Review your school-wide approaches to preventing injury
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Review leadership and governance responsibilities’
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Review playground safety
Review playground safety
Falls are the primary cause of a concussion or TBI.
In children, 37% of fall-related hospitalisations happen on playgrounds.
Reduce the risks on your playground by reviewing the:
- quality and quantity of soft-surfacing materials to a safe depth
- maintenance schedule of playground equipment
- consistent implementation of your active supervision.
Enforcing helmets
Enforcing helmets
Helmets do not prevent a concussion, but they may reduce its severity.
As a community discuss the use of helmets during activities and sports.
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Review supervision of all sport and physical activity
Review supervision of all sport and physical activity
Discuss with all staff ways they can ensure the safety of children and young people and reduce the risk of brain injury.
- Ensure children and young people wear appropriate safety gear and that it fits correctly.
- Enforce “play by the rules”.
- Stress the importance of health. Do not allow children and young people to play when they are ill or suffering from fatigue.
- Reduce risks at practice – teach safe contact approaches.
- Commit time to warm-up exercises relevant to the activity or sport.
Source: Adapted from the website of Brain Trust Canada (opens in a new tab/window)
Make risks visible
Make risks visible
Building understanding of risks is an integral part of brain injury prevention.
Utilise the curriculum to create authentic opportunities for learning.
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Reflection questions
Reflection questions
Research suggests a multi-faceted approach is more effective than providing only safety recommendations to children.
Review your current approaches to injury prevention in these three areas.
- Are we utilising the best engineering? For example: Use of impact-absorbing safety surfacing for playgrounds and installing locks or safety mechanisms to keep children and young people out of hazardous areas without supervision.
- How consistently are we enforcing rules? For example: The enforcement of playground soft-surfacing materials to a safe depth, regular maintenance of playground equipment, and enforcement of the helmet rule when children ride bikes.
- How are we providing supervision and prevention education to the highest quality? For example: Planned connections to prevention in the curriculum, active supervision.
Useful resources
Useful resources
CDC Heads Up app: Rocket blades
This game app for iOS devices is aimed at 6–8-year-olds. It focuses on concussion awareness and prevention.
Publisher: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
ACC SportSmart concussion national guidelines - sport organisations
Read time: 21 min
These guidelines have been produced to support national sports organisations and the recreation, education and health sectors to develop policies for concussion in sport.
Publisher: ACC New Zealand
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Review leadership and governance responsibilities”:
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Current page Review your school-wide approach to prevention
Return to the guide “Supporting learners with acquired brain injury”
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Acquired brain injury and learning
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Acquired brain injury and learning
Understand:
- Understand the basics about ABI
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Understand impacts on learning and wellbeingShow suggestions for Understand impacts on learning and wellbeing
Strategies for action:
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Review leadership and governance responsibilitiesShow suggestions for Review leadership and governance responsibilities
- Raise community awareness
- Review your school-wide approach to prevention
- Align processes and policies with national guidelines
- Be informed about funding processes and support services
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Concussion: Support a return to learning and activityShow suggestions for Concussion: Support a return to learning and activity
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI): Support a return to learning and activityShow suggestions for Traumatic brain injury (TBI): Support a return to learning and activity
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Non-traumatic brain injury: Support a return to learning and activityShow suggestions for Non-traumatic brain injury: Support a return to learning and activity
