Certifying Centre Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand
Country: New Zealand
Population: 4,200,000
Programme started year: 2004 as SCFNZ (extension of SCFNZ Director's position as an ASCSC at IPRC, awarded in 2000)
Certifying Center for Safe Community Programs: Designation year: 2005
Website: www.safecommunities.org.nz
For further information contact:
Dr Carolyn Coggan
Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand (SCFNZ)
PO Box 90640 , AMC, (10 College Hill, Ponsonby)
1030 Auckland
New Zealand
Phone +64 9 3608846
Fax: +64 9 360 8849
E-mail: c.coggan@safecommunities.org.nz
Website: www.safecommunities.org.nz
Brief description under each of the 7 indicators:
1. Certifying Centres serve as primary resources for Safe Communities programs within their boundaries, through program assessments, certifications and ongoing evaluations of community safety promotion efforts
The SCFNZ has been established to work collaboratively with other key stakeholders to further support the development of community-based safety promotion and injury prevention both within New Zealand and internationally. SCFNZ Director, Dr Carolyn Coggan is recognised both nationally and internationally as a leader with expertise in injury prevention and safety promotion. The SCFNZ was conferred as an Affiliate Safe Community Support Centre to the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety in March, 2005. In June, 2005, the SCFNZ was conferred as the first Affiliate Support Centre to the International Safe Schools movement.
SCFNZ is a visible national champion for the promotion of Safe Communities in New Zealand. SCFNZ provides an opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to increase action on injury prevention and safety promotion. SCFNZ is committed to supporting the development of a positive safety culture and safe environments for all New Zealanders. As such, the SCFNZ aims to be both an Affiliate Support Centre and a Certifying Authority to further advance the work of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety, both within New Zealand , and internationally. The remainder of this application has been prepared based on the criteria for Certifying Authorities provided for, and subsequently finalised, following the recent Affiliate Support Centre meeting in Bergen , June 2005.
As a Certifying Centre, the SCFNZ will continue to serve as a ‘gate-keeper' for local community-based injury prevention and safety promotion programmes by providing ongoing support, outlining the value of the WHO Safe Community model, providing relevant resources, providing copies of completed WHO Safe Community applications, vetting applications, conducting site visits, and working with the applicant communities to ensure that all Safe Community programme indicators are met to a high standard, before such communities are designated as Safe Communities. SCFNZ staff are aware of the need to ensure that the certifying process supports the community development approach, while also acknowledging the need for communities to achieve the internationally established criteria for Safe Community Accreditation. To this end SCFNZ staff have a commitment to the certifying process, including, but not limited to, the conduct of site visits and the completion of relevant training requirements for Certifying Centre staff, as defined by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Safety Promotion.
Within each of the communities that SCFNZ are working with, injury data to highlight the burden of injury among populations is provided. SCFNZ supports those responsible at the community level to utilise appropriate indicators to evaluate community processes, effects of change and injury rates by providing: 1) comprehensive reports to communities seeking WHO Safe Communities accreditation; and 2) p resentations to community forums which include information relating to the use of scientific approaches to develop strategic plans and also stress the importance of process, impact and outcome evaluations for their injury prevention and safety promotion initiatives, to facilitate programme management and delivery.
Communities have provided positive feedback on the usefulness, clarity and appropriateness of the resources provided by SCFNZ staff. They consider that, because these resources are targeted to their individual communities, they have been able to respond to community concerns and interests while still utilising a scientific approach. SCFNZ's current programme of research and evaluation also encompasses major evaluations of injury prevention and safety promotion initiatives.
SCFNZ staff have already been involved in supporting the re-accreditation of both the Waitakere and Waimakariri WHO Safe Communities. SCFNZ have also produced a factsheet (number 7) titled `Safe Waitakere and Waimakariri … 5 years on'. As with all our resources, this factsheet can be downloaded from our website ( www.safecommunities.org.nz ).
All the activities detailed in this section indicate that SCFNZ is a primary resource for the sustainable development of the Safe Communities programmes within New Zealand . Additionally, SCFNZ staff are committed to supporting the development of the Safe Communities movement within the wider Pacific, Australisian and Asian regions, as well as within the wider international context of the Safe Communities movement.
2. Certifying Centres provide a framework for promoting the Safe Communities model, both on national and regional levels
The SCFNZ supports the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy (NZIPS), launched in June 2003, which is an expression of the New Zealand Government's commitment to working with organisations and groups in the wider community to improve the country's injury prevention performance. SCFNZ staff have been instrumental in the development of NZIPS and its implementation plans. The SCFNZ, by promoting the accreditation of WHO Safe Communities geographically located throughout New Zealand , will assist with achieving the NZIPS vision of: A safe New Zealand , becoming injury free and its goals of developing a positive safety culture and safe environments to be realised.
SCFNZ staff have also been involved in supporting the development of regional community injury prevention coalitions for the past 10 years. Recent highlights include:
• the re-accreditation of both the Waitakere and Waimakariri WHO Safe Communities;
• participation in over 100 community safety promotion/injury prevention networking meetings during the past three years in which resources and/or training were provided to a wide range of participants;
• specific development and identification of strategies to address suicide in the general population and among young people (15-24 years);
• support for injury prevention initiatives for Maori and Pacific peoples;
• involvement in the inaugural National Awards' programmes for road safety initiatives;
• support for the development of 23 ACC Thinksafe Communities geographically located throughout New Zealand ; and
• delivery of targeted presentations highlighting the value of the WHO Safe Community model to relevant communities with a demonstrated track-record of community-based injury prevention/safety promotion programmes in place.
As demonstrated by the above examples, the SCFNZ provides an effective framework for the promotion of collective action by a wide range of non-government and government agencies. Additionally, SCFNZ staff provide: a) resources to promote best practice in community-based injury prevention and safety promotion programmes; b) networking opportunities both at local and national levels; c) strategic advice on community development; d) expertise in the conduct of evaluation; and e) encouragement for the appropriate documentation and dissemination of community-based initiatives.
At the local level, SCFNZ staff also provide each community of interest with a presentation which focuses on the necessary components for effective strategic planning for community-based injury prevention and safety promotion initiatives. Each presentation includes information on: the injury burden (at national and regional levels); the scientific basis for injury control; evidence related to the effectiveness of the WHO Safe Community model; the value of evaluation and monitoring for strategic planning; and the need for community involvement in a strategic and coordinated way. Follow-up workshops are also held with key stakeholders from relevant community organisations. These workshops focus on refinement of goals, objectives and evaluation processes. SCFNZ staff are also available on an “as needs basis” to support strategic planning processes to any injury prevention community/coalition.
As a Certifying Centre, SCFNZ staff will build on the existing close and supportive working relationship that has been established over the past 10 years with the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden . Active participation in the Affiliate Support Centre network for community safety will also be maintained. As well as providing information to certified Safe Communities, the SCFNZ Director is also available to support the accreditation process for WHO Safe Communities internationally. Additionally SCFNZ staff, and possibly Trustees, attend relevant international conferences to ensure that the profile of the SCFNZ is enhanced and to ensure that those involved with the SCFNZ are kept fully up to date with new developments. SCFNZ staff, as part of their work-plan, will ensure that the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion is informed of any concerns related to the designation of Safe Communities, both within New Zealand and internationally.
3. Certifying Centres promote the development of local capacity to address injury problems
SCFNZ staff have been involved in providing consultative advice and support to communities both within New Zealand and Australia in relation to the WHO Safe Community model. To date, SCFNZ staff have provided extensive consultative support to eight New Zealand communities who are all interested in either WHO accreditation or the relevance of the WHO Safe Communities model for their work. SCFNZ staff have also developed fact sheets which describe the criteria, processes and advantages of WHO Safe Communities accreditation and have developed and widely disseminated ‘A Guideline for Safe Communities in New Zealand '. SCFNZ staff recognise that the provision of injury data is an essential tool for assessing the effects of community-based programmes. It is also vital for the identification of groups at high risk of injury within specific communities. Consequently, SCFNZ have provided several injury profile reports. Other initiatives include, but are not limited, to the following:
• inclusion of the WHO Safe Community model as part of the NZIPS;
• inclusion of the WHO Safe Community model as an effective way to reduce the injury burden among policy-makers and practitioners through the publication of academic reports and articles (refer to Director's CV – copy attached);
• support for the further development of SafeKids initiatives;
• support for further development of Water Safety initiatives;
• support for inclusion of intentional (suicide and violence) injury prevention initiatives;
• comparison of the relevance of the WHO Safe Community model for the ACC Thinksafe Community initiatives;
• provision of relevant information related to workplace safety within community settings;
• inclusion of the relevance of the WHO Safe Community model in presentations at regional, national and international conferences and workshops (CV available upon request).
• support for Australian community based injury prevention initiatives; and
• active membership of, and support for, the Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion based at the Karolinska Institutet and their associated Affiliate Support Centre networks for the past nine years.
As part of their work-plan, SCFNZ staff will, as a Certifying Centre, also delay certification of applicant programmes that are not able to demonstrate their capacity to use the Safe Communities model in an effective manner. However, as demonstrated throughout this application, the focus of the SCFNZ is to support communities to achieve the indicators for Safe Community accreditation. Documentation of barriers to the effective adoption of the Safe Communities model will be recorded by SCFNZ staff and a summary will be provided to the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion on a regular basis.
SCFNZ staff have also conducted research to identify the determinants of injury (refer to SCFNZ Director's C.V. – copy available). SCFNZ staff facilitate dissemination of relevant evidence on injury determinants to communities. For example, SCFNZ staff have conducted systemic reviews for specific types of injuries. The SCFNZ website also contains links to relevant websites to further facilitate dissemination of evidence-based research and information on the injury burden.
SCFNZ staff have a long track-record of providing relevant injury data to support the evidence-based approach for community-based strategic planning for injury prevention and safety promotion. In addition to providing an analysis of injury data, SCFNZ staff also support communities in the interpretation and relevance of the data for their community strategic plans. Recent injury data reports can be downloaded from the SCFNZ website
(www.safecommunities.org.nz ).
4. Certifying Centres understand that they are responsible for defining their missions, and their service areas, in cooperation with the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion
The SCFNZ has adopted a collaborative style to its work. As such, the SCFNZ Director, Trustees and staff, foster strategic partnerships with government agencies, industry, non-government groups and the wider community, to provide an opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to increase action on injury prevention and safety promotion. SCFNZ is committed to supporting the development of a positive safety culture and safe environments for all New Zealanders. As such, the SCFNZ aims to be both an Affiliate Support Centre and a certifying authority to further advance the work of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety both within New Zealand and internationally.
The SCFNZ supports the WHO Safe Communities model, as it provides an approach to injury prevention and safety promotion, by creating an infrastructure in local communities for improving safety through the building of local partnerships. Within the Safe Communities model, the leading role is played by the community itself. The term ‘Safe Community' implies that the community aspires to safety in a structured approach, not that the community is already perfectly safe. Creative methods of environmental change and education, along with appropriate legislation and enforcement, are an important beginning for the safety of a community. SCFNZ recognises that no single approach is sufficient for changing existing behaviour patterns.
Two New Zealand communities have been accredited and re-accredited as WHO Safe Communities. It is the intent of the SCFNZ to increase the number of New Zealand accredited Safe Communities significantly over the next five years. This is because the WHO Safe Communities model is recognised worldwide as an effective and acceptable intervention which reduces the burden of injury experienced by individuals, families, and communities.
SCFNZ is a not-for-profit national organisation that has been established with charitable trust status. The legal advisor for the SCFNZ is Chapman, Tripp. A Board of Trustees has also been established to provide governance, financial and strategic direction. The primary function of the SCFNZ is to increase the number and quality of accredited Safe Communities throughout New Zealand . The SCFNZ has adopted the vision of the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy (NZIPS): A safe New Zealand , becoming injury free . The SCFNZ have defined their goals, objectives, and their service areas. SCFNZ's organisational model is compatible with existing models used within the Safe Communities international network and fully supports the leadership role of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion.
5. Certifying Centres recognize their responsibility to promote and use fair and appropriate business models for the purpose of certifying local programmes
The unique value of establishing the SCFNZ is to provide support for the accreditation of communities currently engaged in safety promotion/injury prevention initiatives. An accreditation process provides, not only support for communities, but an indication of a level of achievement within the field of safety promotion and injury prevention. Although the SCFNZ has offices geographically located within the Auckland region, SCFNZ resources and staff are be available to support community groups, ACC and other government and non-government agencies/organisations, TLAs, industry and businesses throughout New Zealand, to reach the standard for WHO accreditation. As previously discussed, SCFNZ has established visions, objectives, business plan and effective processes for the work of the Foundation. The key service deliverables established for the SCFNZ are:
• relevant dissemination of information on the services provided by SCFNZ to a minimum of 1000 New Zealand groups and organisations.
• attendance at a minimum of 20 networking meetings per annum to support the development of community safety programmes throughout New Zealand .
• respond to requests for regional data support. At a minimum, support for communities wishing to access regional injury data is being provided to selected communities applying for accreditation status as New Zealand and/or WHO Safe Communities.
• develop and disseminate information on injury determinants and proven or promising safety promotion and injury prevention strategies for both the injury priority areas of the NZIPS and other relevant injury areas.
• respond to requests for training and support. Regional training is being provided to selected communities applying for accreditation status as New Zealand and/or WHO Safe Communities.
• respond to requests for evaluation training and support. Regional evaluation training and support is being provided to selected communities applying for accreditation status as New Zealand and/or WHO Safe Communities.
• to support a minimum of three New Zealand communities per annum achieving accreditation status as New Zealand and/or WHO Safe Communities.
• respond to requests for participation in WHO Safe Communities nationally and internationally, including the accreditation of WHO Safe Communities.
The SCFNZ is committed to provide a sustainable resource to support the Safe Community network at the local, national and international level. As a Certifying Centre SCFNZ ensures that its services and resources provided are either free or are charged on a minimum cost recovery basis. Additionally, as demonstrated throughout this proposal, SCFNZ activities also support communities to incorporate effective injury prevention and safety promotion strategies into their strategic plans to ensure that applicants, to the Safe Communities network, can successfully demonstrate their ability to meet programme indicators.
6. Certifying Centres' efforts are sustainable
The SCFNZ has ensured that, as a not-for-profit national organisation with Charitable Trust status, its financial accountability is robust. For example SCFNZ provides both annual audited accounts and an annual report which are open to public scrutiny. The Director is accountable to the Board of Trustees and for the preparation of quarterly and annual reports to them. Sustainable funding for the SCFNZ has been obtained from the ACC. Additional funding is currently being sought. By having sustainable funding, good office systems and a team of dedicated staff, SCFNZ have both the capacity and capability to provide ongoing services to the local, regional, national and international Safe Communities movement.
The SCFNZ has adopted a collaborative style to its programme of work which utilises both a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach. For example, SCFNZ Director, Trustees and staff, foster strategic partnerships with government agencies, industry, non-government groups and the wider community. SCFNZ staff have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and ongoing positive feedback that it continues to receive since its formal establishment in December, 2004. Since then, a wide range of key relationships and strategic partnerships have been formed at the international, national, regional and local level with both government and non-government organisations/groups. The SCFNZ strengthens and supports the creation of opportunities for contributing to the scientific basis and practice of community safety and injury prevention through its publications and interactions with government and non-government agencies, as well as the provision of training and resources to academics, policy-makers and practitioners.
7. Certifying Centres disseminate their experiences, both with other, and at national and international levels
The SCFNZ staff have strongly supported the network of Safe Communities over the past 10 years at both international and national levels.
International Support: Dr Coggan has been an active member of the Affiliate Support Centre WHO Safe Community Network and has attended many WHO Safe Community conferences and provided papers and keynote addresses. Dr Coggan has also been a member of the scientific advisory committee for the international injury prevention and control conferences on many occasions. She has also attended all of the seven national Australian Injury Prevention Conferences held so far. In addition, Dr Coggan has provided support for the development of the Australian Safe Communities Foundation and in the latter part of 2004 was the accreditor (on behalf of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Safety) for two Australian WHO Safe Communities in Mackay and Toowoomba. In 2005, SCFNZ staff attended and presented relevant information on New Zealand based community injury prevention and safety promotion initiatives at the 14 th International Conference on Safe Communities at Bergen, Norway.
The SCFNZ has adapted and built on the established models, resources and criteria of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion, the Affiliate Support Centre WHO Safe Community Network and the Canadian Safe Communities Foundation to support the further development of relevant resources for community safety. Additionally, a close and collaborative working relationship has been established with key individuals involved in the Australian Safe Communities Foundation. SCFNZ staff will build on the existing expertise at all levels to further advance the international academic knowledge base of community-based injury prevention and safety promotion.
National Support: Dr Coggan meets bi-monthly with relevant government Ministers to advance the evidence-base for injury prevention and safety promotion throughout New Zealand. Additionally, she has been a member of the Accident Compensation Corporation, Injury Prevention Advisory Council for the past three years. This Council informs the direction ACC takes in regard to its injury prevention programmes. The ACC is the lead agency in this country to reduce injury and to provide rehabilitation and compensation. SCFNZ staff have also played a pivotal role in the planning and conduct of New Zealand Injury Prevention Conferences since the inaugural conference in Waitakere City in 1999. At this first conference the accreditation of Waitakere City as a WHO Safe Community was held. Dr Coggan has also been a keynote speaker at many New Zealand conferences during the past 15 years. In 2005, Dr Coggan provided a keynote address on community safety at the ACC Bold Perspectives and later in the year SCFNZ will facilitate a workshop on the WHO Safe Community model at the Injury Prevention Network of Aotearoa New Zealand conference. Key stakeholders are always included at functions organised by SCFNZ whether that be at formal designation ceremonies, conference presentations or other networking opportunities. Key stakeholders are also always invited to attend relevant SCFNZ presentations at local, regional and national levels.
Reports on their Safe Community activities and research efforts
The SCFNZ supports accessible and systematic dissemination of relevant knowledge and experience in injury prevention and safety promotion . SCFNZ has adopted an open and transparent approach to the dissemination of information related to injury prevention and safety promotion. Additionally all existing international and national networks of SCFNZ Trustees, Director and staff are used to ensure that the services offered by the SCFNZ are widely known.
Publications (selected examples provided below):
Coggan C, Peters T. A Guide to Developing a Safe Communtiy. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand, 2005.
Coggan C, Fill J, Williden M. New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy Formative Evaluation Baseline Organisational Survey. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand, 2005. Coggan, C, Lee M, Patterson P. New Plymouth Injury Data ACC ThinkSafe Report. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand, 2005.
Coggan, C, Lee M, Peters T. Wellington City Injury Data ACC ThinkSafe Report. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand , 2005.
Coggan C, McKay J. Dissemination of examples of improvements in collaboration and co-ordination of injury prevention across a variety of settings. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand, 2005.
Fill J, Patterson P, Coggan C. Using the Community Readiness Model to Assess the Impact of the ACC Thinksafe Community Projects: Phase One Initiation Report. Auckland : Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand , 2005.
Brewin M, Coggan C. Evaluation of the Ngati Porou Community Injury Prevention Project. Ethnicity and Health. 2004; 9(1).
Butler M, Kerse N, Coggan C. The experiences of staff concerning the introduction and impact of a fall prevention intervention in aged care facilities. Australasian Journal on Ageing. 2004; 22(4): 218-221.
Coggan C, Bennett S. Community Based Injury Prevention Programmes. Chapter 22. In R McClure R et al (Eds), The Scientific Basis of Injury Prevention and Control . East Hawthorn, Vic :IP Communications, 2004 .
Coggan C, Bennett S, Lee M, Patterson P. Drowning in New Zealand : A study of mortality and morbidity data for all ages. Auckland : Injury Prevention Research Centre, 2004.
Coggan C, Bennett S, Patterson P, Borne H. The ACC ThinkSafe Community Projects: Formative Evaluation. Auckland : Injury Prevention Research Centre, 2003.
Coggan C, Peters T, Dickinson P, Brewin M, Bennett S, Borne H. THINKSAFE Injury Prevention Resources for Schools. Wellington : ACC. 2003.
Hooper R, Coggan C, Adams P. Injury Prevention Attitudes and Awareness in New Zealand . Injury Prevention. 2003; 9:42-47.
Coggan C, Bennett S, Hooper R, Lovell C. Auckland City Community Profile: Opportunities for Promoting a Safety Culture . Auckland : Injury Prevention Research Centre, 2002.
Coggan C, Hooper R, Adams B. Self-reported injury rates in New Zealand . New Zealand Medical Journal, 2002; 115(1161): On-line http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal .
Coggan C., Bennett S, Hooper R. Whangarei District Community Profile: Opportunities for Promoting a Safety Culture. Auckland : Injury Prevention Research Centre, 2001.
Coggan C, Patterson P, Brewin M, Hooper R, Robinson E. Evaluation of the Waitakere Community Injury Prevention Project. Injury Prevention , 2000; 6(1):130-134.
Information material:
An annual report on the achievements of the SCFNZ will be provided to the WHO Collaborating Centre on Safety Promotion. A website (with appropriate links) to allow for the downloading of all materials produced by the SCFNZ has been developed ( www.safecommunities.org.nz ). The SCFNZ website ( www.safecommunities.org.nz ) is widely promoted at all community forums as well as being promoted in all SCFNZ fact sheets, reports and pamphlets. This has resulted in many visits to the SCFNZ website.
SCFNZ staff have also developed factsheets which describe the injury burden and the criteria, processes and advantages of WHO Safe Communities accreditation. Factsheets have been widely disseminated throughout New Zealand and copies are able to be downloaded from the SCFNZ website ( www.safecommunities.org.nz ).
In addition SCFNZ staff have also produced ‘A Guideline for Safe Communities in New Zealand '. This resource was based on the WHO Safe Community model and an adaptation of guidelines previously developed for Canadian and Australian audiences. This guide has been widely disseminated to interested communities. It is also available on the SCFNZ website
( www.safecommunities.org.nz ) for other national and international audiences.
As demonstrated throughout this document, SCFNZ adopts an open and transparent approach to the dissemination of information related to injury prevention and safety promotion at local, national and international levels.
In conclusion, SCFNZ staff have been strong supporters of the WHO Safe Communities model nationally and internationally over the past 10 years. As demonstrated throughout this document, SCFNZ has strong competences in evaluating community-based safety efforts. SCFNZ also has dedicated staff to support its planned programme of work to promote the successful adoption of the Safe Communities model throughout New Zealand, as well as internationally. A major strength of the SCFNZ staff is their leadership to work effectively at the policy level. In particular SCFNZ is proud of its contribution to the development and implementation of the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy. SCFNZ is also committed to providing regular and effective communication to ensure that the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety and all other relevant stakeholders are kept fully informed of any new developments. SCFNZ pledges its continued support, in terms of the provision of relevant resources and information, to all communities that seek support for working towards accreditation as WHO Safe Communities.
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