Child restraint car seat programmes, funded wholly or partially through the Community Road Safety Programme (CRSP), are mainly organised and run by Maori and/or Pacific peoples' organisations at community level. They deliver to priority groups of the population and aim to provide low cost child car seats to their various communities. They also provide an information or education service on the correct installation and use of the car seats.
The programmes have rental, rent-to-buy and/or purchase options with interest-free time payments available to clients. The schemes also offer information and education services delivered directly to the client as well as through a variety of community venues such as church groups and health organisations.
CRSP funded child restraint programmes usually reach areas of the community that do not access mainstream programmes such as the Plunket scheme. They are complementary to, rather than in competition with, such schemes. Their strengths are their accessibility and affordability and that they are established to meet a community need.
Applicants must demonstrate that their local communities have an identified need for the programme and that this is supported by locally based research (this can be formal or informal).
Consultation showed that existing, successful programmes had first established that there was a need within a local community for accessible and affordable child restraints. Once the need had been identified then research in the form of surveys of the local community, surveys of child restraint wearing rates, and LTSA and other statistics were used as supporting evidence to find out what the community wanted in the form of delivery and education.
Priority groups are those that have been identified as high-risk in terms of low child restraint usage. They may also have limited income and/or little or no access to mainstream child restraint schemes.
Partnerships between the contractor and other providers, agencies and organisations must be encouraged and considered prior to funding the programme. The location of the programme should also be considered, eg within an established organisation that has credibility with the priority group.
It is essential for a successful programme that a co-operative relationship is built and maintained with others such as Plunket, the New Zealand Police and the Department of Work and Income. The most effective programmes have been those attached to, or working alongside, established health clinics, social service agencies, injury prevention units, etc. Applicants will specify 'other partners' or 'community involvement' on their application forms.
The distribution of seats is on a rent to buy, loan or purchase basis, with allowances for time payment. This distribution is made in conjunction with education and information such as instructions on seat installation and using the correct seat for the age of the child. Service delivery can also include seminars, presentations and workshops to community groups, organisations and a presence at local events. Any of the types of programme mentioned above can be funded, provided that they include an education and information component with the distribution of the seat.
Consultation with providers and operators of the programmes showed that the rent to buy scheme is regarded as the most successful. It allows for ongoing contact with the client, ensuring continuing usage and opportunity for checking correct fitting. Those that are economically disadvantaged can pay off a seat at an affordable rate. Research in the United States has shown that child restraint loan schemes are most effective when education is included as part of the programme.
An educational component is to be included in the programme. This will consist of:
Optional additions to the educational component (some or all of these may be carried out) are:
Presentations, workshops and displays are an important and effective part of the programme as they promote, educate and create an awareness in prospective and established clients. In established programmes these are often held with church groups, pre-schools, kohanga reo and associated health groups. Talks on radio, displays at events and Kidsafe coalition involvement can also promote and educate.
Many of the child restraint programmes have been jointly funded with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and some have been funded by the Road Safety Trust. Applicants should be asked about other contributors to ensure that two agencies are not funding the same items.
Budget applications may include some or all of the following:
Administration and correct record keeping is essential. An administrator, office space and costs may need to be paid by CRSP funding, but if the programme is with an established organisation, care must be taken to avoid paying for costs already covered by the parent or host organisation.
Child car seat co-ordinators' hours can be paid for as well as administration costs associated with their office and storage space. However, as stated above, it is important to ensure that these costs are met by only one funding body.
Resources (posters, leaflets, factsheets) are available through the LTSA and ACC. It may be that leaflets, fliers, posters and informational material relating to the specific child restraint programme are needed. Resource packs and translated literature relating to the programmes have been developed by existing providers, however, there may be a need for new providers to develop their own. It is envisaged that once the CRSP information system is established that these resources will be shared rather than reinvented by each new provider. Contracts for clients are also needed. Samples of these are in the Guidelines for the setting up and running of community child restraint rental/loan/purchase schemes or contracts can be adapted from those used by an established model programme.
A technically trained co-ordinator is essential to any child restraint programme and costs incurred for training can be included. There is no fee for the Safe2Go training and re-certification however there may be costs such as travel or accommodation that may be considered.
There may be promotion and advertising costs, such as local radio and newspapers. The cost of this could be met from the community advertising funding (see the CRSP operating guidelines).
The following records will be kept:
Established programmes have developed databases and new programmes should be encouraged to use these systems as a model and adapt them to suit their own purposes.
Technical training of the person responsible for distribution of the child car seats (car seat co-ordinator) is compulsory. All co-ordinators for new programmes will attend the Safe2Go training scheme and become accredited trainers.
To date, training has been carried out either by Plunket, the car seat manufacturer or from other co-ordinators. 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. This training is provided free and is a joint LTSA, ACC and Plunket initiative. Although training is free, there may be costs incurred in attending the training, such as travel and accommodation that may be met from CRSP funding.
It is mandatory that all people who are to distribute seats and are funded through the CRSP become accredited trainers through this scheme. If the scheme is not available in some regions, then the LTSA regional office will nominate training through a trainer acceptable to them. Currently there is nation-wide coverage by Safe2Go trainers.
Monitoring will take place as part of the LTSA's contractual obligation as in Section Two of the CRSP contract.
The monitoring and support role offered as a contractual obligation by the LTSA provides sufficient contact and reporting to maintain and ensure that this programme meets required standards. This support involves three to four contacts per year. In the establishment period of the new programme, more support and contact may be needed by the contractor with the person identified by the LTSA regional office to be responsible for the contractual support. In addition, evaluations completed by clients will provide a form of monitoring and information about the education component (see Evaluation below).
When establishing a new programme the LTSA's Guidelines for the setting up and running of community child restraint rental/loan/purchase schemes are to be consulted and followed.
A programme evaluation is to be submitted to the LTSA at the end of the financial year or within a month of completion of the programme, whichever is sooner.
Evaluation forms (see Guidelines for the setting up and running of community child safety seat rental/loan/purchase schemes) are to be completed by at least 50 percent of the clients. These are to be sent to the LTSA national office via the regional office once the contractor has taken any useful data from them. Evaluations should show that the service includes the delivery of the compulsory part of the education component to the client.