Andrea Dickens Head of Policy and Development, Smokefree South West, Bristol
Lesley Thomas Public Health Programme Manager, Devon County Council, Exeter
Abstract
Smokefree South West, working in partnership with Devon County Council, has developed and funded a Smokefree Children’s Centre project. Following the successful implementation within pilot sites, the project is being rolled out across the South West. Children’s centres across Devon and further afield have adopted a whole organisation approach to being Smokefree. This approach ensures that every opportunity is used to protect children from the harm of tobacco smoke and reduce the role modelling of smoking, and that all staff, visitors, parents and carers can work together to achieve this goal.
Underpinned by a Smokefree policy, which was developed in consultation with children’s centres managers, the project aims to embed and sustain a Smokefree culture. Smokefree signage has been developed, which has been subject to rigorous testing to ensure its effectiveness and great impact.
A training DVD has been produced, which is suitable for all children’s centre staff. The DVD has two main objectives; the first addresses the Smokefree site and highlights ways to approach a smoker in the grounds and the second provides brief intervention training for all staff, whether clinically trained or not, demonstrated in non-clinical settings.
Source of funding: Local authority funding from public health budgets.
