New child safety campaign for County Durham and Darlington

The Small Steps for Safety campaign will run during Child Safety Week from June 1 to 7, with a focus on children under the age of five.

It aims to raise awareness of everyday hazards in the home and offer practical, easy-to-follow guidance to parents and carers.

Victoria Cooling, consultant in public health at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Most accidents involving young children can be prevented through simple safety measures and increased awareness of everyday risks in the home.

“This campaign has been developed to support parents and carers with practical, realistic advice that can make a real difference to keeping children safe.

“By working together across health, safeguarding, and community services, we hope to encourage conversations about child safety and help families feel more confident identifying and reducing risks at home.”

A new child safety campaign is being launched across County Durham and Darlington aimed at helping families reduce preventable injuries among young children (Image: Supplied)

Thousands of children are admitted to hospital each year due to accidents, many of which could be avoided.

Common risks include falls, poisoning, choking, burns, scalds, and drowning.

A key part of the campaign is a series of new awareness videos filmed in a real home and told from the perspective of a child.

The videos highlight everyday scenarios where accidents can happen and show simple steps parents can take to make their homes safer.

Small Steps for Safety campaign is aimed at helping families reduce preventable injuries among young children (Image: Supplied)

Throughout Child Safety Week, the videos will be shared across social media, each focusing on a specific safety theme.

The campaign encourages adults to:

• Supervise children closely
• Identify risks before accidents happen
• Stay alert to new hazards as children grow
• Make small adjustments to improve home safety

Small Steps for Safety campaign is aimed at helping families reduce preventable injuries among young children (Image: Supplied)

Advice includes locking away medicines and cleaning products, keeping small objects out of reach, using stair gates, supervising children around water, and preventing burns from hot drinks and cooking.

The campaign also reinforces safe sleep advice for babies.

Small Steps for Safety has been developed in collaboration with multiple agencies, including health, public health, safeguarding, and children’s services teams across County Durham and Darlington.

A new child safety campaign is being launched across County Durham and Darlington aimed at helping families reduce preventable injuries among young children (Image: Supplied)

Amanda Healy, director of public health at Durham County Council, said: “This important campaign is a vital step towards keeping our children safe from preventable accidents.

“The time it takes to learn this practical, sometimes lifesaving advice is negligible when compared to the number of accidents it can prevent.

“By working with our partners, we hope we can reach as many parents and carers as possible with this initiative.”

Small Steps for Safety campaign is aimed at helping families reduce preventable injuries among young children (Image: Supplied)

Darlington Council has also backed the campaign, noting that accident rates in the area remain above national and regional averages.

Councillor Matthew Roche, cabinet member for health and housing at Darlington Borough Council, said: “Giving children the best start in life is one of our top priorities and we are delighted to be involved with this fantastic campaign which will help keep local children safe and well.

“We know that the home is the most common place for childhood accidents and sadly the rates of unintentional and deliberate injuries in children and young people in Darlington is above the regional and national average.

“This new series of films will play a vital role in ensuring parents and carers have access to reliable, trustworthy, and easy to understand information which will help avoid preventable injuries and accidents from occurring.”

Families are encouraged to watch and share the campaign videos and access further guidance online.

More information and safety advice is available at www.cddft.nhs.uk/services/childrens-services/childhood-injury-prevention.