PAC F100 Instructions For Use Manual - page 4
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Introduction to the Guide
This guide is to support you in providing a Child Safety Workshop to parents and caregivers. The
goal of the workshop is to improve the participants’ ability to recognize and prevent injuries.
After reading this guide, you will be able to:
Understand the requirements of each component of the workshop (i.e. preamble, main
content/interactive activity and conclusion)
Teach the “What? So What? Now What?” concept to prevent injuries among children
ages 0-36 months
Discuss safety issues as they relate to developmental milestones and how these
developments can put a child at risk for injury, specifically falls, burns/scalds and
poisonings
Communicate to parents/caregivers about safety-related concerns in the home setting
or be able to refer them to appropriate resources for more information
Fostering a Positive Workshop Environment
The following are strategies to help you prepare and engage parents/caregivers in
conversations about supervision and injury prevention during and outside of the workshop.
Tone of voice
Providing information and advice to parents/caregivers is better than not providing any at all.
However, this information must be delivered using the appropriate tone of voice to be effective
and not perceived as judgmental. The recommendations listed below are proven to be
effective in all social and economic groups, particularly regarding child safety (Department of
Children, Schools and Families, 2009).
DOs
DON’Ts
Treat parents/caregivers as equal partners and
present information as reminders.
Be overly authoritative. This can seem critical or
judgmental.
Be warm and factual. New and surprising facts
or practical tips are usually well-received.
Patronize or talk down to parents/caregivers.
Use every day, plain language.
Use high-level language.
Establishing a trusting and respectful relationship with parents and/or caregivers
Developing positive relationships with each parent/caregiver is key to sustaining engagement
(Child Accident Prevention Trust, 2012). Also, interactive approaches often enhance
participant’s understanding of the information provided. Interactive approaches include:
Problem-solving
Discussions where parents/caregivers contribute from their own experience
Collaborating together as a team to develop an action plan to overcome the barriers to
supervision and/or injury prevention