First Aid Training for Colleges

Sixth Form Colleges and further education institutes come under the the same guidelines set out by HSE regulations 1981 for first aid and health and safety in the workplace. However there are many different factors to consider in such an environment when assessing risk to staff and students; such as:

• Size of college/facility

  Number of students and staff? Split sites or different levels? Should additional first aid provision be considered if there is more than one building?  How many first-aid personnel are needed to provide adequate cover on each floor on a split- level site and outlying buildings, and on each site of a split-site school?
• Location (How far away are emergency services?)

  Is it remote from emergency services? It is good practice to inform the local emergency services, in writing, of the college’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.)
• Any members of staff or students with special health needs or disabilities?

  Different first aid procedures may apply and ‘reasonable adjustments’ made to alleviate them suffering any substantial disadvantage. This includes supplying auxiliary aids and services.
• Attached to a School/Daycare/Nursery?

  If a college or facility is attached to a school with students who have not reached puberty or has a nursery/daycare onsite, then said facility comes under regulation and guidelines set by The Department Of Education and Ofsted requirements for registered childminders and the requirements for nannies under the DfES Approved Carers Scheme, and must have at least one front line staff member trained in Paediatric First Aid. As of April 2017 new government legislation requires all new nursery and pre-school staff to undertake paediatric first aid as a compulsory measure in-line with recently published guidelines set by The Department of Education. Having an employee with a generalist First Aid certificate [that may meet the normal requirements for employers], is not sufficient for those working with children and babies. Conversely having a Paediatric First Aid certificate holder will not be sufficient for an employer to meet their legal requirements under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Ofsted guidance states; that First Aid provision must be available at all times, that children and babies are cared for either on the childcare premises or off the premises on visits and outings. In settings where care is provided to children who have not reached puberty, frontline staff should have a Paediatric First Aid certificate. Where the children have reached puberty frontline staff should have an adult First Aid certificate, see EFAW and FAW.
• 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.
• Provision for trips/outdoor activities/out of hours activities.

  i.e. college trips. If a first-aider accompanies pupils off-site, will there be adequate first aid provision in the college?
• Provision for practical departments

  Provision for practical departments, such as science, technology, home economics, physical education, vocational courses (please see below).

Further Education Colleges/Vocational training Courses:

For Further education colleges and universities offering vocational courses in higher risk environments; e.g. Agricultural, Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, Remote working etc. we would recommend frontline staff consider enrolling in our intensive 3 day First Aid at Work course ideal for ‘medium to high risk’ hazardous environments. Alongside this we do offer bespoke industry first aid courses tailored to work environments that may benefit students as well as staff looking to train in a particular field; these include:

• Food Processing
• Remote Working
• Equestrian
• Electrical and Electronics
• Manufacturing

In addition, where vocational courses in childcare are offered, and with recent government legislation requiring all new nursery and pre-school staff to undertake paediatric first aid as a compulsory measure, we do offer full Paediatric First aid, Emergency Paediatric First aid and refresher courses that may be of benefit to students wishing for future work in this chosen field. For more details please see:

• Childcare/nursery
• Paediatric First Aid
• Emergency Paediatric First Aid

Although sixth forms and colleges are no longer under the protection of local authority, they are still accountable for carrying out a risk assessment and providing adequate provision of health and safety requirements; All employers have the duty to ensure as far as reasonably practical the safety of all staff and students.

We recommend that all employers should visit the First Aid section of the Health and Safety Executive’s website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/

Together with your input we can provide courses that are suited to fit your needs and tailored to your particular work environment. We provide highly trained instructors specialised within the education sector, who through their experience and understanding, can not only work around you and the best interests of your school or nursery, but also, and perhaps more importantly, provide a bespoke service that ensures the best possible protection for your employees and pupils.

Both our Paediatric First aid and Emergency Paediatric First aid courses meet the requirements of the Department for Education (First Aid) syllabus guidelines, Ofsted requirements for registered childminders and the requirements for nannies under the DfES Approved Carers Scheme. Our First aid at Work and Emergency First aid at Work courses comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive [HSE], where the workplace is classified as a ‘medium to high risk’ hazardous environment [this includes secondary schools and further education facilities]. Beyond this, we will always look to tailor the course to the most relevant requirements of your particular child care environment.

Lastly, our trainers are all experienced and understand the workings of a busy school or education facility. Therefore our instructors are able to work around the requirements of the students, staff and timetable. For further information please fill out our contact form below or call on 03333 442176.

We are based in East Anglia and provide first aid training courses throughout the UK. We offer all our programmes as ‘in-house’ courses at your premises or we can arrange a suitable off-site venue (although this second option would involve additional costs). Please browse through our locations on the menu for more details.

We are dedicated to operating to the highest standards of professional integrity and are committed to providing high quality programmes to enable our client’s staff to flourish in their role as workplace first-aiders.

Free First Aid Quiz to Schools and Nurseries

RT Training is offering free First Aid Quiz flash cards to schools and nurseries throughout the UK.

The cards are a fun and informative way to train and re-fresh staff working in educational and preschool environments on the fundamentals of first aid response.

We are sending these free of charge to schools and nurseries who wish to receive them.

Please fill out our form below and we will endeavour to send out your Free First Aid Quiz Flash Cards as soon as possible.