First Aid requirements for schools

January 7, 2019
first aid for schools, first aid legislation, paediatric first aid

We’re often asked to guide schools through the legislation surrounding their First Aid requirements to help ensure they are fulfilling all the necessary obligations. This blog aims to give a clearer picture as to exactly what is required to comply with the health and Safety Executive (HSE, 2015), Ofsted and with the Children and Families Act 2014 (Section 100: supporting pupils at school with medical conditions) and what they should be looking for in a trainer and why.

SHOULD SCHOOLS HAVE REGULATED FIRST AID AT WORK TRAINING OR PAEDIATRIC QUALIFICATIONS?

Schools operate as businesses, and as such are governed by the HSE Regulations 1981. Under health and safety legislation (HSE Regulations 1981) employers have to ensure that there are adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities for providing first aid in the workplace.

However, schools with nurseries and reception classes are also subject to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Ofsted regulations. Under current rules, early years providers must have at least one 12 Hour paediatric first aid course Level 3 qualified available on each premise at all times. From September 2016—new legislation came into effect requiring all new recruits to have a paediatric first aid qualification; meaning that a nursery recruiting a level 2 or level 3 member of staff who had newly completed their early years/childcare qualification must have an emergency paediatric first aid (1 Day 6hr) or a full paediatric first aid certificate (12 Hours), in order to count towards the staff/qualification ratios under the EYFS (DfE, 2015a; 2016).

The Emergency First Aid training course is equivalent to 1 day of training and the full Paediatric First Aid course is 12 hours practical or blended. This training needs to be refreshed every 3 years in order for the staff member to keep counting in the ratios.

ARE YOUR STAFF TRAINED BY A PAEDIATRIC TRAINED NURSE?

ALL pupils with medical needs can fully participate in all aspects of school life (DfE, 2015b; 2015c). Schools and nurseries need to consider all relevant parts of this act when drawing up individual health plans and considering children with known medical conditions. This is where Child Matters can help. Trained nurses with experience of managing special medical conditions and differences, training your staff helping them to feel confident with their skills.

To manage Asthma and Anaphylaxis , Schools can now have an emergency asthma kit and auto-injector to support this too (Department of Health, 2015; Asthma UK, 2016). Unprescribed inhalers and epipens can be kept in school for use in an emergency. Schools and local education authorities need to develop their own first aid policies and procedures based on a detailed risk assessment and local need.

ALL SCHOOLS MUST PROVIDE:

Suitably stocked first-aid kits in appropriate locations throughout the school and off site
Appointed person and first aider cover to provide for their first aid needs on and off-site and include cover for sickness, absence and holidays
Information for employees on first-aid arrangements.

WHAT IS FIRST AID AT SCHOOL TRAINING?

For organisations with more than 50 employees is now available as a 3-day practical course with a regulated blended learning option—with 6 hours pre-learning and 2 days practical covering adults and children. It is good practice for schools to upskill all staff with basic first aid skills to enable them to competently support first aiders in an emergency. The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) guidance recommends that organisations, such as schools, which provide a service for others should include them in their risk assessments and provide for them. In the light of their legal responsibilities for those in their care, schools should consider carefully the likely risks to pupils and visitors, and make allowance for them when drawing up policies and deciding on the numbers of first-aid personnel.

Additional points to consider when calculating how many first aid personnel are needed:

The size of the school and whether it is on split sites and/or levels.
The location of the school—Is it remote from emergency services? It is good practice to inform the local emergency services, in writing, of the school’s location (giving Ordnance Survey grid references, if necessary) and any particular circumstances that may affect access to the school. If the school has more than one entrance, emergency services should be given clear instructions on where or to whom they should report. (If an ambulance needs to be called, someone should meet the emergency vehicle at the specified entrance and take them to the casualty.)
Are there any specific hazards or risks on the site?—hazardous substances, dangerous tools and machinery. Temporary hazards, such as building or maintenance work, should also be considered and suitable short-term measures should be put in place.
Are there members of staff or pupils with special health needs or disabilities? What age range does the school cater for? Different first-aid procedures may apply to pupils in primary and secondary schools.
Adequate provision for lunchtimes and breaks. It is good practice to encourage all lunchtime supervisors to have first aid training.
Adequate provision for leave and in case of absences.
First-aid provision for off-site activities —e. school trips. If a first-aider accompanies pupils off-site, will there be adequate first-aid provision in the school?
Adequate provision for practical departments, such as science, technology, home economics, physical education.
Adequate provision for out-of-hours activities (e.g. sports activities, clubs).
Any agreements with contractors (e.g. school meals) on joint provision for first aid for their employees.

WHICH PAEDIATRIC FIRST AID TRAINER SHOULD I USE?

Training organisations who were formerly ‘Approved’ by HSE to deliver First Aid Training can no longer claim to be HSE Approved or use an HSE Approval number. ALL Child Matters first aid courses fully meet the UK and European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2015 as per the HSE requirements. Child Matters is approved by ProTrainings who regularly monitor every one of our certified courses and instructors to make sure you receive the best training possible.

The flexibility arising from the changes in the regulations gives schools more choice in the first aid training for their employees and who they choose to provide it. At Child Matters we can demonstrate how we satisfy criteria set by HSE. These criteria include:

The qualifications expected of our trainers. All trainers trained and regularly monitored to make sure you receive the best training possible. Trainers are current practicing health professionals with further teaching and assessing qualifications, enabling us to deliver training in specialist subjects.
Monitoring and quality assurance systems – through ProTrainings who offer reviewed and approved, quality training programmes. As a ProTrainings compliant centre, we can ensure that all courses meet recommendations and guidelines set by the HSE, the UK Resuscitation Council and the ERC, so you can be confident that you are receiving the highest quality education.
Teaching and standards of first-aid practice.
Syllabus content – current guidelines published by the Resuscitation Council UK, Voluntary Aid Societies (VAS) and stipulated by Ofsted.
Certification – Through Child Matters in conjunction with ProTrainings.

BOOK A BESPOKE FIRST AID SCHOOLS COURSE TODAY!

I hope this blog gives schools the information they require and we understand that you as an employer you’ll want to evidence due diligence into how you select a first aid training provider.

All your staff can be trained in one day at your own setting to include Teachers, Teaching assistants, Domestic Staff, Support staff, Playground Staff, Lunchtime Assistants, and Administrators or as individuals on public classes we run throughout the year in Bucks, Berks, Herts and Oxfordshire.

All qualified staff will receive a PDF Paediatric First Aid PDF student manual, ongoing weekly video email refreshers and reminders when certificates need refreshing or requalifying.

If there are more than 12 staff who require training it is possible to run courses with additional trainers for larger groups, up to 60 candidates in one day.

For further information or to book a private course, contact Claire Street on 07788720612 or email contact@childmatters.info to discuss your individual requirements.