Keeping kids safe New guide to inform practice

In Australia, injuries are the number one cause of death among children over the age of one with a cost to the nation of over $212 million each year, and a mean cost per child of $3,119.

In NSW alone, around 60 children (aged 1-16 years) die as a result of an unintentional injury, and a further 20,000 are hospitalised every year.

In an effort to counteract these horrific statistics and to keep children safe, a new resource known as the Child Safety Good Practice Guide has been launched.

This resource, an Australian first, has been compiled by a consortium of child health experts including Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, NSW Health, NeuRA , Kidsafe NSW and European Child Safety Alliance.

The resource aims to reduce unintentional childhood injuries that lead to hospitalisation or death by providing a summary of good practice, to the extent it is known, for each of the leading causes of injury to children in NSW.

The Guide will be of interest and use to everyone interested in keeping children safe and out of hospital including parents, schools, early childhood education and care providers, sporting clubs and so on.

Dr Susan Adams, Paediatric Surgeon at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick said in her job she saw families, who only ever wanted the best for their children, whose lives were changed forever in the blink of an eye due to injury.

"Australian families and the community dearly want their children to grow up in an environment that is conducive to optimal growth and development, fostering the sense of childhood exploration and discovery that is such an important element of childhood. This Guide hopefully provides a starting point in helping to frame that environment for the decade ahead," Dr Adams said.

Working collaboratively, NSW child safety and health experts - including Dr Julie Brown, senior research fellow at NeuRA, Dr Susan Adams, Paediatric Surgeon at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, Karen Zwi, Community Paediatrician at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, and Christine Erskine Executive Officer at Kidsafe NSW - saw the opportunity to provide child safety leadership not only in NSW, but across Australia.

The Australian edition of Child Safety Good Practice Guide builds on previous work by child safety researchers from around the globe. The first Guide was initially developed by the European Child Safety Alliance and saw significant success across the continent.

The 2017 Australia publication incorporates a new section on safety guidelines for children in sport and includes: cricket, soccer, horse-riding, cycling, baseball, skateboarding, hockey and snowboarding, as well as quad-bikes, and other off-the-road vehicles.

The purpose of the Australia edition of the Child Safety Good Practice Guide is to provide practitioners, decision makers, and legislators with an evidence-focused resource, relevant to the Australian setting, on which they can base their work, funding and recommendations.

To view this guide click here