WIREDGOV

NICE has produced two new tools to support the recently published guidance on preventing unintentional injuries in children and young people under 15.

The two tools - Key facts for local councillors and Ten questions to ask if you are scrutinising local action on preventing unintentional injuries - will help those working in local authorities and local councillors and their staff put NICE's recommendations into practice.

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death and serious injury in children and young people under 15.

Serious injury can lead to long term consequences such as disfigurement or disability and it can also impact on a child's education, affecting their attendance and performance at school.

Each serious injury and death is a tragedy, yet many are avoidable. NICE's recommendations are based on evidence about the measures that work to save lives and protect children from serious injuries.

NICE published three pieces of complementary guidance in November last year which aim to keep children and young people safe from serious harm. These consider strategies to prevent unintentional injuries; home safety assessments and the provision of safety equipment; and road design.

To help with this suite of guidance, NICE produced the two new tools in collaboration with the Centre for Public Scrutiny and Local Government Improvement and Development.

The key facts for local councillors: making the case for investment tool is designed to be used by local councillors with the help of their public health analyst, scrutiny officer or a member of the local Children's Safeguarding Board.

It can help councillors to inspire, challenge and lead the case for local investment at a strategic level in their local authority on the grounds of using the best evidence available; value for money and cost effectiveness; their personal or political commitment; or a combination of all of these.

The ten questions to ask if you are scrutinising local action on preventing unintentional injuries in u15s tool provides a Q&A framework for members of overview and scrutiny committees and their officers, based on the NICE guidance. It also provides information on how OSCs should prepare for scrutiny, and who to invite to give evidence.

There is already a series of downloadable practical tools from NICE, including a slide presentation, and a costing tool, with an Excel template to help public professionals in local authorities disseminate the guidance and build the case for investment. They are designed to save time and provide a framework for local implementation.

To find out more about NICE's guidance on preventing unintentional injuries among under 15s and the accompanying support tools; take part in a hotseat discussion live online, on Tuesday 1 March 2011, 11am - 1pm.

The hotseat, hosted by the Healthy Communities Community of Practice (CoP), will give you a chance to pose questions to Simon Ellis, Associate Director in NICE's Public Health team, and Dr Heather Ward, Chair of the Programme Development Group that developed the strategies guidance.

Register for free to become a member of the Healthy Communities CoP and to take part in the online discussion.