Are you a parent that loves holidays with Kids’ Clubs? If so, you’re not alone.
While kids often have a great time making new friends, playing games and trying out new activities, parents often enjoy taking a well earned rest while their kids are having fun.
Parents may be interested to know, however, that not all Kids’ Clubs are the same. The responsibility for regulating Kids’ Clubs and ensuring safety often varies depending on where the holiday is and who you booked it with.
Victoria Gallanders, an expert in travel law at Irwin Mitchell has been investigating Kids’ Clubs. “Kids’ Clubs in the UK should be registered and regulated by Ofsted, unless they are exempt,” said Victoria. “English Health and Safety laws also apply to the Kids’ Club to ensure that your children are safe whilst in their care.”
The situation outside the UK is less clear-cut and regulation varies from country to country. Commenting on overseas Kids’ Clubs, Victoria said: “Kids’ Clubs in foreign countries have to adhere to the laws of that country, but these may fall short of the standards that we have here in the UK. Parents with kids that are likely to join a Kids’ Club may want to do some research before they book.”
Many UK tour operators offering package holidays offer their own Kids’ Clubs and adhere to the Federation of Tour Operators’ Guidelines on Child Safety.
While most children return safely from a Kids’ Club, it is important for parents to understand their rights in the unfortunate event of an accident. Victoria said: “If your child is injured whilst under the care of the Kids’ Club staff, the actions you can take vary depending on who you booked your holiday with. If you book the Kids’ Club activities as part of a package holiday and your child is injured, it may be possible for you to bring a claim in England against the tour operator under the Package Travel Regulations.
"Even if your child is injured whilst in the Kids’ Club care and the Kids’ Club was not part of a package holiday, you may still be able to bring a compensation claim against the hotel of the company that provided the club. In these circumstances the claim would need to be brought in the foreign country and your claim would be subject to that country’s laws."
If your child has been injured while at a Kids’ Club, we recommend that you seek expert legal advice as soon as possible. Call us free on 0800 056 0066.