Safe Community Smedjebacken

Name of the community: Smedjebacken
Country: Sweden
Number of Inhabitants 2005: 10,800
Programme started year: 2003
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 2006
Info address for the program: www.smedjebacken.se

Full application available:
www.phs.ki.se/csp/pdf/safecommunities/smedjebackan.pdf (English)
www.phs.ki.se/csp/pdf/safecommunities/smedjebacken_2juni06.pdf (Swedish)

For further information contact:

Anders Hjelm
Utvecklingsenheten
Smedjebackens kommun
Box 506
777 25 Smedjebacken

0240-660150
070-542 60 17
anders.hjelm@smedjebacken.se

The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:
Smedjebacken has a health promotion programme since 2001. One aim is that Smedjebacken should become a safe community for living and working, and that injuries in all ages will be prevented. The injury prevention programme is integrated in most of the public health purposes.

For the age group:

Children 0-14 years:
The child welfare care gives information of risk a protective measures, road safety, home safety, a checklist for elimination of risk at home, dangerous toys and environments, importance of safe sleeping-place, nursing-table, how to use a pram for children and a car-chair safely, risk with hot behavior. Parents get literatur/pamflets. At the child welfare centres in Smedjebacken and Söderbärke, you can find child safety file on safe equipment for small childrens. At parents`meeting gives information about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

At the antenatal clinic gives information to first-time parents, there is also support/education for single parents and teenager parents. A broad education COPE has been started, adresses to all parents with children at the age of 3-12 years. The purpose is to give as many parents as possible a tool to be understand and cope with behavior of their children and to stregthen their parenthood. To children at pre-school is an education every year about “Loose yor way and find it”. Bicycle helmets are distributed all pre-school classes and every pre-school has road-safety west coats.
Education to all pupils in 7th class in dialog practise, learing how to put trought and feelings into word and to solve inne or out conflicts.

Youth 15-24 years:
The Triangle Project is a health care chain for vulnerable young people. The aim is preventing maladjustment of young people, who run the risk of developing drug problems or have a mental illness or neuron-psychiatric problems. Parents are invited through parents`meeting to a study circle about knowledge in how to prevent drug abuse.

Adults 25-64 years:
Open house at the fire-station before Advent Sunday in order to inform about automatic fire alarms and how to use them, POSOM-group, acting supporting in case of crises.The National Federation of Farmers organizes meetings giving information of safety in forests and farms. A newspaper “Protection against accidents” is delivered to all households and an environmental annual is distributed every year. A information evening dealing with safety awarness without being scared.

Elderly 65+ years:
An exhibition for elderly people with information from ex a diabetes nurse and a dietician, pharmacy showing facilities everyday life, dentists, information about safetly alarms. All households, where one person is 70 years old, gets an enlightment bag with differnt kind of information and check-list for safety round at home. A elderly safety education gives every year. Rita- the fixer- all senior citizens can make a phone-call and book help. She makes the risky work at home, that the orderers’ can´t manage by themeselves. KOMHALL selling risk-reducing service like grass cutting, removal help. Subsidized spikes are being sold. Safety routines for all elderly centers, a visual instructor works with visually handicapped people by making an inventory of injury risks.

At the following environments:

Home:
Yes special for younger and elder people.

Traffic:

On parents´ meetings gives information about bicycle helmets and injury risks at cycling and going by moped. Road safety education is carried on at all schools. Every year is a bus ride with traveling pupils from pre-school until 6th class and road safety walks together during their schooldays. Speed bumps and street lightning to low-energy bulbs. A roundabout at crossings, a health track.

Occupational:
Routines for injury and incident reporting, follow-ups, routins for first aid and support in case of crises, Fire and Rescue Service has lessons and information on fire prevention, Educationon i diet, nutrition, heart-lung rescue and injury prevention offers by SISU, Red Cross for sport clubs

School:
Safety inspections and fire-drills at school every year. At parents´ meetings give knowledge of role/authorities referring to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Heart-lung rescue instruction for pupils, including becoming a safe and secure fellow. The pupils are instructed as pupil safety representatives. They learn about working environment, light, noise, fire risk, how to put fire and evacuation plans.

Sports:
Inspection safety routines in municipal sport and leisure grounds. Regular education about sports injuries and taping, heart-lung rescue, first aid and fire protection. Basic principles of training (endurance, speediness, strength), education of the importance of diet and sleep for young sportsmen. The clubs are being offered injury prevention education in sports and leisure activities and in diet and nutrition.Our sports and workout centers must be drug-free.

Leisure:
Safety promotion in sport- and workout areas. There is at least one controller executing daily observations in case of faults and defects in every property.

Other:
Bags with grit for free, The Risk line 020-93 00 00 can be used day or night. All of the animal breeders are being checked and supervised according to the animal preventionlaw. A health track and street lighting are exchange to low-energy bulbs.

Violence prevention:
Education in alcohol and drugs, Berga-Kul – a drug-free arrangment, the cafetria and the sports centre are open for spontaneous sports activities. The visitors have received reflector tags. The Swedish church runs activities for young people and work out in the field collaboration with the Night Wanders.

Suicide prevention:
Yes, the school is deliberately working with the 4 s`, trying to increase the pupil’s protection against the strains of life. This is:
• Self-esteem
• Self-confidence
• Self-reliance
• Self-destructive behavior

The work is in line with the National Centre of Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental III-health. Their recommendations are underlying the way of working.

Programs aiming at “High risk-groups”:

Injury and accident prevention work carried on at Child Welfare Centers. Information about alcohol and drugs for pupils and for their parents. The Trangel Project which is a healt care chain for vulnerable young people. A group against women assult, they has made an action programme “Women Assult”. Education in new municipal policy on alcohol and drugs has been given foremen and personnel categories in the municipality of Smedjebacken and OVAKO( the two biggest employers).

Surveillance of injuries:
The National Board on health and welfares statistics of number of hip fracturs each year. The injury registration of the county council, statitics of how often the municipal inhabitants visit emergency wards. Even local facts about how many who visit Berga Kul, fixing help of Fixar-Rita, statistic of crime and damage.

Staff
Number: 14
Profession, full-time and permanent: Public health coordinator

Organization:
Welfare Board, Safety and risk coordinator, the Board of technical and recreational activities, the Risk prevention group, LBR- crime Prevention Council, the Elderly safety group, Children and youth safety, Sports safety and a gruop against Women Assults.

General public health/health promotion group:
2004 a welfare broad was established. Partcipants are decision-making politicans and liable officials from the minicipal council and county council. The public health planner and the safety and risk coordinator are attached to the group.

International commitments:
Participation in Safe Community conferences: Participation in Network conference in Rosersberg 2004, National conference in Umeå 2004, Nordic conference in Karlstad 2005 and International conference in Helsinki 2002 and Bergen 2005.