No early years manager wants to discover in an emergency that the first aid training given to the staff has not equipped them to cope effectively with a sick or injured child.
But how does a manager assess which of the many paediatric first aid training courses on offer will provide practitioners with the appropriate knowledge and skills?
'This is the crux of the matter,' says Chris Pritchard, proprietor of Jace Training. 'I don't think people do always know which first aid courses to access.
'A lot of people go to organisations like St John Ambulance or the British Red Cross because they have been established for so long. It is important to find a specialist course because you have to be so very careful when applying first aid to small children.'
Finding a course is not totally straightforward, according to James Lawrance, general manager of the First Aid Training Centre in High Wycombe. He says some first aid training providers make 'inaccurate claims' that they run Ofsted-approved courses, or that they offer 12-hour courses inspected by the Health and Safety Executive, but 'none of these claims are true'.
Criteria for training
While managers are under an obligation to ensure there is adequate first aid provision for both the children and the adults at a setting, the rules governing paediatric first aid differ from those regulating first aid at work. This results in some confusion.
Ofsted does not regulate paediatric first aid training. A spokeswoman says, 'The criteria for effective paediatric first aid training is given in the practice guidance for the EYFS. However, Ofsted is not responsible for setting the criteria. This is the responsibility of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
'As stated in the guidance, the local authority in whose area the early years provision is located, is responsible for approving first aid courses which must meet the criteria.
'Ofsted's role is to inspect early years providers to ensure they are meeting the welfare and learning and development requirements, including the requirement for at least one member of staff present on the premises holding a suitable first aid certificate.'
The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for regulating first aid in the workplace. 'We have no involvement in the regulation of any first aid courses associated with paediatrics,' says a spokesman. 'I am aware, though, that there are several unregulated paediatric first aid courses in existence and I cannot comment on the quality of the training delivered. However, on the National Database of accredited courses there is also a regulated paediatric first aid training course which is awarded by Edexcel.'
New approach
From 1 October 2009 there will be changes in training for first aid at work. Courses will contain a greater emphasis on practical aspects, and the number of days required to complete an initial course will be reduced from four to three. In addition, HSE will be regulating a one-day course called Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW). Those who are approved to deliver First Aid at Work through HSE will have automatic approval to deliver the one-day EFAW course.
'Some settings work with just one person trained in paediatric first aid, others train one person per room and others train everyone,' says Mr Lawrance. 'It is recommended that you renew your first aid training every three years to keep people's skills up to date. If an incident ended up going to court, you need to be able to show that you had applied current knowledge.
'Advice on first aid changes as medical research makes advances, so it is important to keep up to date. We would always recommend that people do refresh their first aid training so that they do not get rusty.
'A good tip for finding a paediatric course is to look for a trainer who has HSE approval for first aid at work. That gives an indication their trainers have been moderated in that respect.
'Costs can vary widely. You might get a one-man-band to come in and teach a course to ten staff for, say, £150 for the day, but a more established organisation could well charge £1,000 for a two-day course.'
The Jace paediatric first aid course develops the basic syllabus on the issues of coping with allergies and reactions, says Mrs Pritchard. 'A couple of years ago we had a child join our nurseries who needed an EpiPen. We said the child could not start until the mother and nurse had been in and trained the staff. We have somebody in each year to re-train us on EpiPens and are including it in our first aid training courses.
'A reaction can be so sudden and so serious that the staff must know how to respond at once. You cannot think it will never happen.'
Further information:
HSE, www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid, 0845 345 0055
Jace Training, www.jancett.net/jace_index.php
First Aid Training Centre, www.thefirstaidtraainingcentre.co.uk
PAEDIATRIC FIRST AID TRAINING
In order to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the local authority in whose area the early years provision is located must make sure that first aid training courses meet the following criteria:
- Training is designed for workers caring for children in the absence of their parents
- The training leading to a certificate or a renewal certificate is a minimum of 12 hours
- The first aid certificate should be renewed every three years
- Resuscitation and other equipment includes baby and junior models, as appropriate
- Training covers appropriate contents of a first aid box
- Training should include recording accidents and incidents
- Training should be appropriate to the age of the children being cared for
- Emergency needs of children with chronic medical conditions, including epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell anaemia, diabetes
- Recognising and responding appropriately to meningitis and other serious sudden illnesses.
