Press Release
7 July 2008
New Post to make Wales Safer for Children
A new member of staff at Children in Wales has started work to reduce the unintentional deaths and injuries of children and young people in Wales.
In 2004 at least 154,489 children and young people under the age of 19 were treated in Accident and Emergency departments across Wales due to injury and an estimated 14,990 children under the age of 5 were injured in the home.
The new worker will develop a network of professionals who work on child safety issues, enabling them to get together to share ideas and concerns, and create a link to policy makers in Wales. She will also continue work on the recently published Child Safety Action Plan which has been drawn up to help prevent avoidable injuries and create opportunities for children to play safely and actively.
Lynne Hill, Policy Director at Children in Wales said: "We are delighted to be able to take a lead in coordinating work around child safety in Wales, contributing to the prevention of unintentional injuries to children and young people. We look forward to working with a wide range of partners across children's services, and those currently working on home and road safety in Wales"
Notes:
1. The Development Officer: Child Safety takes up her post on 7 July 2008. Children in Wales obtained funding for the new post from Health Challenge Wales. The bid was developed through a partnership with the Collaboration for Accident Prevention and Injury Control, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident and the Wales Centre for health.
2. Children in Wales has worked with Child Safe Wales to develop Towards a Child safety Action Plan for Wales. The work has been supported by the Collaboration for Accident Prevention and Injury Control and the Child Accident Prevention Trust. The project is funded by Health Challenge Wales, Welsh Assembly Government. The plan, Towards a Child safety Action Plan for Wales, can be downloaded from the Children in Wales website: www.childreninwales.org.uk/publication . It will be out for consultation until 12 September 2008.
3. Children in Wales was established in March 1992 and became a registered charity in 1993. It aims to promote the interests of children, to improve services in Wales and to put children high on the Welsh agenda. We work closely with our members who comprise professionals, policy makers and consumer groups to improve the lives of all children living in Wales, but especially young children, those affected by family instability, children with special needs or disabilities and those suffering the effects of poverty and deprivation. We collect and disseminate information about children and promote good practice in children's services through research, policy and practice development, publications, conferences, seminars, training and access to an extensive library and information service. Children in Wales has offices in Cardiff and Caernarfon.
For more information contact:
Lynne Hill, Policy Director, Children in Wales, Tel: 029 2034 2434, E-mail: lynne.hill@childreninwales.org.uk
Eleri Griffiths, Development Officer, Children in Wales, Tel: 029 2034 2434, E-mail: eleri.griffiths@childreninwales.org.uk