December 2003
ISBN 0-478-24157-7
The Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) would like to thank all those who offered their advice and assistance with these guidelines. This booklet is designed to provide you with guidelines to assist in setting up a child restraint scheme. Your service can fill a gap for your community that is not provided by other services.
There are a number of key issues for you to consider before embarking on setting up your programme. They are:
Good luck with your programme and please contact your local regional LTSA office for further advice and support
A number of groups have discovered that setting up a child restraint service isn't always as easy as they first had imagined.
By answering the following questions, you may well succeed.
The first and overriding piece of advice is - think big, but start small.
It is really important that you research the needs of the community you intend to support, rather than relying on intuition or 'gut feeling'. Conduct a number of hui, fono or meetings, especially if you are servicing a rural community.
If meetings are not practicable, survey your community. Use statistics available through your regional LTSA office or the Police.
Being supported by such organisations can be of great benefit in promotion and support, in accessibility to your clients and with keeping track of child safety seats.
To help you decide on the type of scheme to provide, two examples of proven schemes are detailed in section 5.
It is important to find out about other child care and child restraint programmes in your area and establish a relationship with the providers.
Partnerships with providers and other organisations are important for support and the ongoing success of your programme.
Education and information that demonstrates and explains the fitting of child restraints must be an integral part of the service.
The types of child restraint seats available are:
All child restraints purchased by your scheme must meet an approved standard.
Standards approved for use in New Zealand are:
It is important to research child restraint options and consider the implications of each model before deciding what to stock.
Other issues relating to the model of child safety seat used are:
We suggest that you contact a number of suppliers or manufacturers. You could also contact other child restraint providers for their opinions. Please note: stock may not always be available from the manufacturer or importer, so, when ordering stock, allow plenty of time for delivery.
Yes!
There is now a nationally approved training scheme called Safe2Go that has been developed specifically to provide technical training and an ongoing annual re-certification to ensure those involved with child restraints are technically knowledgeable and giving correct installation advice and information.
One of the major concerns from the Police, LTSA, Plunket and other child safety organisations is the number of children incorrectly fastened into a child safety seat, or child safety seats that are incorrectly installed in vehicles.
Safe2Go is a free training course funded by the LTSA, ACC and Plunket. For details contact the Safe2Go national co-ordinator by phoning 0800 CHILD SAFETY or 09 827 6182. The Child Safety Foundation oversees the Safe2Go programme.
You must consider the ongoing costs of maintenance, increased demand, and replacement as well as the initial cost of the seats.
The Community Road Safety Programme may have funds to help. Your regional LTSA office can advise you on this.
Road Safety Trust grants can help with initial set-up costs. However, you will need to consider where to apply for funding for ongoing support.
Contact your local road safety co-ordinator for advice on possible support agencies. These may include: -
Note; Contact the LTSA regional office for the name of the road safety co-ordinator in your area.
Being based at a community centre, marae, church hall, or health clinic affords you the most exposure and ease of accessibility to your target group. You may also receive support from other groups that share the same amenities. Sharing accommodation could also reduce your day-to-day running costs.
A few schemes offer an after-hour emergency phone number. You have to decide what hours suit both yourself and your community.
You can set your rental period for up to 12 months, however, a six-month agreement is recommended. This can help you keep track of clients and also give you the opportunity to have the child safety seat inspected on renewal.
It is vital to keep accurate and detailed records at all times.
Use a multi-copy agreement form (see an example of a hire agreement in section 6), or alternatively, take photocopies of the completed agreement.
Ensure that the form is accurately completed by the applicant. Check the following details:
This may seem harsh, but experience has shown that it is very important.
A third copy of the agreement may be required if the applicant is requesting financial assistance from the Ministry of Social Development's Work and Income Service (Work and Income) (see section 4).
A database or manual record of client details should be kept with personal details as well as what seat was issued, payment progress and balance to date.
Keeping track of your child safety seats is one of the most crucial aspects of running a scheme.
It is very important that you clearly identify your stock from the outset.
Stickers are not sufficient. Attaching an indelible mark is essential. Ideally, have each seat engraved with a stock number to help keep track of the seat.
A stock record should be kept showing who has the seat, how much has been paid, where the seat is and the number of seats you have available.
Before the restraint is handed over to the renter or purchaser, it's important that you:
If the seat requires a top tether strap, insist that the tether strap bolt point is first fitted to the vehicle. Provide a list of local garages available that provide this service. Payment for this service may be claimed as part of any income support payment.
Create a maintenance and inspection schedule for each type of child restraint. Have a schedule (preferably laminated) that will ensure that the person checking the seat does not miss any important points.
These may include:
Whatever system you operate, you will inevitably incur some loss of stock. Accessories to the seats, such as the locking clip and the top tether strap, are the most common items to go missing. Holding a small supply of these items is an advantage.
Larger items, like detachable squabs, can be ordered from the supplier.
All clients must be given a handbook. Keep a photocopy master of the handbooks to use if originals are scarce. It is your responsibility to ensure that the child safety seats in use are structurally safe and clean.
You will lose a number of child safety seats through clients moving out of the community without notification, or clients passing on the seat to other family members or friends. Working alongside other agencies (see section 3a) that have regular contact with your clients (for other issues) can be of great benefit.
Keeping track of child safety seats is perhaps the greatest concern of any scheme.
It is very important to adopt a firm attitude right from the start.
Many existing schemes have adopted a policy of rental purchase, where the applicant pays a deposit (eg $40), followed by regular instalments, either by automatic or manual payment, into your bank account. Applicants may receive assistance from Work and Income (see section 4).
While attracting applicants is not usually a problem, you may want to place posters, pamphlets or other advertising material in places where your prospective clients are likely to see them, eg in hospitals, medical centres etc.
You could also advertise in community newspapers, local radio and television stations.
To promote and create awareness, you may consider: workshops, seminars, displays and presentations to relevant/interested groups.
Education is an essential part of the scheme. Clients will need to be shown how the child restraint seat should be fitted into the car and how the child should be placed into the seat. They should also receive information on the correct seat for the age and size of the child.
Most of the schemes surveyed expressed support from Work and Income as being of great assistance to many applicants. There may, however, be some regional differences. It is strongly recommended that you establish a working relationship with your local Work and Income office.
The following examples are for your consideration.
Scheme A: Rent to buy - this is the most popular and effective scheme
Scheme B: Six monthly rolling rental
| Scheme A - Rent to buy (lay-by) Applicants use an infant seat for six months while purchasing a child seat | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Action | Support | Concerns |
| Before Birth | Sign agreement to purchase a six month - five year child restraint within first six months. | Letter of reference to Work and Income for financial support. | Ensure agreement has proof of ID and that contact details are accurate (see example of a hire agreement in section 6).A bond can be set for the renting of the infant seat. Allow for thorough seat cleaning before re-rental. |
| Birth | Infant seat supplied free of charge (or with small bond). | Automatic payment established to pay for child seat within six months, while using the infant seat.Trained in fitting infant seat | |
| Six Months | Infant seat returned. Bond refunded if seat is in good condition.New child seat provided. | Training provided in fitting child safety seat | |
|
Scheme B - Six monthly rolling rental. Low bond and rental fee to cater for low-income families (community services card is proof of this) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Action | Support | Concerns |
| Before Birth | Rental agreement signed. Set bond and rental at a realistic price taking into account your costs and affordability for client. | Letter to Work and Income can be provided for hardship cases. | Ensure that all agreements have proof of ID and that contact details are accurate. Ensure new agreements are signed six monthly to allow inspection of seat condition and to check accuracy of contact details. |
| Birth | Infant seat provided. | Trained in fitting infant seat. | |
| Six Months | Infant seat inspected. Bond transferred to new rental agreement for child seat and rental paid for six months. | Training provided in fitting child safety seat. | |
| Six Months | Child seat inspected. Bond transferred to new rental agreement and new rental paid for six months. | Ensure that the seat is still properly fitted and is suitable for the child. | |
You recently rented/purchased a child restraint seat from the _______________________________________________ scheme.
Please answer the following questions about the service that you received:
Please return this form to the above scheme or to the LTSA regional office.
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Whangarei Level 1, Post Office Building Cnr Rathbone and Robert Streets PO Box 1664 Phone 09 459 6314 Fax 09 459 6318 |
Palmerston North 71 Queen Street PO Box 1947 Phone 06 953 6296 Fax 06 953 6203 |
|
Auckland Level 6, 1 Queen Street Private Bag 106 602 Phone 09 969 9800 Fax 09 969 9813 |
Wellington Level 5, Master Builders House 234-242 Wakefield Street Phone 04 931 8900 Fax 04 931 8929 |
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Hamilton 183 Collingwood Street Private Bag 3081 Phone 07 958 7840 Fax 07 958 7866 |
Christchurch Level 5, BNZ Building 129 Hereford Street PO Box 13 364 Phone 03 964 2866 Fax 03 964 2855 |
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Napier Level 3, Housing New Zealand Building 215 Hastings Street PO Box 972 Phone 06 974 5520 Fax 06 974 5529 |
Dunedin Level 1, AA Building 450 Moray Place PO Box 5245 Phone 03 951 3009 Fax 03 951 3013 |