Keeping Children Safe at Home in Blackburn with Darwen

Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen surveyed 112 parents to understand awareness of child safety in the home, particularly for children aged 0-5 years. The work was prompted by local hospital data showing Blackburn with Darwen had one of the highest rates of child injury-related hospital admissions in England, especially among under-fives. The most common causes of injury admissions were falls, burns from heat and hot surfaces, collisions with objects, sharp objects and accidental poisoning from medicines. 

Parents generally demonstrated good awareness of common household hazards and identified falls, collisions and burns as the most frequent accidents occurring at home. However, the survey identified gaps in knowledge around some risks, including fire safety and blind cord safety. Awareness of specialist child safety resources, particularly those produced by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, was relatively low. Parents were just as likely to seek advice from family and friends as from healthcare professionals or NHS resources, highlighting the importance of ensuring accurate safety information is widely shared throughout communities. 

Many parents said they wanted clearer information about accident prevention, first aid and when to seek medical help following an injury. Respondents highlighted particular uncertainty around burns, head injuries, choking hazards, childproofing measures, car seat safety and distinguishing between conditions that could be self-managed and those requiring urgent care. Several parents suggested practical resources, including visual guides, checklists, posters and multilingual information, to help improve understanding of child safety risks and appropriate responses.

Healthwatch concluded that while parents were generally safety-conscious, there was scope to improve awareness, education and access to trusted information. Recommendations included improving child safety messaging across statutory and voluntary organisations, raising awareness of existing national resources, co-producing materials with local parents, providing information in multiple languages and formats, and exploring child safety training opportunities through Family Hubs and adult learning services. Eleven parents volunteered to participate in future focus groups to help shape local child safety resources and campaigns.