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Released 8th February 2007
Better safe than sorry
Preventing unintentional injury to children
Unintentional
injury is a leading cause of death and illness among children aged 1-14
years, and causes more children to be admitted to hospital each year than any
other
reason. It is a major concern for all those seeking to improve health and reduce
inequalities. Commitment to public health has gained momentum in recent years,
particularly with the focus on promoting health, preventing ill health, making
long term
improvements to the health of the population and the need to control the rising
costs of
healthcare to the National Health Service (NHS).
download report
This joint study by the Audit Commission and the Healthcare Commission
examines the
deployment of resources, arrangements for working in partnership and activities
to
prevent unintentional injury to children, especially the under fives.
Released 3rd December 2007
Home Safety Equipment Help For Vulnerable Families
The Government will announce in the forthcoming children’s plan a £18m scheme over the next three years to help the most vulnerable families keep their children safe from accidental injuries at home.
We know that children of parents from lower income backgrounds are at higher risk of accidental injury and that children under the age of 5 are particularly vulnerable to everyday dangers at home.
The Children’s Plan due to be
announced in the next few weeks will set out details of a new Home Safety
Equipment scheme targeted at those families in the most deprived circumstances.
Though some local areas already have schemes set up to provide home safety
equipment at low or no cost these are not available in every area of the
country.
We want all families to be able to provide a safe home environment for their
children and this scheme will provide practical help for the most vulnerable
families to reduce the risks of accidents in the home. This includes providing
stair gates, fireguards and socket covers. “Most families can provide essential home safety equipment to keep their
children safe. Vulnerable families often struggle to buy stair gates, socket
covers or fireguards and during our consultation for the Children’s Plan we
identified that more help was needed for these families to prevent accidental
injuries at home. Editor's Notes 3. £18m will be split over the comprehensive spending review period. (£6m per
year) Contact Details
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. This issue was highlighted in the February 2007 Audit Commission/Healthcare
Commission report which we highlighted in the Staying Safe consultation
document.
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288,
info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
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