Safe Community Borås

Name of the Community: Borås City
Country: Sweden
Number of inhabitants: 101,487 (2008)
Programme started year: 1992
International Safe Communities Network Membership:
Designation year: 1998, Re-designated 2008.
Info address on www for the Programme: www.boras.se/fritid/folkhalsoenheten/sakerochtryggkommun.4.633e5e10039748abd7fff28739.html

Application report:  

For further information contact:
Helena Ahlstedt
Department of Leisure and Tourism, Public Health Unit
Sturegatan 38,
SE- 501 80 Borås
Sweden
Phone: +46 033358674
E-mail: helena.ahlstedt@boras.se

http://www.boras.se

The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:

Children 0-14 years:

Safe preschools

In 2001 we began working to certify safe preschools in Borås. Planning and method development of certification is led by the Child Safety Council. The tangible work is carried out by the method developer for a Safe Community and the contact coordinator group for Child Safety. Each of the ten districts has a contact coordinator appointed by the operations manager for schools and child care.

In their work to certify preschools they will draw up an action plan for safety work. Preschools will document routines to deal with risk situations such as fire, accidents, dropping off and collecting children, escaping / disappearing, outings, playing outdoors / outdoor environment, etc. Action plans will also be in place for crisis management and fire prevention. There will be a n education programme for CPR and first aid. Preschools will also document injuries and carry out annual child safety rounds.

Preschools are certified on a district basis. The first three districts were designated in 2002. Certification is valid for three years. After that the preschools will review their work. All preschools in Borås have been certified since 2007. This means 89 preschools and 208 departments. Four youth recreation centres, seven municipal child carers, the private Montessori preschools and Freinet preschool, the Swedish church's preschools and an open preschool are all approved and certified.

Child safety theme days

Information and education are a major part of injury prevention. The Child Safety Council offers preschool and school staff education and lectures within current and requested areas on an annual basis. These theme days are coordinated with organisations such as the Red Cross, the civil defence organisation, Consumer Borås, the emergency rescue service, the National Society for Road Safety, etc.

Child safety bags

The method developer has recourse to a child safety bag that contains the latest child safety articles on the market. The bag contains brochures, reflectors, reflective vests, ear protection, anti slip devices for indoor and outdoor use, anti trip devices, test cylinders, different types of bicycle helmets, locks and bolts, corner protection, anti tipping devices, window locks, fire alarms, etc. This bag is used for information and demonstration to preschool personnel and nurses at child welfare centres. The bag is also lent to the coordinator for staff training, parent meetings, etc.

The ten child welfare centres in Borås each have their own child safety bag. The bag was updated in 2007 and the contents are the same as the method developer's bag. Each child welfare centre has a contact person who is responsible for the bag and for informing new parents about the contents and their functions.

Child protection rounds

Child protection rounds are a working model that increases risk awareness and commitment to safety issues. It also provided a basis for preventive work. The focus is placed on day to day risks from an operational perspective. The operations manager, safety representative or another staff representative and the caretaker participate on behalf of the operation. A report is drawn up containing a summary of the risks, action to be taken, who is responsible for what action and when the action will be carried out.

Systematic fire protection at preschools

A fire protection file has been created in collaboration with the Leisure and Tourism Department's coordinator for systematic fire protection and the child security council. The file includes the most significant headings – all information that is unnecessary for preschools is omitted. All preschools in Borås have been issued with a pdf file containing headings such as:

•  Description of the operation (ownership, operations manager, description of building, etc.)

•  Fire protection policy (Why? How? Fire prevention is aimed at your operation)

•  Fire protection organization (main responsibility, fire protection controller)

•  Telephone and contact list

Etc.

Youth 15-24 years:

Safe primary schools

Work to certify Safe Schools is underway. The Child Safety Council assisted by resources from the district Centrum has drawn up a certification template. During 2008 the working group for health-promoting schools will be restructured to adapt to safety work in primary schools.

The idea is that schools that wish to be certified according to indicators for International Safe Schools will be able to achieve this as the indicators set by the municipality for safe schools are largely built upon International Safe Schools requirements.

Adults 25-64 years:

Sports safety

The Sports Safety Council had a new start during 2006. The method developer for a Safe Community, working with the Tourist and Leisure Department, was assigned to draw up a systematic safety document for organizational activities. One of the objectives is that each association appoints two safety coordinators in the association. The safety coordinators work systematically with safety issues in their own associations and submit working material to the Sports Safety Council for approval. Follow-up and evaluation is carried out. The association must apply for recertification every second year and all incidents and accidents must be documented.

Indicators for certification as a Safe Association

•  Facilities/property inspection

•  Systematic fire prevention work

•  Policy for accidents, emergency illness and crisis management

•  Train functionaries in first aid and CPR

•  Inspection of equipment

•  Policy for doping/drugs

•  Inspect external environment and all entrances and exits to facilities and property

•  Policy for travel in the association

•  Policy for renting out facilities/property

•  Environmental policy

•  Review of association's insurance and responsibility

•  Documentation of incidents and injuries

Crime prevention Work

The Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ:B) has been active in Borås since 1997. The council consists of strong representation from the Municipal Board, heads of the major committees, the director of the housing company, the chairman the business association, crime prevention superintendents, the head of the emergency rescue services, etc. Working methods are adapted to local conditions – problems, area size, interested parties, traditions and so on. The council's primary task is to organize, initiate, plan, support and follow up crime prevention work. The practical measures are carried out by council members within the framework of their ordinary operations. Examples of tasks in the past two years are

•  Increased safety in the City Park

•  Camera surveillance in exposed areas

•  Safe housing areas (Hässleholmen)

•  Improved youth situation

•  Grafitti and other damage

•  Support centre for young crime victims

Safety patrols

Safety patrols are a method to create a better and safer environment. They are also a method to investigate how people use their environment and how they thrive in it.

Safety patrols are done in Trandared, Göta and Brämhult. There is a checklist to simplify the patrols. The patrollers are inhabitants and others who work in and use the area along with those responsible for the area such as representatives of municipal committees, private land owners, housing associations, the police and other associations. Their ages, gender and background vary. A secretary is appointed to take notes during the patrol on measures needed to improve safety and wellbeing. One of the patrollers takes photographs.

After the safety patrol the initiator and the secretary type up their notes. Tasks are divided according to manager/actor and forwarded to those concerned.

City Initiative

The background to the initiative is the parliamentary decision on 14 June to, in accordance with a government proposal, extend City Initiative work. The purpose is to counteract segregation. The result of the decision is that 20 municipalities had the opportunity to sigh local development agreements with strategic district plans to counteract the negative consequences of segregation. Borås is one of the municipalities.

Borås appointed Hässleholmen as the area for the initiative within the framework of the extended City Initiative work. The basis for this project is a development agreement with the State which means joint support for the residents of Hässleholmen in the following areas.

•  Increased employment, reduced social support

•  Language development and school results

•  Attractive and safe districts

•  Democracy and participation

•  Public health

Quiet streets

The district of Brämhult works with a method called Quiet Streets which is an integration project. Quiet Streets was started in 1995 with the purpose of reducing violence and vandalism in Stockholm 's underground system. The method is based upon creating contact with young people using communication, local anchoring, commitment and a wide contact network and in this way preventing conflict.

Support centre for young crime victims

The Social Welfare Committee in Borås decided in 2006 to create a new position, within the initiative children and young people, to work with young crime victims. The County Administrative Board approved an application from Borås for funding to hire a person to work with young crime victims.

Support for young crime victims is a collaboration between Borås and the youth unit in police area 2. The operation is aimed at children and young people up to the age of 20 in Borås who have been exposed to robbery, assault, rape or unlawful threat, among other things. The project is strongly linked to mediation work and the influence programme.

AB Bostäder in Borås – Safety Project

AB Bostäder has been working to create safe housing since 2002. Safety in the home and surrounding area is a feeling worth safeguarding. Feeling safe can involve not being afraid and feeling that one is in control of a situation. AB Bostäder believes that the physical environment and a feeling of being safe are linked and therefore it is important to focus on both the physical environment and social factors to create safe housing areas.

Elderly 65+ years:

Senior safety work internal

Geriatric care Borås

Geriatric care in Borås has worked with deviation reporting since 1995. According to the routines of geriatric care a nurse is to be contacted in all cases. The nurse evaluates the patient's state of health case for case. A physical therapist/occupational therapist is contacted immediately to implement action such as fall prevention training, treatment and to recommend aid devices.

Since 2004 the MAS/ MAR unit has carried out a specific investigation of all reports of falls during a one month period. In 2004 and 2005 the inspections were done in November and this year the inspection was done in October.

This detailed mapping of falls will create a basis for the continued work to reduce the number of fall accidents in Borås. A project group has been built and this group has created an action plan ”Project fall accidents”. The project is run within geriatric care from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2008.

The purpose of the project is that fall prevention work will take place in the daily work of the operation to ensure a long-term view and sustainability. One of the methods used is the breakthrough method. The project is called ”Hela ben” (Whole Legs).

Breakthrough method

Establishing clear, patient focused objectives, using simple indicators and measurement methods and systematically testing changes on a small scale will promote knowledge of which changes lead to improvement. The method is based on the fact that certain knowledge is not used to a sufficiently large extent in the daily work within geriatric care.

A team consisting of people from ten different units in Borås is working together for a limited period with a mutual focus on improvement. They will learn from others and from each other how they can improve and develop their own operation. The objective is, based on what is best for the seniors, to review routines, processes, division of labour, everything that is done and perhaps not done.

Supplementary services

All districts in Borås provide so called supplementary services. A new law makes it possible for municipalities to, without individual needs testing, provide services intended to prevent injury, accidents or ill health for people of 67 years and over. The new law does not limit the municipality's obligations in accordance with the Social Welfare act. Supplementary services are free for users. The orderer is responsible for material. As part of the Safe Community work several of the districts offer a review of the senior safety bag, which contains small simple aid devices to prevent accidents in the home.

Contact coordinator for senior safety

The contact coordinator is appointed by the heads of geriatric care in the districts. The contact coordinator will work with fall prevention in his/her district and can, to advantage, work with voluntary organizations and associations. Contact coordinators in all districts arrange annual senior safety theme days. The arrangements for these days may vary but they most often include activities with Apoteket (pharmacy), dental care, the emergency rescue services, information about the services provided by senior care (supplementary services, taxi service for the disabled), information from the rehab unit about aid devices, family/friend support. Lectures have themes such as safety in the home, medicine, traffic safety, fire safety, safety work, diet and physical activity.

Senior safety bags

The contact coordinator has a senior safety bag at his/her disposal. The bag contains brochures, checklists and small, simple aid devices available on the market to prevent accidents in the home. Examples of what the bag contains are anti slip devices, shoe spikes, fire alarms, fire blankets, torches, reflectors, anti slip bands, support grips, hip protection, anti slip socks, cordless telephone, medicine dispensers and child protection items for those who receive visits from grandchildren.

The senior safety bag is used by contact coordinators during meetings with relatives, home visits, and training sessions for health care and geriatric care staff. The bag is lent to seniors' organizations and supplementary service providers when required.

Senior safety external

Senior Safety Council

The aim of the Senior Safety Council is to provide information and knowledge about senior safety to as many seniors in Borås as possible. Through the senior organizations PRO, SPF, SPRF and Aktive seniors it is estimated that the Senior Safety Council can reach 10 000 to 12 000 members in Borås. There are 18 000 inhabitants over 65 years of age in Borås.

At the following environments:

Home:

Please see above ”children and elderly”

Traffic:

Training in own training premises

The Streets Department has its own training facility suitable for groups of 15-20 people. Theoretical and practical training is carried out here. The facility includes a crash sleigh and a roll-over vehicle. The training is aimed at home help staff, preschool, primary school and secondary school staff and traffic safety coordinators for seniors' organizations.

Traffic and safety coordinator in seniors' associations

Seniors' associations in Borås have many members and local clubs. PRO, which is the largest association has 18 local clubs, SPF has 9 local clubs. The other two associations are Aktiva seniorer and SPRF. To reach these member, 10 000 to 12 000 in total, the Traffic Safety Council began working in 1997 with traffic safety coordinators in these associations. The traffic safety coordinators receive training each year in traffic safety issues, information which they in turn can disseminate to the local club.

External training and information

At each child welfare clinic new parents receive information about car safety and bicycle helmets for children. Parents are also offered the option of child proofed car equipment at a cost of 300 SEK/9 months. Child welfare clinics also organise meetings for immigrants where an interpreter is present. Child welfare clinic nurses are educated each year in fitting child car seats, new traffic regulations and bicycle helmets.

Traffic information sessions are arranged at secondary schools on request. Each year the traffic safety coordinator at the Streets Department arranges traffic safety weeks in cooperation the voluntary organizations FMK, NTF and Brain Injury Association.

Traffic safety information is carried out each year in Sfi education, Swedish for immigrants.

Sfi teachers also attend traffic safety training each year. The traffic safety coordinator provides information, especially designed for immigrants, at the family centre in Norrby. The traffic safety coordinator offers traffic safety information on occasions such as wellbeing theme days, theme days and membership meetings at seniors' organizations

Streets Department traffic safety exhibitions and sales

The people of Borås can buy bicycle helmets, reflectors and anti slip devices at the Streets Department. There is also a child car seat exhibition where the seats can be tested and information received. Those responsible for traffic safety at seniors' organizations can pick up anti slip devices and reflectors (bicycle helmets during the summer) at the Streets Department which they can then sell at their monthly meetings. The Streets Department also lends out child car seats on a short-term basis, for instance to grandparents receiving a visit from grandchildren.

Bicycle helmets and seatbelt count

Traffic safety coordinators carry out bicycle helmet and seatbelt counts each year in Borås.

The bicycle helmet count started in 1991. Bicycle helmets are counted at the 5 largest working sites in Borås, five bicycle tracks, outside five primary schools and in 5 housing areas. The count takes place annually during a 14 day period in September. The use of helmets for all age groups and environments has increased by 17.3 percent to 45.7 percent 2006. The largest increase since 1991 is in areas outside primary schools, from 17.9 percent to 68 percent. An increase of 50 percentage units.

The seatbelt count started in 1993 and is done in three places in Borås; Åsbogatan, Hedvigsborgs underpass and Annelundsmotet. An exception was made in 94, 95, 99, 02, 03 and 05. The survey is done in different speed zones, 50, 70 and 90 km/hour. It is carried out during one day in October, 3 times/per measurement site. Seat belt use is calculated based on the driver and passengers in the front and back of the car. The use of seatbelts by drivers and passengers has increased steadily since 1993.

Speed checks

The Streets Department does speed checks on most areas where the public complain about high speeds. Checks are also carried out prior to, during and after reconstruction of roads to measure the effects of speed reduction measures. The purpose is to optimize speed reduction measures while at the same time causing motorist the least possible inconvenience.

Accident investigations

We have an agreement with SOS alarm which gives us real-time information about traffic accidents to which the emergency rescue services respond. Traffic safety coordinators inspect the accident scene from a road maintenance perspective. The Streets Department has an agreement with the police authorities which allows access to the accident scene and also to those involved in the accident.

The use of bicycle helmets is very high in Borås compared to other municipalities. Borås Municipality and the Streets Department received NTFs gold triangle in 1993 for their bicycle helmet campaign. Borås also received the gold triangle in 1998 for the network analysis of Borås's bicycle and road network.

Road works checks

The Street Department checks road works sites in the Borås road network, in the first instance, to ensure that the sites are trafficable for the unprotected and disabled. Contractors are often careless about providing good trafficability on pavements and cycle and pedestrian paths.

School:

Safe preschools

In 2001 we began working to certify safe preschools in Borås. Planning and method development of certification is led by the Child Safety Council. The tangible work is carried out by the method developer for a Safe Community and the contact coordinator group for Child Safety. Each of the ten districts has a contact coordinator appointed by the operations manager for schools and child care.

In their work to certify preschools they will draw up an action plan for safety work. Preschools will document routines to deal with risk situations such as fire, accidents, dropping off and collecting children, escaping / disappearing, outings, playing outdoors / outdoor environment, etc. Action plans will also be in place for crisis management and fire prevention. There will be a n education programme for CPR and first aid. Preschools will also document injuries and carry out annual child safety rounds.

Sports:

Sports safety

The Sports Safety Council had a new start during 2006. The method developer for a Safe Community, working with the Tourist and Leisure Department, was assigned to draw up a systematic safety document for organizational activities. One of the objectives is that each association appoints two safety coordinators in the association. The safety coordinators work systematically with safety issues in their own associations and submit working material to the Sports Safety Council for approval. Follow-up and evaluation is carried out. The association must apply for recertification every second year and all incidents and accidents must be documented.

Violence prevention:

Crime prevention Work

The Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ:B) has been active in Borås since 1997. The council consists of strong representation from the Municipal Board, heads of the major committees, the director of the housing company, the chairman the business association, crime prevention superintendents, the head of the emergency rescue services, etc. Working methods are adapted to local conditions – problems, area size, interested parties, traditions and so on. The council's primary task is to organize, initiate, plan, support and follow up crime prevention work. The practical measures are carried out by council members within the framework of their ordinary operations. Examples of tasks in the past two years are

•  Increased safety in the City Park

•  Camera surveillance in exposed areas

•  Safe housing areas (Hässleholmen)

•  Improved youth situation

•  Grafitti and other damage

•  Support centre for young crime victims

For more information look above at Adults 25-64 years

Suicide prevention :

According to the municipal action plan for prevention of protection against accidents and the extraordinary events have assignments given to Leisure and Tourism Committee to start a project with a view to proposing an action plan to reduce the number of suicides in the municipality.

A suicide prevention group has been formed under the direction of leisure and tourism administration's public health unit. The group includes representatives from the Meadow Brook High School, individual and family care, South Älvsborgs Civil Protection and the Federal Child and adolescent psychiatric clinic in South Älvsborgs hospital. The Working Group will carry out work in conjunction with the NASP (National prevention of suicide and mental illness), Western Swedish Network for Suicide Prevention, the Swedish Church and Mitt i Borås.

The group is designed to create an action plan to reduce suicide in the municipality with the target group for children and young people as first priority.

Programs aiming at ”High risk-groups” :

In Borås the injury prevention programme has, for a long period, worked with high risk groups such as children, young people, seniors and the disabled. The following measures have been taken to reduce the risk of injury for the disabled: Paths for the visually impaired, elimination of ground level differences for the physically disabled, busses adapted for the disabled and wider pavements.

Another high risk group that has been brought to our attention in recent years is immigrant groups. Immigrants account for 17 percent of the population of Borås. Continuous traffic safety information is provided to immigrants attending Sfi classes (Swedish for Immigrants). They also receive information about security in the home from the method developer for a Safe Community. Interpreters provide the information in Serbo Croatian, Dari, Persian and Arabic.

Surveillance of injuries : Preeschools

Numbers per year: approx. 500 - 800
Population base: approx. 4 600
Started year: Since 2001

Surveillance of injuries : Within care of the elderly

Numbers per year: approx. 470 - 600
Population base: approx. 3000
Started year: Since 1994

Produced information material, pamphlets :

Håkanson IM among others. Registrering av olycksfallsskador inom Borås, Mark, Svenljunga, Tranemo och Ulricehamns kommuner. Borås, 1993.

Håkanson IM, Blanck P. Registrering av olycksfallsskador inom Borås, Mark, Svenljunga, Tranemo och Ulricehamns kommuner. Borås, 1994.

Johansson B. Vem faller - var, när och hur? En studie om fallolyckor bland äldre boende i eget hem. MPH-essay. Unpublished. Borås, 1997.

Sjöberg C. Registrering av skololycksfall under 1995 vid skolor i Borås kommun. Borås, 1996.

Sjöberg C.Registrering av skololycksfall uner läsåret 1996-97 vid skolor i Borås kommun. Borås 1997.

Henriksson G, Jacobson K, VI-projektet, En intervjuundersökning i Brämhults kommundel, Borås. Borås, 1994.

Håkanson IM, Lorén H, Westheim E, Axelsson E. VI-projektet, Sociala nätverk, samverkan och hälsa i ett bostadsområde. Borås 1997.

Wängerstedt I. Invandrarkvinnors livssituation, En intervjustudie med kvinnor på Hässleholmen, Borås. Borås 1996.

Injury Surveillance Data Utility and Impact: Developing the Injury Data, Prevention, and Practice Nexus 2003-2007. Final report. KI report 2007:3.

Risk and vulnerability analysis for Borås City. The basis for creating a safe environment. Established by The Municipal Council 20 January 2005.

Municipal action plan for preventive work against accidents and extraordinary events. Established by The Municipal Council of Borås City 20 January 2005.

Local Welfare Management System 2006 – for increased knowledge about health and welfare. Leisure and Tourism Dept. in Borås City.

Staff

Number: Approx. 100
Professions: part-time or full-time:

Permanent: 7 (Who have the general responsibility for the public health work in Borås)

Temporary:

Organization:

Metod Developer for A Safe Community

The primary responsibility for safety work lies with the operative units but they need assistance in this task. Therefore, Safe Community work is coordinated centrally by the Leisure and Tourism Department. It is the task of the method developer to coordinate accident prevention councils and groups within the areas of senior safety, child and youth safety and sports safety and also to network with national networks, local organisations, trade and industry and government authorities.

As well as that there is a coordinator for the respective areas: Internal safety, drug and crime prevention, traffic safety and crisis management. To achieve a wide level of commitment and participation, work with mutual goals, etc. will be delegated to work groups that are linked to coordinators for the various areas.

Specific intersectoral leadership group:

Safety Manager Borås, Municipal Risk Management

Safety and risk coordinators will systematically work with the physical risks and will also be responsible for training staff and others in systematic fire prevention, among other things. The safety manager has a large network of contacts. Among these contacts are representatives from all the municipal committees in Borås, with responsibility for safety, fire prevention alarms, and insurance in the respective committees. The safety manager is a member of the Safety Council, Crime Prevention Council and Risk Management Council and functions as a cohesive, supportive and collaborating factor. Another important function of the job is that the safety manager works as a driving factor towards overarching comprehensive solutions with the purpose of creating a safe community.

General public health/health promotion group:

The strategic development group for public health issues

Since the health and medical committee decided to reduce its activity in the area of public health and the public health unit was placed under the umbrella of the Leisure and Tourism Committee it has become necessary to review the area of public health. The public health council was dissolved and in its place a strategic development group for public health issues was appointed with the intention of broadening, deepening and anchoring public health issues. This group comprised municipal commissioners, the head of the leisure and tourism committee, heads of administration, the head of local police and the head of primary health care.

International commitments:
Study visits: 4 since 1998
Participation in Safe Community conferences: In South Africa 1997, Rotterdam 1998, Norway 2002, Prag 2004, Wien (EuroSafe) 2006
Hosting Safe Community Conferences: 12-13 november 2008