Criteria and Process for Accreditation as a Safe Community of the WHO Safe Community Network.
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This approach to safety promotion and injury prevention encourages greater cooperation and collaboration between non-government organisations, the business sector, central and local government agencies, and creatively mobilises local community members to action. The International Safe Communities model creates an infrastructure in local communities for addressing injury prevention initiatives through the building of local partnerships. It is a programme that was initiated in Sweden by the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion at the Karolinska Institute for Social Medicine (www.phs.ki.se/csp ).
Criteria: Safe Community
In order to be designated as a Safe Community, of the WHO Safe Community Network. communities are required to meet the following six criteria:
- An infrastructure based on partnership and collaborations, governed by a cross-sectional group that is responsible for safety promotion in their community.
- Long-term, sustainable programmes covering both genders and all ages, environments, and situations.
- Programmes that target high-risk groups and environments, and programmes that promote safety for vulnerable groups.
- Programmes that document the frequency and causes of injuries.
- Evaluation measures to assess programmes, processes and effects of changes.
- Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks.
It is recommended that New Zealand communities wishing to apply for accreditation as a safe community contact the Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand (SCFNZ) www.safecommunities.org.nz .
Process: Safe Community
The process for designation as a Safe Community includes a written application, and a site visit. When a community considers it has achieved the above criteria they should apply for an application form from SCFNZ. The application should include:
- Application fee ($5000 NZ dollars+ GST) paid to SCFNZ. The application fee covers travel and accomodation costs associated with site visits, and designation ceremony (including the provision of a flag and plaque) and the international peer review process.
- A report describing the safety promotion/injury prevention activities in the “community” organised around each of the six criteria. Applicants need to describe/define the “communities” they are working with, in the context of their own environment. No universal definition is implied by the use of the word “community” within the criteria, but mostly it has been applied to a geographical area. SCFNZ is available to support communities as they develop this application.
Send five hard copies includling all appendices of which one is to be unbound and one electronic copy (including appendices) of the application to:
Dr Carolyn Coggan, Director
Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand
Box 331399, Takapuna,
North shore 0740
coggan@scfnz.orgApplications should be addressed to:
Safe Communities Foundation New Zealand, Certifying Centre of the WHO Safe Community Network
The application for membership to become a Safe Community of the WHO Safe Community Network., has to be lodged at least one month before a site visit can be arranged. A shorter text for inclusion in both the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety and SCFNZ webpage is also required. Please note that your application will be available for international peer review through SCFNZ and the Karolinska website. Representatives from SCFNZ will make the on-site visit (usually 1-2 days) to review your programme and application. Emphasis is given to how your community has achieved each of the six criteria and needs to include:
- a meeting with the cross-sectional group that is responsible for the safety promotion/injury prevention programme in your community; and
- a field visit with community groups/agencies that are responsible for initiatives and other relevant activities relating to injury prevention and safety promotion in your community. arranged at a time and place suitable to both your community and the WHO representative.
Once all the above have been satisfactorily completed, a designation ceremony is arranged at a time and place suitable to both your community and WHO representative. In addition to the requirement specified by the WHO collaborating centre on community safety , the group also needs to agree to: make an announcement celebrating their designation; includling a SCFNZ billboard indicating that visitors/members of your community are in an International Safe Community region; and after receiving designation, work with SCFNZ staff as part of their ongoing commitment to international and national safe communities network.
- For additional information on the format for the text to be included on the website, as part of the Safe Community application process please click on the link above.