Temperatures dropping, poor weather conditions, icy roads and the general lack of preparation we seem to have in this country – yes winter can be a tricky time of year with injuries probable.

We’ve come up with some top tips for staying safe this winter.

Keep warm.

Obviously with winter comes the cold temperatures. As well as extreme conditions like hypothermia and frostbite, generally your body uses up more energy to keep you warm in winter which can leave you feeling run-down and drowsy. Wearing more layers of clothing, being more mobile, eating well and simply staying indoors when the weather is particularly bad can help keep you warm this winter.

 

Slips & falls

Snowy and icy pavements are one of the most common causes of injury in the winter and can cause anything from a simple bruise or graze to a break, fracture or head injury. To prevent this try to avoid routes which haven’t been cleared or gritted and wear footwear with plenty of grip.

 

Cycling

Cycling in the winter months can be very dangerous due to reduced hours of sunlight and icy roads. Cyclists are not only at risk of falls and collisions but also not being seen by other cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Always ensure you plan your route and stay in well lit areas as well as wearing sufficient safety equipment and reflective clothing.

 

Driving

Again due to the icy and snowy conditions, driving can be very hazardous during winter with a greater number of accidents reported during this period. To prevent your chances of being involved in a nasty accident try to only drive when it is absolutely necessary when conditions are bad and ensure that if you do need to travel you plan your route and keep an eye on the weather reports. You should also ensure your vehicle is prepared for the winter conditions by having your tyres and windscreen wipers checked and stocked up with anti-freeze.

 

Burns & Scalds

Believe it or not due to the increase in warm hot choccies by the fire and hot water bottles to keep us snug in the cold, burns and scalds are actually more common in the winter months. Ensure you take care when pouring drinks, keep hot water bottle lids tightly screwed on and make sure you have sufficient burns first aid equipment in the house just in case.

Are you looking to gain new skills that could help to save lives? We offer a full range of courses which can be run at your premises or at our Training Academy in Cardiff Bay. Here’s what we have available in November.

Date: 19th November / 10th December
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP Or at your own location
Cost: £75 +VAT per person

The Emergency First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the minimum knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 6 hours and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will gave a good basic insight to dealing with basic medical emergencies.

 

 

 

Date: 19th & 20th November / 10th & 11th December
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP Or at your own location
Cost: £140 +VAT per person

The First Aid at Work Refresher course is designed to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 2 days and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will give a good level of knowledge to equip the candidate to deal with work place emergencies.

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 19th – 21st November / 10th – 12th December
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP Or at your own locatio
Cost: £195 +VAT per person

The First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 3 days and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will give a good level of knowledge.

 

 

 

Date: Any date to suit you
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP Or at your own location
Cost: £75 +VAT per person

The Level 2 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace qualification can be tailored to business and individual needs to make the learning experience relevant and fit for purpose. This course is designed to make staff more aware of Health & safety Issues within the workplace.

 

 

 

 

For more information about what the courses listed above cover, or, to book a space, please contact us on 02920 576883.

The Ajuda team headed to Newport this week to visit one of the Remploy Hub based around the UK. Remploy is a leading provider of specialist employment and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions. Ajuda are a proud partner of Remploy, and part of their Community Partner Network, where we provide our training skills and qualifications to the candidates of Remploy in Wales.

Dawn and Rachel of the Ajuda team came along to the Newport hub to talk to people who are being supported by Remploy. This was to explain to them the opportunites they have to gain qualifications through our training courses and to provide them with skills needed to help them into employment.

The idividuals at Remploy have a range of barriers preventing them to return to work or find their first job. These include physcial or mental disabilities, or learning dificulties.

The team spoke to small groups of people at a time, so that it was a more comfortable for them and not too overwhelming.

Dawn asks the group what their dream jobs are and from there we can discuss with them the opportunities are for them to gain the essential skills they will need to help them on to that career path.

The team met with lots of really enthusiastic people, who just need that extra help to get into work. Hopefully with the help of Remploy and by building their confidence they can sucessfully get back into employment. We look forward to working with everyone that we met, and to help them grow their skills in a variety of sectors. From First Aid Training, Confidence Workshops, Customer Service training, and our online training courses.

 

 

There are many great reasons to learn new skills. At Ajuda we can provide all the mandatory training you need to ensure your workplace is fully compliant with HSE Regulations. We offer a full range of courses which can be run at your premises or at our Training Academy in Cardiff Bay. Here’s what we have available in September.

 

 

Level 3 Award in Education and Training (QCF)

Date: 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th & 11th September
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP
Cost: £525 +VAT per person
The Education and Training qualification on the other hand, is not limited to first aid alone. Formerly known as PTLLS, the Award in Education and Training is a short course that is designed to enable a wide range of students to undertake teaching, training or other learning tasks relevant to their own training or teaching situation.

 

 

 

 

Date: 17th September
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP
Cost: £75 +VAT per person
The Emergency First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the minimum knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 6 hours and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will gave a good basic insight to dealing with basic medical emergencies.

 

 

 

Date: 17th & 18th September
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP
Cost: £140 +VAT per person
The First Aid at Work Refresher course is designed to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 2 days and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will give a good level of knowledge to equip the candidate to deal with work place emergencies.

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 17th – 19th September
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP
Cost: £195 +VAT per person
The First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course is run over 3 days and includes both theory and practical sessions, and will give a good level of knowledge.

 

 

 

Date: 24th September
Venue: Ajuda Training Academy, 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP
Cost: £75 +VAT per person
The Level 2 Award in Health and Safety in the Workplace qualification can be tailored to business and individual needs to make the learning experience relevant and fit for purpose. This course is designed to make staff more aware of Health & safety Issues within the workplace.

 

 

 

 

For more information about what the courses listed above cover, or, to book a space, please contact us on 02920 576883.

Did you or a someone you know miss out on the GCSE results that were expected?

At Ajuda, we offer vocational training courses – the perfect opportunity for students who have missed out on the grades they hoped to achieve. Our Level 2 courses are the equivalent of a GCSE C grade and will help students get into college or sixth form.

This avenue is an excellent opportunity to ensure students are prepared for the challenges ahead. Our courses will offer students skills and qualifications that they can utilise when they are applying for sixth form/college and when searching for employment. Ajuda Limited offers courses in a large variety of subject areas such as; first aid, food hygiene, national pool lifeguard, fire safety, mental health awareness, business skills, manual handling and more.  

In a survey commissioned by the British Red Cross it was found that 97% of young people believed first aid education would improve their confidence, skills and willingness to act in a crisis.

We can run courses from our training academy in Cardiff Bay or for groups at a location of their choice. Please find attached our course price list and open course calendar for 2018.

For more information about what we can offer, please contact us on 029 2057 6883 or email admin@ajuda.org.uk

Health and Safety is important because it protects the well being of employers, visitors and customers. Looking after Health and Safety makes good business sense. Workplaces which neglect health and safety risk prosecution, may lose staff, and may increase costs and reduce profitability.

Here are 8 tips you can use in the workplace.

1. Prevent Falls, Trips and Slips

Regardless of your industry or sector, you should always make sure floors are clean and dry in storerooms, passageways, and service rooms. A few effective daily workplace safety tips you can use to prevent slips, trips, and falls are:

• Use drip guards and pans.
• Keep all aisles and walkways clear of items.
• Quickly report and clean up all leaks and spills.
• Install warning signs and even mirrors to help with troublesome blind spots.
• Replace all damaged, ripped, and worn flooring.
• Consider installing anti-slip flooring in the areas that may not be readily able to be cleaned.
• Use platforms, mats, and other dry standing places where useful.

 

2. Be aware of surroundings

It’s important that everyone knows where there are hazards in the workplace. Once they have been named  you should post signs as a part of your safety management system to keep workforce alert and conscious any potential hazardous situations and areas.

 3. Ensure everyone takes regular breaks

A large number of work-related illnesses and injuries happen because a worker is burned out, tired, or unconscious of their surroundings. The best way to avoid this inherent hazard is to ensure everyone takes their regular breaks, especially with labor intensive work, such as construction and manufacturing.

 

4. Always use machines and tools properly

Anytime staff members are working with tools and equipment, it’s vital they use them properly and never take shortcuts. Shortcuts are one of the primary causes of injuries on the jobsite. For instance, employees shouldn’t use a scaffold as a ladder or one tool instead of another for a job. Using the right tools every time will reduce the overall likelihood of injuries.

 

5. Protect your back by using the correct posture

Whether the work environment is an office or at an energy production plant, it’s important employees protect their back and use correct posture. Using correct posture means picking things up with the correct form and avoiding twisting and stooping.

 

6. Report dangerous conditions to management

Anytime hazards exist or there are unsafe working conditions, management should be alerted immediately. Although management is responsible for maintaining a safe work environment, it becomes infinitely more difficult to achieve this goal if they are unaware of the danger.

 

7. Ensure all workers wear the proper safety equipment

Failing to wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE) equipment for the job is one of the most common culprits for serious injuries and fatalities. The type of PPE should change based on the task and industry. For instance, someone working in the space and defense industry would require different PPE than someone in field services.

 

One of the best ways to cool down in this glorious summer sun is to visit the beach, or a pool and have a paddle in the water

Here are some great tips to keep your children safe in the water.

 

Teach them early

Teach children to get comfortable in the water and swim at an early age. Educate them early about water safety.

Active supervision, barriers and sightlines

Always actively supervise children when they’re both in and around the water; ensure that pools are secured with appropriate barries; and require children to swim within designated area that are within sight of guardians and certified lifeguards.

Who’s your buddy?

Never let children swim alone; always designate swimming buddies before visiting the beach or pool.

Don’t be pushy

Instruct children to never run, push or jump on others in and around the pool.

Wear sunscreen

Protect your skin from sun burn and sunstroke by wearing hats and sunglasses and applying sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and limiting direct exposure to sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

Suit up!

Make sure children always wear life jackets and use proper water safety and flotation devices

I’m on a boat!

Children should always wear a PFD (personal floatation device) while on a boat. If it doesn’t fit, get one that does.

Get certified

Become certified in infant and child First Aid and CPR

Stay Hydrated

Ensure that kids drink plenty of fluids to stay properly hydrated, especially on hot days

Become a trainer and share valuable knowledge with others.

There are many great reasons to become a trainer. As a trainer, you can be a part of teaching people life-changing skills such as performing CPR and using a defibrillator. You will be sharing valuable knowledge with people that they will take with them into their everyday life. If flexible working is also something you require, becoming a trainer is a fantastic way of achieving this.

Teachers and trainers play an important role within society and can have a large impact on the lives of those that they teach. This makes teaching an extremely worthwhile career.

At Ajuda, we will be running 2 training courses that will enable you to become a trainer.
These will be held at the Ajuda Training Academy in Cardiff Bay. 

For course dates please see our course calendar here.

 

Level 3 Education and Training

The Education and Training qualification on the other hand, is not limited to first aid alone. Formerly known as PTLLS, the Award in Education and Training is a short course that is designed to enable a wide range of students to undertake teaching, training or other learning tasks relevant to their own training or teaching situation. The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is an important qualification for anyone working in or interested in working in teaching. It is suitable for those already in education, who want to gain formal recognition of their skills, and for those with no teaching experience at all. It is recommended for all teachers new to the sector, whether in further education, adult and community learning, work-based learning or other parts of the learning and skills sector.

The course will cover:

• Understanding the roles, responsibilities and relationships in education and training
• Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training
• Understanding assessment in education and training.

 

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP

Cost: £525+VAT

 

 

 

First Aid Train the Trainer

This First Aid Train the Trainer course is specific training to aid you in becoming a first aid trainer and will give you the tools required to do this effectively. Becoming a first aid trainer is an accessible career route. If you are aiming to be a first aid trainer within the workplace at an unaccredited level, you will only need the Level 3 First Aid at Work and the First Aid Train the Trainer qualifications. However, to teach at an accredited level you will need either a PGCE qualification or the Level 3 Education and Training qualification.

The course will cover:

• 4MAT system of education
• First aid subject workshops
• First aid changes by the European Resuscitation Council
• First Aid at Work 3 day course delivery, assessment and administration
• First Aid at Work 2 day refresher delivery, assessment and administration
• Emergency First Aid delivery, assessment and administration
• Course equipment and resource requirements.

 

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5DP

Cost: £395+VAT

 

Testimonial from Mike who was on our last First Aid Trainer Course

 

“It was very enjoyable, Dawn’s subject knowledge is second to none. It’s been really beneficial to me”

 

 

For more information on becoming a trainer, about what the courses listed above cover, or, to book a space, please contact us on admin@ ajuda.org.uk or call 029 2057 6883.

 

As soon as we have the warm weather in Britain it’s time to get out side, and enjoy al fresco living. Clean up those bbqs that are in the shed, go for a picnic, visit the beach and enjoy the outdoors.

But it’s easy to forget that as the temperature rises, so does your chance of getting sick from contaminated food. Bacteria thrives in warmer conditions and people are cooking outdoors frequently—away from sinks, refrigerators, and kitchen thermometers.

 

What can you do to avoid the unpleasant experience of food poisoning this summer?

 

1. Stay Clean

Washing hands, surfaces, and food is one of the easiest ways to prevent foodborne illnesses. “In some cases people know about the basics but they don’t always do them, and obviously these practices are well worth the time,” says Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

 

Always wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. If you are outdoors without access to a sink, use antibacterial hand sanitizer as an alternative.

 

Rinsing fruits and vegetables is as simple as running tap water over them, but without access to running water it can be difficult. Washing your food before packing it in your picnic basket will ensure that the food is clean–even if your camp site doesn’t have fresh water.

 

2. Separate Raw Food

During barbeque season it can be more difficult to avoid cross-contamination because there’s often less access to clean surfaces and dishes. “When raw meat goes on the grill you can’t put it back on the same platter you brought it out on,” says Feist. Have an extra plate on hand or thoroughly wash any utensil, dish, or surface that has touched raw meat or seafood with hot, soapy water before reusing.

 

Cross-contamination can also occur when traveling if raw meat, seafood, and poultry aren’t wrapped properly. Carefully wrap food and place it in a separate cooler (or at the bottom of the cooler) to prevent any raw juices from leaking and contaminating other foods.

 

3. Cook Food Thoroughly

Don’t depend on the colour of meat or seafood to determine whether or not it’s cooked thoroughly. “Consumers are stubbornly stuck on visual indicators but, for both quality and safety, using a thermometer gives you an idea that it’s safe and not overcooked,” says Feist.

 

4. Keep Cold Food Cold

Traditional picnic baskets may look pretty, but they won’t keep your food at a safe temperature for long. And since it’s necessary to discard any food that has been left out in the summer sun for more than two hours (one hour if the temperature exceeds 90 degrees), choose a well-insulated cooler filled with ice instead.

 

Though a cooler is never an ideal replacement for a refrigerator because a home refrigerator should be kept at 40 degrees or below, there are four easy ways to slow down the growth of harmful bacteria:

• Keep coolers out of direct sunlight and use separate food and beverage containers to help maintain a lower temperature. On a hot summer day, you should be drinking plenty of water so the beverage cooler will likely be opened (and thus exposed to warmer temperatures) more frequently.
• Nestle bowls of summer salads in larger bowls of ice to direct cooling and insulate food.
• Full coolers tend to stay cold longer. If your cooler has empty space, fill it with ice.
• If traveling by car, don’t store your cooler in the trunk—the temperature is typically lower in the passenger area.

 

If you’re interested in knowing more about Food Hygiene we regularly run courses at our Training Academy in Cardiff Bay.

Or you can take a look at our online courses here.

Our MD Dawn recently visited the beautiful South Africa to volunteer and work aiming to help to inspire the young people of Cape Town. Alongside five other volunteers who each had something different to offer to the group, Dawn spent a week visiting schools, community hubs and many more.

What is Mission Inspire?

The mission goal was to inspire young people Of South Africa and empower them to become more confident in themselves. By giving young people a voice, these young people are helped towards a brighter future, no matter what their background.

The mission was organised by Project Manager Caz who had a very busy itinerary planned for the week.

Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation

Amoyo is a performing arts training programme but that is not its sole purpose. The classes at Amoyo are designed to engage with the local youth, to help them to feel supported and empowered. The brilliant people behind the organisation are there to help these young people to develop into successful, employable adults. Through their journey at Amoyo they will develop important skills to help them into adulthood whilst also learning to respect themselves and the people around them. The young people who engage with the project often come from backgrounds of poverty, neglect and gang culture.

Youth Redemption

Youth Redemption is dedicated to helping young people in South Africa to believe in themselves. The team at Youth Redemption encourage South Africa’s youth to make positive life choices and look towards a brighter future.  These young people are given the opportunity to improve their confidence and showcase their skills and talents in front of a live audience. Not only do Youth Redemption do amazing work with young people, they run regular community projects helping the less fortunate. The Kick Game Grind project collects donations of shoes to hand out to those in need and the Fresher Than You project collects donations of toiletries to donate.

Pebbles Project

The Pebbles Project aims to enrich the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with special educational needs in the Winelands farming communities in the Western Cape, especially those whose lives are affected by alcohol. The project provides support and training to local wine farms and township crèches and establishes after-school provision for the older children living in the Winelands.

Salesian Institute Youth Project

The Salesian Institute Youth Project have been committed to providing programmes of education, training and rehabilitation for disadvantaged youth for over 10 years in Cape Town. The organisation offers support to young people within the community and helps them to learn valuable life-skills whilst providing vocational training.  A third of under 25’s in Western Cape Town are living in poverty. Projects like these enable young people to see a brighter future. They provide children with the vital skills they need to stay out of danger, find jobs and live happy lives. Projects lie the Salesian Institute Youth Project aim to give young people the tools to help themselves.

A stand out project that Salesian runs is the Porsche Training and Recruitment Centre. The project takes on 75 men and women from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to train as automotive service mechatronics technicians over the course of 3 academic years. Other projects include trade skills such as bricklaying and sewing for children who have dropped out or been expelled from previous schools.

What does Dawn have to say about her time out in South Africa?

I feel very proud and privileged to have been part of mission inspire, I was so touched by the children that I have decided to set up a charity back here in the UK “The Ajuda Foundation” to continue to help and support the young adults and projects that we met whilst in our mission. I left part of my heart with them in Cape Town, and pledged to continue to help and support then in anyway possible. They deserve so much more.

 

Over the last few months we have been working on an exciting new partnership with Remploy in Wales.  Ajuda are now part of the Remploy Community Partner Network, providing training courses to individuals with disabilites. The training courses, along with the support and mentoring by Remploy are successfuly helping these individuals into employment.

What is Remploy?

Remploy was established in 1944 by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, the aim of which was to provide employment for people injured during the war and coal miners with health conditions.

It is a leading provider of specialist employment and skills support for people with disabilities and health conditions in Wales. Remploy has a mission to transform the lives of disabled people and those with complex barriers to work by providing sustainable employment opportunities.

There is a network of Community HUBs and field teams across Wales, providing employment support to adults of working age referred by Job Centre Plus. The Ajuda team visited the Cardiff HUB earlier this month.

Ajuda visits Remploy Cardiff for a taster day

Dawn gave a short presentation and explained how qualifications can help with finding employment. It’s a lot harder for an employer to say no to someone looking for a job with qualifications on their CV. This motivated the individuals in the room and they were so keen to see which courses they could take.

At Ajuda we provide a range of training courses to help educate people with skills and qualifications. We can adapt our training to different audiences and the different needs of individuals, including those with disabilities.

We understand that everyone is different and provide both classroom-based learning as well as online training for a range of training courses suited for different industries.

To avoid the individuals from feeling overwhelmed at the 100 courses we provide, we broke them down into industries including;

• Construction
• Leisure Centre
• Security
• Childcare/Nursery
• Retail
• Restuarant/Hotel/Cafe
• Care Home

 

Dawn then asked where everyone’s dream job would be. We had a range of answers from ‘Warehouse’ ‘Coffee shop’ ‘Care Home’ and ‘Building Site’

They were then surprised to find out that there were lots of courses that they could complete to gain qualifications to help them get the job of their dreams.

One of the individuals, Andrew, told us that he feels as though he would like to work in a Warehouse. He was so enthusiastic when he learned that he could take the ‘working safely’ and ‘working at height’ courses which would educate him in safety in the warehouse.

Gary, father of twin girls, enjoyed working on building sites and could take the CSCS course which would allow him to work on a construction site.

Each were signed up to the online portal that day and some have already taken the courses online, with the guidance of their Remploy advisor.

Achieving goals

With the help of the advisors at Remploy and the training courses provided by Ajuda a total of 50 people have completed courses, gaining qualifications which will help them on their journey to employment.

5 of these people have now successfully secured employment. Which is fantastic!

What Remploy has to say about the Partnership

“Since Work and Health Programme was launched on 1st December 2017, Remploy teams across Wales, have been working with members of our Community Partnership Network (CPN) to provide tailored support for our programme participants. One of these partners, Ajuda have provided a fantastic service. They are able to deliver training courses both in person and online, which has been invaluable for some customers living in remote areas. I have found the team at Ajuda to be extremely welcoming, helpful, efficient and willing to support us with any queries or requests. I have no hesitation in promoting their service.”

-Helen Cornet Partnerships Lead (Remploy Cymru)

The future

We can’t wait to help even more people into employment with Remploy and build our partnership with this amazing organisation.

The team will be visiting other community HUBs across Wales in July to see who else we can help.

Stay tuned for updates on our social media pages.