Councils should train staff to prevent accidents with children, says Nice

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) is calling on all councils to ensure staff across education, transport and housing services receive training in preventing accidents and ensuring children are kept safe.

The guidance, aimed at reducing the number of children who are accidentally injured or killed, also states that disadvantaged children in low income families and living in rented housing are more likely to be injured or killed through an accident.

Nice states that most accidents on the road, in the home and schools are avoidable with good training and safety assessments.

Heather Ward, chair of Nice’s programme development group, also called on councils to appoint a local injury prevention officer to coordinate efforts.
She said: “Their role would be to coordinate activities across a number of local organisations, such as highway authorities, fire and rescue services, housing and children’s services, to help align policies and strategies in this area and encourage people to work together more effectively.”

She added that creating such a role and providing staff with accident prevention training would save money. An example she gives is ensuring landlords install temperature control devices on baths in houses with children living in them to prevent them from being scalded and needing hospital treatment.

She said: “Given that it can cost up to a quarter of a million pounds to treat a scalded child, not to mention the scarring for life that these children endure, then it’s a very good measure to implement.”

The guidance covers three parts: strategies to prevent accidents; the importance of home safety assessments and installing safety equipment; and advice to road designers.