It has been the topic of many heated debates over the past few years – the fact that it is not a legal obligation to have a first aid qualification if you are an after school club or childcare facility.
In fact, under the Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), employers must provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment, first aid facilities and first aid personnel – but this does not necessarily translate into a first aid qualification.
Schools do have a legal responsibility for those in their care and first aid training must be a consideration.
But if you’re not officially a school, but are still responsible for the welfare of children, what are the rules?
Typically, an accreditation from Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and skills, is the benchmark for reliable and trustworthy childcare providers – and so best practice is to follow Ofsted’s guidelines on the matter.
In order to be registered with Ofsted, first aid provisions must be available at all times that children are cared for, either on the childcare premises, or on visits and outings. It will be the stated registered provider who is responsible for ensuring these requirements are met.
When it comes to the likes of after school clubs, many will need to be registered with Ofsted, the Early Years Register or Compulsory Childcare register, and in some cases, all of the above.
Each one of these registers come with it slightly different requirements for eligibility, but for each one, it is essential to have a first aider who holds the 12 Hour Paediatric First Aid qualification.
These courses are specific to the care of young children and are designed with childminders and nursery staff in mind. It’s a course which is in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and meets the requirements of Ofsted.
For more information on what first aid training you need if you work with children or in the education sector, or for advice on booking a course, get in touch with Aid Training today.