National Minimum Standards for Regulated Childcare for children up to the age of 12 years: statutory guidance - Audience and overview

This guidance forms an important part of the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Regulated Childcare for Children up to 12 years of age. It provides guidance and advice to enable registered persons and their staff to meet the requirements of first aid that are set out within relevant legislation and the NMS. 

The NMS sets the minimum requirements for Paediatric First Aid (PFA) within registered childcare and play settings. Childcare providers are responsible for identifying and selecting a competent training provider to deliver their PFA training. For PFA, we do not specify exactly which course or awarding body providers take the course with as this will vary across Wales. However, advice is provided to help guide providers in choosing a course and they will need to ensure it meets the requirements of these NMS, the needs of the setting and those that use it. 

Training is available from a wide range of providers including those who offer qualifications regulated by Qualifications Wales or the Voluntary Aid Societies (St John Ambulance Cymru, the British Red Cross and St Andrew’s First Aid who together are acknowledged by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as one of the standard-setters for currently accepted first aid practice for first aid at work training courses) The local authority family information service can provide further information on local arrangements for the delivery of relevant courses in local areas. 

We know that many childcare and play settings are keen to have as many staff as possible trained in First Aid. Encouraging more staff to complete the full Paediatric First Aid course would provide an increased level of reassurance for parents/carers using the service and helps ensure that there is always suitably qualified staff available to cover if there are unplanned staff absences. Increasing the number of staff trained in Paediatric First Aid will also raise confidence around safety awareness and could reduce the likelihood of accidents involving children. 

We also encourage settings to consider the number of children, staff and layout of premises to ensure that a paediatric first aider can respond to emergencies quickly. 

Providers should prominently display (or make available to parents) staff Full Paediatric First Aid/Emergency Paediatric First Aid certificates or a list of staff who have a current Paediatric First Aid/ Emergency Paediatric First Aid certificate.

Providers should consider whether paediatric first aiders need to undertake annual refresher training, during any three year certification period to help maintain basic skills and keep up to date with any changes to PFA procedures.

The criteria of Emergency and Full PFA courses are: 

1. Training is designed for workers caring for children in the absence of their Parents/carers and is appropriate to the age of the children being cared for.
   1. Adequate resuscitation and other equipment including baby and junior models must be provided, so that all trainees are able to practice and demonstrate techniques.
   2. Following training an assessment of competence leads to the award of a certificate.
   3. The certificate must be renewed every three years.
   4. The Emergency PFA course should be undertaken face-to-face and last for a minimum of 6 hours (excluding breaks) and cover the following areas:

• 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) 

The full PFA course should last for a minimum of 12 hours (excluding breaks) and cover the elements listed below in addition to the areas set out in paragraph 5 (the emergency PFA training elements outlined in paragraph 5 should be delivered face to face). 

• 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).

The criteria above was produced to reflect the relevant parts of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) First Aid at Work (FAW) content and was based on the guidance HSE used to provide to training providers when they regulated FAW training providers directly.

Face to face means trainers are physically present with their trainees. This excludes the use of online platforms.