Paediatric First Aid Open Course

Description

Who this course is for

Anyone working in an early years setting who needs to hold a current paediatric first aid certificate. Childminders, nursery practitioners, pre-school and playgroup staff, before and after-school club staff, and school staff working with the youngest children.

It is also the course for nannies, sports coaches and anyone else responsible for children who wants a qualification that is recognised rather than a certificate printed after an afternoon online.

Why the full 12 hours, and not the shorter course

There are two paediatric first aid qualifications, and they are not interchangeable. The full course is a minimum of 12 hours. Emergency paediatric first aid is roughly half that and covers the immediate life-threatening emergencies only.

The EYFS framework is what decides which you need, and it is specific about staff who are counted in ratios. If your setting is relying on a certificate to satisfy a ratio requirement, the full course is the safe answer. We go through exactly where the two diverge, and where the framework’s own wording is less clear than people assume, in full or emergency paediatric first aid.

The wider requirements, including the three-month rule for newly qualified staff and what the framework says about ratios, are set out in paediatric first aid requirements.

What the course covers

• Assessing an incident and the role of the paediatric first aider
• An unresponsive infant or child: airway, breathing, the recovery position
• CPR on an infant and on a child, and using an automated external defibrillator
• Choking, which differs between infants and children
• Major and minor bleeding
• Shock
• Anaphylaxis and asthma
• Head injuries
• Breaks, sprains and burns
• Poisoning
• Febrile convulsions, epilepsy and meningitis
• Common childhood illnesses and conditions
• Recording incidents and reporting

Infant and child technique are taught separately, on separate manikins, because the depth of compression, the way you open an airway and the way you treat choking all change with the size of the casualty. That is one of the reasons the emergency elements cannot be learned from a screen.

Why it cannot be done online

The EYFS framework requires the emergency elements to be delivered face to face, and it defines face to face as the trainer being physically present with the trainee. A wholly online paediatric first aid certificate does not satisfy it, however the course is marketed.

If you have been sold one, you have not necessarily wasted your money for every purpose, but you cannot rely on it to meet the framework or to count someone in ratios. Check before an inspection rather than during one.

How you are assessed

Continuous assessment across the two days, with the trainer observing you handle infant and child manikins, plus a short written paper. There is no long exam to revise for.

Your certificate

Valid for three years. Unlike workplace first aid, there is no shorter requalification route for paediatric first aid, so renewal means taking the full 12-hour course again. Diarise the expiry date, because a setting that lets certificates lapse can find itself short of qualified staff at exactly the wrong moment.

The awarding organisation is named on the certificate. Ask us which one before you book if you want to check it against the framework’s criteria. Any provider should answer that question plainly.

Open course or at your setting?

	Open course	Group course
Charged	Per person	Per course
Where	Bolton, Wigan or Manchester	Your setting
Best for	A childminder, or one or two staff	A nursery team, where closing for a day is not an option
Scheduling	Published dates	Weekends and split days are usually workable

For a nursery, the group course at your own premises is normally both cheaper per head and easier to staff around. We run group courses for up to 16 people; HSE guidance notes that class sizes above 12 raise concerns about assessing everyone properly without a second trainer, so tell us your numbers and we will confirm the staffing before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a paediatric first aid course?

The full course is a minimum of 12 hours excluding breaks, which is what the EYFS framework requires. We normally run it over two days.

How long does a paediatric first aid certificate last?

Three years. There is no shorter requalification route, so renewal means the full 12-hour course again.

Can I do paediatric first aid online?

Not for EYFS purposes. The framework requires the emergency elements to be taught face to face, and defines that as the trainer being physically present. A wholly online certificate does not meet it.

What is the difference between full and emergency paediatric first aid?

The full course is a minimum of 12 hours and covers illnesses and a much wider range of injuries. Emergency paediatric first aid is about half the length and covers immediate life-threatening emergencies only. Which one you need depends on your role and on how your setting uses the certificate.

Does this course meet EYFS requirements?

It is the full 12-hour course, taught face to face, which is what the framework specifies. If you want to check the certificate against the framework’s criteria before booking, ask us which awarding organisation issues it.

Is this course suitable for childminders?

Yes. Childminders are one of the groups the qualification is designed for, and open course places are usually the most practical option for a sole childminder.

Do I need any previous first aid experience?

No. There are no entry requirements and the course assumes no prior knowledge.

Is it the same as a workplace first aid course?

No. Technique, dosages of effort and the conditions covered are different for infants and children. A workplace first aid certificate does not meet paediatric requirements, and paediatric does not substitute for workplace first aid.

How many staff in a nursery need the qualification?

The framework sets requirements about who must hold a certificate and how that interacts with staff-to-child ratios rather than a simple headcount. We go through it in our paediatric first aid requirements guide, and in practice most settings train well beyond the minimum so that holidays and sickness do not leave them exposed.

Not sure whether your setting needs the full course or the emergency one? Call 0845 838 4643 or use the enquiry form and we will work it through with you.