According to Jumptastic’s Managing Director, Lee Myall, the award couldn’t have been more timely. He says: “Trampoline parks have taken a bashing recently.  One newspaper article said more than 35 people are taken to A&E every day with trampoline-related injuries and questioned why trampoline parks are so popular.  This means it’s more vital than ever that we demonstrate the importance we place around health and safety and quality management procedures.  Sport England’s Quest helps us to do just that. 

“We have worked with Right Directions, the health and safety and quality management specialist that manages Quest, since start up, using the company’s Trampoline Park Safety Operating Plan (TPSOP), which sets out how a trampoline park should operate on a day to day basis, helping us to identify key risks at both design and operational stages.  This meant we already had the procedures in place that Quest Plus evaluates, we just didn’t have the badge to prove it.  Now we do!”

Quest is the industry’s best-known quality assurance and improvement programme, with more than 700 Quest-registered sport and leisure facilities across the UK.  The Quest Plus mystery visit and two-day assessment undertaken by Jumptastic is conducted against eight core modules on day one, around purpose, people and operations. These compulsory modules rigorously evaluate everything from cleaning and housekeeping, maintenance of equipment and health and safety to staff training and business development, customer experience and community outcomes. 

Day two comprised of five chosen modules, including trampoline parks, engaging with young people and health and safety management.  In Year two Jumptastic will face a one-day unannounced review and another full mystery visit.

“Achieving Quest is very important, for our staff and the trampoline park sector as a whole, as well as those people using our facilities,” continued Myall.  “It’s third party verification of our commitment to delivering an excellent day to day service, as well as continuous improvement across our facilities.  Without the appropriate procedures in place required by Quest we wouldn’t be able to offer the same level of customer service or deliver the great product that we do.  We are definitely better as a result.”

Keeping it safe

In addition to Quest Plus status, Jumptastic also achieved Right Directions’ new Quest Trampoline Park Quality Mark - the first of its kind to be awarded in the UK.  It can be accomplished as a stand alone award or alongside Quest, with achievements from specific Quest modules counting towards the Mark. 

Gill Twell, Head of Group Development & Quest Operations at Right Directions, said:  “Within the Trampoline Park Quality Mark module, we factored in all the elements from our TPSOP, as well as the criteria set out in the recently launched BSI Publicly Accessible Specification (PAS) 5000:2017, which aims to establish an effective approach to managing – but not entirely removing – the risk of injury to customers and staff.  So the Mark demonstrates a responsible and due diligent approach to health and safety, which is a key strength of the Jumptastic’s and the team should be very proud.”

Twell also says the trampoline park sector should not react to the tabloid stories as trampoline injuries are small compared to the number of people using the parks and considerably less than other mass participation sports such as rugby and football.  “Data from our accident reporting platform STITCH, hosted by DataHub, shows trampoline parks do not have the highest percentage of RIDDOR reportable accidents, against footfall/participation, compared to other areas of leisure facilities.”