Scheme Helps Keep Children Safe

02/01/2008

Children in Gloucestershire are being helped to stay safe by a well-established home safety scheme.

When the Government announced its Children’s Plan in December, it highlighted keeping children and young people safe from harm as a priority and responsibility. Accidents in the home are the greatest cause of death and injury to children under five, and they are the worst example of ‘health inequalities’ with children from the poorest backgrounds being many times more likely to suffer a fatal or serious injury than those from the most privileged families. Gloucestershire can already boast of a well-established service designed to tackle this problem.

The Gloucestershire Home Safety Check Scheme, managed by Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust and currently jointly-funded by the PCT and four District Councils, has been established for nearly 25 years.

The purpose of the Scheme is to reduce the number of accidents suffered in the home by the most vulnerable – the elderly, the disabled and the very young. Services include home safety visits; practical help, such as inspections of electrical appliances; and low cost or fully-funded children’s safety equipment, such as stairgates and fireguards.

In 2007-08, staff at the Scheme expect to visit more than 600 homes of young children across Gloucestershire, and to provide safety equipment for more than 300 families.

Tim Martin, Head of the Scheme, says: “We are delighted that the Government’s Plan recognises prioritising the safety of children, particularly those under five. The Gloucestershire Home Safety Check Scheme is the largest and longest established service in the UK with thousands of children and families having benefited over the years.

“The safety of our children is of the utmost important and if we can help prevent accidents and educate families we can keep children safe from dangers in the home, and reduce pressures on the health service and councils.”

Anyone who would benefit from a home safety check or advice on preventing accidents for children can contact Gloucestershire Home Safety Check Scheme on 01452 550575 or home.safety@glos.nhs.uk