by Carolyn Port
•
24 Nov, 2021
The official EYFS requirements from Ofsted remains that you must have at least one fully trained (2 day) Paediatric First Aider available to deal with first aid incidents where you have pupils of reception age (https://bit.ly/3FH14RG), and government guidance on first aid in schools states you must have first aid provision available at all times while people are on school premises and also off the premises on school trips (https://bit.ly/3rlIJWz). It is obviously good practice to have at least 3-4 full Paediatric trained colleagues to provide flexibility for illness, absence, training courses, PPA cover etc. The fully trained paediatric staff can then be further supported by ‘sufficient and adequate’ additional first aiders in the school (the number to be determined by the school according to their first aid needs assessment). In practice these are usually staff who have completed a one-day Emergency Paediatric First Aid course. Secondary schools will have additional hazards in their curriculum and environment, such as science labs, sporting activities with more risk of serious injury, hazardous equipment in art and/or DT and heavier pieces of equipment. In addition, communities tend to be much larger, with high numbers of pupils and staff, which also bring a higher risk of an incident occuring. Health and safety legislation additionally places a duty upon employers to have first aid provision available for everyone in the school, including the headteacher, teachers, non-teaching staff, children, visitors and contractors, therefore some form of first aid training for adults is a requirement. This can be achieved by some colleagues holding the one-day Emergency First Aid at Work qualification (which can be done concurrently with the one day paediatric qualification above). However, there is an increasing move amongst schools to ensure they have at least one member of staff with the full 3 day First Day at Work qualification, and this is being reflected in the messaging in health and safety conferences and meetings, and in the guidance being provided by local authorities and within Academy Trusts. In particular, the additional day covers heart attacks, strokes, angina, crush injuries, chest and abdominal injuries and deeper training on areas such as bleeding. It is completely feasible that some of these may occur within a school setting to school staff and volunteers, and the governors / trusts are responsible for ensuring forseeable first aid incidents can be adequately dealt with by trained members of staff. 3 days out of the workplace is a commitment, but it is possible to combine this 3 day course with the full Paediatric qualification and obtain both in the same timeframe. You could therefore send a staff member who is due to renew their Paediatric qualification anyway, or train a colleague who can then offer further flexibility in the Paediatric first aid requirement. All of the qualifications mentioned last for 3 years and annual refreshers can be accessed. For further guidance on these requirements in your particular school please do not hesitate to get in touch - we can help with a needs assessment which is specific to your circumstances and ensure you have adequate cover to meet your obligations. Carolyn Port, Director, Winterbury Training info@winterburytraining.co.uk 07584 732119