Child Safety Week 2024: Get safety sorted

Child Safety Week 2024 runs from Monday 3rd to Sunday 9th June in the UK.

Its Child Safety Week 2024 in the UK with the theme of safety. sorted!Spearheaded by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, the annual community education campaign is focusing on the theme of ‘Safety. Sorted!’ this year.

The national charity, which works to prevent death and serious injury to children from avoidable accidents, says that families need to be clear about what actions they need to take to keep their children safe and “feel confident that, with one small change, they can stop a serious accident.”

This has inspired this year’s Child Safety Week theme, as the Trust works toward a safer world for all children and hopes to prompt thousands of child safety conversations and activities UK-wide.

Access Child Safety Week resources

The Child Accident Prevention Trust provides a wide range of free resources for parents, carers and teachers during Child Safety Week.

Parents, carers and teachers can access child safety week resources free of chargeResources, such as information packs, display packs, videos and posters, help families to develop the confidence and skills to properly manage real risks to child safety. The focus is on allowing children to have the freedom to grow, learn and play all while remaining safe from serious harm.

The Trust has also developed free handouts which highlight small and easy changes that families can make to ensure that they have child safety sorted.

Child Safety Week resources include clear and simple information about key child safety risks, including burns and scalds, button batteries, choking, dog safety, drowning, falls, fire safety, magnets, poisoning, road safety, strangulation and suffocation. Top tips can also be found at any time on the Trust’s advice hub.

You can download factsheets with simple, bite-sized tips about different child safety topics, activity sheets for children and session plans for teachers.

Spread the word about Child Safety Week

The Child Accident Prevention Trust wants to ensure all families have the knowledge and skills to protect children from serious harmChild Safety Week is designed to ensure that as many families as possible are aware of vital child safety advice. This is especially important as Public Health England (PHE) data shows that 80% of accidents involving children under the age of 5 happen within the home, with one child being killed each week as a result of an accident at home.

You can help to spread the word by sharing posts from the Child Accident Prevention Trust on social media and using the hashtag #ChildSafetyWeek.

Some of the charity’s key safety messages include:

  • Blind Cords– If a toddler gets a blind cord caught around their neck, they can lose consciousness in just 15 seconds and could die in just 2 or 3 minutes. Blind cords should be fitted with a cleat hook or tensioner to keep cords and chains safely away. Consider using cord free blinds in children’s rooms, move bedroom furniture away from cords and chains, as children may climb, and make sure the cords on the back of roman blinds are connected using a device that breaks under pressure.
  • Button Batteries– If a small child swallows a button battery – particularly big, powerful lithium coin cell batteries – it can become stuck in their food pipe and burn through to the main artery, very quickly causing serious harm or even death. Children aged 6 months to 4.5 years are most at risk. Check your home for button batteries and keep products containing them well out of a child’s reach if the battery compartment isn’t secured. Spare batteries should also be stored well out of reach and flat batteries safely disposed of as soon as possible – they can still hold enough charge to pose a danger to your child. The CAPT also advises parents to be wary of online marketplaces or local discount shops, as products sold by them may contain button batteries that your child can access easily. If you suspect your child has swallowed a battery, take them to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance immediately.
  • Dog Safety– Most families feel that their dog would never bite or attack a child, but its important to understand that any dog can bite if they feel they have no other option, and statistics shows that children are most likely to be bitten at home, by a familiar dog. Calm, happy dogs who receive plenty of exercise and mental activity, as well as having a safe space of their own for peace and quiet when they need it, are less likely to lash out. Teach children to be calm and kind with dogs and to avoid shouting, teasing or giving tight, restrictive cuddles. Children should also be taught about key times when it’s important to leave a dog alone, such as when they’re sleeping, eating or have a toy or something else they really like and may not want to share. Close supervision at all times is key; watch, listen and remain close when your child is with a dog. If you’re ever concerned by the way your dog behaves around your child, speak to your vet in the first instance.
  • Road Safety– Help your children learn road safety by modelling the correct behaviours yourself; ensure you always check for traffic and pay attention before stepping into the road. You can teach children the Green Cross Code from age 5, but you may need to keep reminding them about road safety rules and should always closely supervise young children, encouraging them to hold your hand or use walking reins when you’re out and about. Make sure your child’s car seat is the appropriate one for their age, height and weight and for your make of car. Ensure children always wear a helmet when cycling and access cycle training for them if possible. Keep an eye on your own speed when driving and never use your mobile phone behind the wheel.

Training to improve child safety

Mark Child Safety Week with relevant trainingFirst Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food hygiene, mental health, health and social care, safeguarding and more.

They work with a large number of early years, schools and childcare providers, as well as colleges, youth groups and children’s services.

Their courses include Safeguarding ChildrenHealth and Safety for Child CarersRisk Assessment for Child CarersPaediatric First Aid Training, and many more.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Small children can be into everything and it can take just a moment for them to do something unsafe or injure themselves. It’s essential that those who are responsible for their care are aware of the risks and the sensible safety measures to take to remove or significantly reduce those risks.

“Our common sense safety and first aid training for early years and childcarers ensure that those who work with children have the knowledge, skills and confidence to keep children safe and protected from harm, and that they can take the correct, effective steps if an accident does occur.”

For more information on the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.