Combining First Aid at Work and the Paediatric First Aid courses has long been frowned upon. “You need to do 2 courses” is often the response when the question is asked about the possibility of combining the two.
HOWEVER… being totally independent, and not relying on someone else printing certificates, or telling us what to teach, has it’s benefits. The HSE and Ofsted are actually very good at recognising if you have appropriate training, and while First Aid at Work is a very good course, it isn’t always the best for every situation, it is afterall an off the shelf course. For some time Beyond First Aid has offered courses that suit the learners needs. How often has someone been on a course and thought to themself “Why are we not being taught about adult CPR?” or maybe “I wonder if doing abdominal thrusts is the same on my kids, if they’re choking?” if you’re on an adult course.
This is why, and some will moan about this, we have always taught adult CPR on Paediatric courses. Who, after all, is looking after these children? I think you’ll find it’s adults. I used to teach adult Basic Life Support to a dentist, not a million miles away from where I’m sitting right now. Until that is, I pointed out that he had children’s teeth to look after as well as us grown up choppers. I personally think the “need to do both courses” argument is a bit lame. Let me explain…
Danger-Response-Airway-Breathing
The first aider should be doing this EVERY TIME. It does not matter if the casualty is drawing his pension, or if he is still in nappies. If the first aider gets it wrong, there are now two casualties.
Bleeding, it’s always red, sometimes bright red, sometimes a darker shade, but always red, age does not change the need to stop blood coming out.
Air needs to go in and out, always, fact, there is no escaping this. OK, babies have different shaped breathing tubes* to those that grown ups have. But breathing is still quite an important thing to be doing.
Adults look after kids, so we teach adult stuff* on paediatric courses. Our Basic Life Support course ALWAYS has “All Ages” after it. We always take previous learning into account when teaching. Obviously if your previous learning was 17 years ago, then you’re out of luck and will have to do the whole thing. But… if you did First Aid at Work 2 weeks ago, then we are more than happy to teach you the missing bits to get your Paediatric First Aid certificate. (We’ll need proof mind you).
AND… guess what, a very well known Awarding Body is now offering Combined First Aid at Work and Paediatric First Aid. The HSE approve, Ofsted think it’s a fine idea, EYFS don’t have a problem with it. So long as you have appropriate training, from a company who can show what they have taught you, have insurance, are appropriately trained themselves, in teaching, assessing and yes, even trained in first aid, then carry on and book that course.
So? Who has been right all along? Who has been offering combined courses for years? Well? That would be us. We don’t have “specially designed courses” but we teach what you need to know, not what someone else thinks you need to know. We’ll design a bespoke course around your circumstances. There is no “One course fits all” a bit like “Standard First Aid Kits” what on earth is a standard first aid kit?
Mrs Jones works in a library, she had a nasty paper cut back in 2002. Mr Jones works in a foundry, wearing steel toecaps on his boots, under his leather gaiters, underneath a huge leather apron , with a visor made of some bullet proof material which is in front of his goggles and ear defenders, topped off with a helmet that would not look out of place on a storm trooper. Do they have the same “Standard First Aid Kit”???
No!
So why settle for a standard first aid course? Why take off 5 days from work when we can train you in 3? Why suffer the duplication of topics associated with attending both the First Aid at Work and Paediatric First Aid courses separately?
If you work somewhere like a school, children’s centre or nursery, get in touch. Save yourself money, your staff time and minimise the interruption to your working days.
We will still be assessing you and making sure you understand what we have told you and we’ll not be letting you do anything you’re not qualified in, nor will we give you a certificate if you have not shown us competency in what we have taught. You will however, be getting some of the best training around. So why not give us a call?
*technical terms, as used by Beyond First Aid