Jackie Southworth of SOVRIN Training looks at the provision of first aid training for child carers

First aid training for people working with children commonly known as paediatric first aid is something of a grey area within the UK training industry. There is no regulatory authority in the way the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) monitors first aid for the workplace, and contrary to what some may believe, first aid training for child carers does not fall within the remit of the HSE.

OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) and SureStart are the two main organisations with an interest in first aid training for people employed in the childcare sector.

OFSTED are the government inspection authority who report on and improve standards of achievement at all levels of pre-school and compulsory education. This role is carried out in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by departments of the relevant devolved administration and as a result there may be some minor differences, although the principles are basically the same.

SureStart operates in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and one of their major responsibilities is in the field of childcare. For this reason they have issued guidance regarding the minimum content of first aid training courses for childcarers.

The legislation covering persons wishing to register as childcarers requires them to hold an “appropriate first aid qualification”. In the best traditions of the people who draft our laws, they have gone on to clarify that an “appropriate first aid qualification” means a qualification in first aid appropriate for the treatment of children for whom early years provision is provided. Which makes everything a lot clearer!

Fortunately, for us, SureStart have issued guidelines as to what exactly should be included in a paediatric first aid course. The guidelines can be found on their website www.surestart.gov.uk . The opening paragraph of those guidelines states “Generalist first aid certificates that are the normal requirements for employers, although required in work settings, are not sufficient for working with young children and babies. For settings covering only 12-16 years olds an adult first aid certificate is appropriate.”

SureStart require training courses to last a minimum of 12 hours and be designed specifically for workers caring for children in the absence of their parents. It should lead to a certificate or a renewal certificate which must be renewed every 3 years. Resuscitation mannequins and other equipment used during the course should include baby and junior models as appropriate. Students should learn the requirements of reporting and recording of accidents and incidents, and be taught what first aid kits for use with babies and children should contain.

In order to fully comply with the guidelines, students should be taught how to recognise, treat and respond appropriately to ALL of the following in respect of babies and children: planning for and dealing with emergencies, resuscitation, shock, anaphylactic shock, electric shock, bleeding, burns and scalds, choking, suspected fractures, head, neck and back injuries, cases of poisoning, foreign bodies in the eye, ear and nose, eye injuries, bites and stings, the effects of extreme heat and cold, febrile convulsions, epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell, diabetes, meningitis and other serious sudden childhood illness.

It must be stressed that the above criteria is only compulsory if the client has an obligation to comply with the guidelines, although many education establishments choose courses complying with the guidelines as it now seen as a benchmark, especially when courses attract government funding. Some organisations may require QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) accredited paediatric courses and there are a number of organisations through which training providers can supply these courses.

Since the National Childminders Association (NCMA) and the Pre School Learning Alliance (PSLA) discontinued their first aid approval some years ago, there is now no nationally recognised approval scheme for paediatric first aid training.

It is important to realise that in a childcare organisation the requirement for staff to be trained in paediatric first aid to care for children, is in addition to any obligations under the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Although a person having successfully completed a paediatric course would in all probability be acceptable as an “appointed person” for HSE requirements.

So, if as a trainer or training organisation you wish to deliver paediatric first aid training to your clients, ensure you comply with the guidelines, seek approval of your course from the local authority in the areas you work and think twice before paying money to any scheme claiming to be an approval body!

Sources:
OFSTED
SureStart