NICEIC urges Parents to watch out for Electrical Dangers this Child Safety Week

WITH Child Safety Week just around the corner, NICEIC; the UK's leading body for certified electrical businesses; is reminding parents about the importance of having sufficient measures in place to ensure electrical safety in the home for the whole family.
 
Child Safety Week takes place from:- Monday, 5 June to Sunday, 11 June 2023, with this year's theme being:- 'Safety Made Simple.' 'Safety Made Simple' provides parents with the simple changes they can make to stop the scariest of accidents happening within the home. Offering easy solutions that can fit into busy routines, the theme acknowledges the dangers that youngsters face both inside and outside of the home.

In support, NICEIC says that there will be a proportion of the nation's families who are unaware of the electrical dangers that can exist around the home; whilst for others, they may be aware but too busy to keep up with simple maintenance and vital periodic checks.
 
Ahead of 'Child Safety Week,' Paul Collins, Technical Director, at NICEIC, has provided some simple advice for families to stay safe within the home.
 
Paul says:- "It's no secret that electrical devices such as tablets and video games are becoming the chosen choice of entertainment for many children. As a result, many tech-savvy kids are unknowingly leaving themselves open to serious electrical dangers. Should devices such as these be handled incorrectly, especially by children, the consequences are frightening. That's why we want to encourage parents to take on some simple checks and measures in order to safeguard their family in and around the home. All of these devices need to be plugged in at some point in the home and parents should not overlook the potential risks surrounding these. It's vital that the socket-outlet is not overloaded, as this can increase the risk of a fire in the home. Other simple precautions that parents can take include:- keeping electrical cords out of reach, checking cables for damage, keeping appliances off when not in use and never leaving younger children unattended when using a device still connected to the mains. The charity Electrical Safety 1st has also done some fantastic work around highlighting the sale of dangerous goods via online marketplaces. We support in their message and urge parents to shop safely online and only buy goods from reputable retailers."
 
With summer just around the corner, parents must not overlook the potential hazards playing in the garden may bring. The garden poses particular electrical safety risks due to the added potential for water and electricity to mix; especially with children dipping in and out of paddling pools.
 
Paul continues:- "When using electrical equipment outside, it's important to make sure all electrical appliances are using a residual current device (RCD). An RCD is a safety device that automatically turns off electricity if a fault has been discovered. Another important tip that may be surprising to parents is to not rely on plastic plug in socket covers. Regular sockets, that comply with British safety standards, have a built in protection mechanism already and socket covers will not prevent electric shock if the installation is not safe."
 
Crucially, NICEIC recommends that any electrical work in the home should be conducted by a certified business, such as those listed with the NICEIC, as even the seemingly simplest of jobs can be incredibly dangerous if not installed properly.
 
Discussing the importance of child safety at home, Rory Carroll from the UK's leading charity Electrical Safety 1st comments:- "In the UK, online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Wish are not obliged to obey by the same laws as traditional retailers. So large numbers of dangerous electrical products are being sold to unknowing customers. As these possibly contain sub-standard or non-compliant parts, they can pose a serious risk of fire or electric shock. We want to ensure everyone stays safe within the home and urge you to only purchase from reputable retailers. If you are unsure about any areas of electrical safety inside or outside, we have various resources available on our Safety Around the Home hub and more information is available at:- ElectricalSafetyFirst.Org.UK."
 
For further information or to search for your nearest NICEIC Certified business visit:- NICEIC.Com.

Government scheme helps kids and families living with alcohol dependent parents

A Government backed programme has delivered improved quality of life for families affected by alcohol misuse, with children better able to access support and alcohol dependent parents encouraged to seek treatment, according to an independent evaluation published this week.
 
The Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents (CADeP) Programme Innovation Fund provided £5.7 million over 4 years, ending March 2022, to 9 areas across England. Used to create better and more innovative systems to identify and support children of alcohol dependent parents and their families, it also aimed to increase awareness of parental conflict and explore ways of addressing it.    
 
The report highlighted that children have benefitted from a range of interventions including activities to help them:- explore their own feelings, understand their parents' drinking, making a safety plan, and identifying someone to rely on. It also showed that providing support focused on the whole family unit has a positive impact on parents accessing treatment as well as their children.
 
Parents also said the support helped them address conflict and relationship issues and provided a boost to their general wellbeing.
 
Health Minister Neil O'Brien said:- "Alcohol misuse can ruin lives and destroy families, and can have a particularly devastating impact on children. The toll it can take on their mental health and wellbeing can last throughout their lives. We owe it to these children to make sure support is available. This scheme has equipped Local Authorities with the tools they need to get people into treatment and on the road to recovery and this independent review clearly demonstrates the success of the scheme. I'd encourage Local Authorities right across England to use the funding we've provided to adopt similar approaches and to get more people into treatment."
 
The Government is providing £532 million for Local Authorities to improve drug and alcohol addiction treatment and recovery services through the Drug Strategy Fund. Local Authorities can, and are encouraged, to invest this funding to develop programmes which provide tailored support to families affected by alcohol and drug misuse with this funding, using the reports finding.  
 
According to the evaluation, Local Authorities also improved their workforce through better training and recruitment as well as by integrating adult and children's services. It also successfully trained staff of frontline family services to support parents experiencing relationship distress, whether they are together or separated, to protect their children's mental health.
 
The scheme was run by the Department of Health and Social Care in conjunction with the Department of Work and Pensions, given parental alcohol misuse often coexists with parental conflict, with a clear need to create a joined up approach to address this complex issue.  
   
DWP Minister Viscount Younger of Leckie said:- "Through our Reducing Parental Conflict programme we are acutely aware that parental alcohol dependency often co-exists with relationship problems and negatively affects children's wellbeing. Every child deserves a good start in life, which is why we dedicated funding to this excellent scheme, ensuring local services can support families in this complex situation. To learn that parents reported improved wellbeing, increased life satisfaction and better relationships because of our interventions is very encouraging news indeed. The results of this work will provide an important evidence-base to help thousands more families lead happier, more fulfilling lives." 
 
Each Local Authority implemented the scheme in a different way, depending on local needs and to ensure a variety of support options. Programmes included improving early identification referral pathways during pregnancy and early childhood, recruitment to specific roles such as an early intervention co-ordinator, and the development of parenting programmes in Schools. 
  
The findings, published by the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, can be used by Local Authorities to roll-out tried and tested methods tailored to meet local needs. It evaluated the programme across 9 local areas, spanning 13 Local Authorities in England.  
  
Key findings of the report showed:- 
 
• Better leadership that allowed for collaboration across services, along with workforce development of children services and substance misuse practitioners led to timely identification of parents and families impacted by alcohol dependency.  

• Expanding staff and service capacity to specifically target children and young people, integrating parental conflict work into the support provided, and making time for whole family interventions delivered improvements in supporting parents and families.  

• In the 8 areas, adult treatment participation increased the course of the programme. Parents and their children also had more positive impacts from the approaches taken.  
 
Existing evidence suggests that children affected by both parental substance misuse and conflict have complex needs, especially regarding mental health and wellbeing. Tackling both alcohol misuse and parental conflict together can also be beneficial for the children involved.