

Read more guidance on background checks and training for people working with children and young people 

Do not accompany your child into changing rooms where other people’s children are changing unless:  

• it’s a public facility where you’re visiting as a family, such as a swimming pool 

• the child or young person needs help with dressing and showering for a specific reason, such as assisting younger children, or for children and young people with disabilities or injuries. 

If you’re a parent or caregiver and your child needs help in a changing room where a group of other people’s children are changing, you should:  

• let one of the adults in charge of supervising the group know in advance that you need to accompany your child 

• make sure there is at least one member of staff or volunteer is present with you when other children and/or young people are using the changing room.  

If you are not the same gender as the children and young people in the changing area, find a separate room or cubicle to use.  

If you’re visiting or hiring a facility and using their changing rooms, find out: 

• who to contact if an issue arises about changing room layouts  

• if the public will have access to the changing facilities and toilets at the same time  

• other activities taking place that could impact on the use of changing facilities and toilets  

• if any of the children and young people have special needs, for example, gender, medical conditions, or disabilities requiring special equipment.  

If members of the public will be using the toilets and changing rooms, make sure that there are approved adults available to supervise.  

If there are no changing facilities available at a location, tell children and young people, and their parents, caregivers or whānau, beforehand.

See related guidance on planning safer travel with tamariki and rangatahi 

As a club or organsation, you can make sure that changing areas are safer places for tamariki and rangatahi, and for the adults supervising them. We recommend having a strong focus on prevention and awareness of child safeguarding practices in these environments.  

Discuss and agree on the expected behaviour for ngā tangata/everyone using your changing rooms. When you make decisions about this: 

• consider documenting these in a policy, guidelines and code of conduct 

• communicate these decisions to the members and visitors at your club or organisation, and let them know what’s expected from them. 

The guidance below applies mainly to existing changing facilities, but can also be used when planning to retrofit or build new facilities.   

Children and young people are vulnerable when undressed, showering or dressing in changing rooms. Do not allow photography or video — including ‘selfies’ — in toilets, changing rooms or showers under any circumstances. 

When someone uses a mobile phone in a changing room, it’s difficult to tell if they are simply sending a text or using an app. They could be taking photos or videos for inappropriate reasons, such as online bullying or to share in a sexual context.  

To reduce the risk of people taking inappropriate images, ban the use of mobile phones, tablets and cameras in these areas. Make sure tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau, as well as all staff and volunteers, are aware of this rule. Provide clear communication, signage and posters.  

Find out more about the risks for children and young people when taking and sharing images  

• For mixed-gender activities, provide separate changing areas. 

• If disabled children and young people need to use changing facilities, make sure they are accessible. The disabled child or young person and their parent, caregiver or whānau should decide if and how they should be assisted. 

• If there aren’t suitable facilities, ask children and young people to arrive already dressed for the game or activity. 

Changing rooms and showers can be particularly stressful places for rainbow tamariki and rangatahi. ‘Rainbow’ includes children and young people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+), takatāpui, or non-binary. 

Changing rooms can be common sites for gender and sexuality based bullying. These children and young people may also not feel comfortable in shared changing rooms, especially if they are asked to use changing rooms that don’t align with their gender identity. 

Think about how to support rainbow, takatāpui and non-binary children and young people in clubs and organisations. You may need to make decisions on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the safety and needs of all of the children and young people using the facility.  

Discuss options with the children and young people and their caregivers and whānau. Consider providing the option of a separate changing room or bathroom, if possible.  

If you’re refitting, or building new facilities, include child safeguarding considerations into the design.  

You’ll need to: 

• identify the potential risks and research how to mitigate them 

• include effective natural surveillance with few out-of-the-way places 

• think about installing surveillance equipment (for example, CCTV) in high-risk environments where natural surveillance is not feasible 

• make sure you don’t compromise a child’s right to privacy when designing any surveillance 

• decide if there will be areas used exclusively by children and young people.