The accreditation for excellence in paediatric first aid for early years was established last September by Millie’s Trust.
The charity campaigned for all nursery staff to be trained in paediatric first aid, and was set up by Joanne and Dan Thompson in memory of their daughter who died after choking on food at her nursery in Stockport in 2012.
Mr and Mrs Thompson, along with children and staff from Townhouse Private Day Nursery and representatives of the National Day Nurseries Association, celebrated the milestone with a visit from the Millie’s Mark giraffe mascot. The nursery was also awarded a plaque to display their achievement to visitors and parents.
Millie’s Mark is awarded to settings which have well-deployed first aid processes and in which all staff members are qualified in paediatric first aid.
In addition to the 100 nurseries who have already achieved the award, over 150 more nurseries in England are currently going through the assessment process.
Mrs Thompson said, ‘Dan and I are extremely pleased that the 100th Millie's Mark has been awarded, and even more so in such a short period of time since the launch.
‘We cannot express how proud we are of the legacy that has been created in our daughter's memory that is ensuring that children in the awarded nurseries are in the best possible position if they were to need first aid.
‘We have seen how hard the nurseries are working to ensure that they are meeting the rigorous criteria of Millie's Mark and they should be immensely proud of their setting in gaining this award. We are looking forward to seeing many more nurseries being awarded Millie's Mark in future.’
Millie’s Mark is delivered by the NDNA on behalf of the Department for Education.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA, said, ‘Congratulations to Townhouse Private Day Nursery for their achievement, along with all those nurseries across England who have been awarded Millie’s Mark or are currently going through the accreditation process.
‘Achieving Millie’s Mark involves a thorough risk assessment process, setting audit and checks on staff confidence and knowledge. It is much more than having all staff trained in paediatric first aid, and demonstrates staff are going above and beyond to ensure children’s safety and reassure parents.’
Minister for children and families, Robert Goodwill, said, ‘The safety and security of our children is vital, and this kind of first aid training can provide real reassurance for parents leaving their little ones in the care of others.
‘The success of Millie’s Mark is a testament to the dedicated work of her parents Dan and Joanne to reduce the chance of other families having to face the tragedy they did. I’m delighted that Julie Lightley and her team at Townhouse have become the 100th nursery to achieve the mark, and I congratulate them on their hard work.’
From left: Stella Ziolkowski, NDNA director of quality and workforce development, Millie Giraffe, nursery manager Janet Williamson, and Dan Thompson from Millie's Trust.
- For more information, see www.milliesmark.com
