Paediatric First Aid is training that solely reflects on practices and skills needed in the child and infant age groups. A paediatric first aid course will give you practical, hands on practice about how to manage an ill or injured child in the event of any emergency.
As a nanny, childminder, nursery practitioner, parent, or anyone who works with children, their safety is important and although most accidents that occur with children can be minor, it is appropriate to know how to conduct paediatric first aid in any situation.
When working with children from newborn to adulthood, many situations may arise where you may be required to use your paediatric first aid skills. As children grow and develop, their needs change in many ways, including basic paediatric first aid skills, such as resuscitation. To know what to do in any given circumstance is part of your practice and should be something you feel confident in.
Why Paediatric First Aid?
But have you ever stopped to consider why is paediatric first aid so important? And how do you book a paediatric first aid course to gain this important, required skill?
Our 12 hour paediatric first aid course, which is compiled of 6 hours of hands on training with one of our fully qualified paediatric first aid trainers, and then another 6 hours online, is fully Ofsted compliant for the Early Years and Childcare Registers, and suitable for childminders, nannies and nursery practitioners and has a validity of 3 years.
Children can be unpredictable, and lack the development to understand risks, which is why as a childminder, nanny, nursery practitioner, or parent, you need to be in control of assessing risks for them. But accidents do happen, and it is important to remain calm and understand exactly how to handle any situation. This will then reflect on the children you care for having more control and awareness of their own bodies and space, as well as developing their resilience, self-regulation and building their own confidence.
What is covered in a paediatric first aid course?
One of the main areas to learn and understand in a paediatric first aid course, is how to prevent an accident from happening in the first place! Risk assessing your place of work, resources, activities, outdoor trips and developmental milestone stages, is part of your everyday practice and should be considered in all situations.
Unfortunately, with children, sometimes things can be unpredictable and accidents can happen. That is why completing a 12 hour paediatric first aid course will help you as a childminder, nanny, nursery practitioner or parent to understand what to do in any emergency that arises. Your course will be valid for 3 years. We hope you will not need to use these skills often, and so when not practiced, skills can become rusty. There are often changes in legislation and new components are developed. A 3 year validity on a first aid course keeps practitioners up to date and information and skills fresh in your mind.
A practitioner should learn to understand how to assess an emergency situation. This includes understanding the dangers surrounding the scene to the victim, to yourself and other bystanders. You then assess the responsiveness of the child who has had an accident, calling to them, touching them and checking if they respond verbally or through movement or eye contact. It is then, where you work through your ABC’s - the child’s airways, breathing and circulation.
Even just having the confidence to call the emergency services can be daunting for some, but with completing a paediatric first aid course, you will gain the confidence to assess an emergency situation, know when to call for the emergency services help and also be able to relay important information, meaning that the correct help is dispatched.
By completing a Little Ones 12 hour paediatric first aid course, you will be meeting the requirements set out by Ofsted for childcare registers (voluntary for nannies and full for childminders), as well as the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The Little Ones paediatric first aid course covers the following subjects:
Accident prevention
Planning for emergencies
Appropriate contents of First Aid kits
Basic life support for babies, children and adults using life sized mannequins
Resuscitation
Bleeding
Bone injuries
Burns and scalds
Choking
Febrile Convulsions
Head injuries
Meningitis
Seizures
Eye injuries
Foreign bodies in eyes, ears and noses
Effects of extreme heat and cold
Chronic medical conditions such as epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell and diabetes
Anaphylaxis
Allergies, bites and stings
Poisoning
Electric shock
How to do paediatric first aid
Having a trained, professional paediatric first aid trainer, who keeps our courses up-to-date with information important to anyone working with children, helps to teach you the basic paediatric first aid skills needed to deal with any emergency situation.
Caring for young children can mean that emergency situations such as an allergy, choking, febrile convulsions, head injuries or bleeding can happen. Would you know how to deal with a broken bone, a burn, or electric shock? This is why we cover all of these and more in our paediatric first aid course, for peace of mind and reassurance that you can deal with any emergency situation.
Resuscitation is something that we hope you will never need to use, but having the skills to know what to do may just save a life. Unfortunately most of the public wouldn’t know what to do, but by completing a paediatric first aid course, and urging others to do the same, that is valid for 3 years, will give you these basic skills to address the emergency situation and to either call for the emergency services to come, or provide that information for someone else to do while you see to the victim.
The Little Ones paediatric first aid course also teaches you to look out for the signs of meningitis. Would you know any of the signs to look out for and how to seek the correct medical attention a child will need? Information on medical conditions such as meningitis can be confusing, but by attending a paediatric first aid course, every 3 years, this will keep the information fresh and up to date.
With more chronic medical conditions such as epilepsy, asthma, sickle cell and diabetes, it is important to have the correct information to care for the child. It is with these skills that parents will put their trust in you to care for their child, and where you will build on your own professional development and relationships.
With this information, we hope you see the importance of learning all of these skills and keeping your paediatric first aid certificate valid and up to date by completing the course every 3 years.
Paediatric first aid courses, Ofsted and The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework:
For childminders and nannies wishing to register on the Ofsted voluntary register, you must have completed a 12 hour paediatric first aid (PFA) course that is Ofsted compliant and fits the regulations set out by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
It is a requirement that all childminders, nursery practitioners and Ofsted registered nannies complete a full 12 hour paediatric first aid (PFA) course. By completing the paediatric first aid course you will obtain an Ofsted compliant certification and will be able to operate within the required Ofsted ratios based on each age range as a childminder or nursery practitioner, and will be able to register with Ofsted on the voluntary register as a nanny.
Little Ones paediatric first aid courses are designed for early years workers complying to standards set out by Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The paediatric first aid course gives you the skills and hands on learning, to practice and develop your knowledge and confidence in paediatric first aid, setting you up to deal with any emergency situation which arises.
Childminders and nannies registering on the voluntary Ofsted register, who care for children who are under the age of 16, must have completed a paediatric first aid (PFA) course, and will only be Early Years Foundation Stage and Ofsted compliant once certification has been issued.
Paediatric first aid courses should be taken face-to-face and follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidelines, whereby you need to:
Be able to assess an emergency situation and prioritise what action to take
Help a baby or child who is unresponsive and breathing normally
Help a baby or child who is unresponsive and not breathing normally
Help a baby or child who is having a seizure
Help a baby or child who is choking
Help a baby or child who is bleeding
Help a baby or child who is suffering from shock caused by severe blood loss(hypovolemic shock)
Help a baby or child who is suffering from anaphylactic shock
Help a baby or child who has had an electric shock
Help a baby or child who has burns or scalds
Help a baby or child who has a suspected fracture
Help a baby or child with head, neck or back injuries
Help a baby or child who is suspected of being poisoned
Help a baby or child with a foreign body in eyes, ears or nose
Help a baby or child with an eye injury
Help a baby or child with a bite or sting
Help a baby or child who is suffering from the effects of extreme heat or cold
Help a baby or child having: a diabetic emergency; an asthma attack; an allergic reaction; meningitis; and/or febrile convulsions
Understand the role and responsibilities of the paediatric first aider (including appropriate contents of a first aid box and the need for recording accidents and incidents)
What is the validity of the paediatric first aid course
For nannies, completing a 12 hour paediatric first aid course is best practice and will reflect well to potential employers, most of whom would request a nanny who has completed a paediatric first aid course. For those nannies wishing to register on the Ofsted Voluntary Register, it is a requirement to complete a full 12 hour paediatric first aid course, alongside childminder and nursery practitioners.
With something as important as paediatric first aid, it isn’t a skill that is learned once and completed. It is a skill that requires continued information to remain up to date with legislation, guidelines and requirements set out by Ofsted. It is also important to refresh your skills and remain confident in your knowledge of paediatric first aid, in case you may need to use these skills to help an injured or unwell child.
Paediatric first aid concentrates solely on babies, infants and children. This is not only helpful to know when working with children, but also an Ofsted and Early Years Foundation Stage Framework requirement. Both of which need to be complied with when registering as a childminder, or nanny on the voluntary register and maintaining your status by updated your paediatric first aid every 3 years.
Childminders, nannies and nursery practitioners should also consider whether they undertake annual paediatric first aid refresher training, which can be of 6 hours (emergency first aid) or the full 12 hour paediatric first aid (PFA) course during any three year certification period, to help maintain basic skills and keep up to date with any changes to paediatric first aid (PFA) procedures. This way all information stays refreshed and relevant, as well as your confidence and the procedures you need to put into place within your early years setting to remain Ofsted compliant.
All childminders, to be Ofsted compliant, must renew their paediatric first aid qualification every 3 years and display their certificate for parents and Ofsted inspectors to see. This is a requirement set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework and complies to Ofsted requirements and registration.
It is suggested to book and renew your paediatric first aid (PFA) course with plenty of time before your certification runs out. Keeping on top of your certification, as well as that of your childminding assistants, and making sure you comply with the Ofsted requirement of renewing your paediatric first aid course every 3 years, is your responsibility. Don’t delay your training.
How do I book an Ofsted compliant paediatric first aid course?
Little Ones run paediatric first aid courses every single week, so you can book a day to suit you and maintain your qualifications needed to be an Ofsted compliant childminder.
Space on our paediatric first aid course fill Up fast, so please give us a call on 0207 112 8057 to discuss your needs and we will find availability to fit around your schedule to complete your Ofsted compliant 12 hour paediatric first aid course.
