Author: Dawn Evans

Paediatric first aid training was made compulsory for new nursery recruits in September 2016 after the introduction of Millie’s Law. It is now a requirement for new nursery and pre-school staff to undertake paediatric first aid training thanks to the government proposals.

These measures ensure that newly qualified staff with a childcare level 2 or 3 qualification must have emergency paediatric first aid training or a full paediatric first aid certificate.  This life-saving change will hopefully add an approximate of 15,000 trained early years professionals to our nurseries, pre-schools and child minders each year.

 

 

Millie’s Mark

Following the tragic death of their daughter Millie, parents Joanne and Dan Thompson have shown their full support to the plans. They have been campaigning for change since Millie passed away from choking at nursery in October 2012 at just 9 months old. Their important campaign culminated in an e-petition signed by over 103,000 people.

The aims of Millie’s Mark are to keep children safe and minimise risk and accidents by:

• Raising standards in paediatric first aid;

• Increasing numbers of first aid-trained staff;

• Increasing competency in applying first aid;

• Enabling staff to respond quickly in emergencies;

• Raising the quality and skills of the early years workforce and helping them with day-to-day first aid issues, such as allergies;

• Providing reassurance to parents.

Every parent wants the confidence that any person who is caring for their child has the right training should the worst happen.  First aid training really is a life-saving skill to have. Ultimately, these changes in the law could save a child’s life.

 

Level 3 Paediatric First Aid

Anyone who works with children on a professional basis – nursery staff, childminders, nannies, pre-school and after-school club staff – must have a paediatric first aid qualification. Ajuda’s Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid is designed for staff working in childcare settings; they meet legal requirements by gaining an accredited certificate, and their workplaces will be able to reassure parents that their children are being cared for by trained and knowledgeable staff.  The course gives delegates the ability to deliver first aid to infants and children in the event of unconsciousness, choking, bleeding, shock, burns, and a number of other injuries and conditions.

The Paediatric First Aid course is designed to equip candidates with the minimum knowledge and skills required to save lives in a medical emergency. This course meets the Sure Start requirements for staff training and also that of the Appointed Person, it is ideal for nursery nurses, crèche staff and anyone who is responsible for the care of young children.

Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes

• Incident management & safety
• Basic life support baby & child
• Unconscious patient
• Control of bleeding & shock
• Burns & scalds
• Diabetes, epilepsy, asthma
• Choking
• Stings & bites
• Infantile convulsions
• Head injuries
• Croup
• First aid kits
• Eye injury
• Poisons
• Meningitis
• Record keeping

For more information about our paediatric first aid training, please contact us on 029 2057 6883 or email admin@ ajuda.org.uk

If you’ve done your first aid training with Ajuda, we’d love to know what you thought! Tweet us or review us on facebook.

Are you interested in becoming a trainer?

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 and training an extremely worthwhile career.

Next month Ajuda will be running 2 training courses that will assist you in becoming a trainer.

First Aid Train the Trainer

The 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

Dates: 5^th – 7^th March

Time: 9:30-4:30

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

Cost: £395+VAT

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.

Dates: 21^st, 22^nd, 26^th, 27^th March & 3rd April

Time: 9:30 – 4:30

Location: 15 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

Cost: £525+VAT

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.

Happy Halloween!

We all love Halloween; from trick or treating to ghoulish parties, there is something for everyone.

Unfortunately, there are risks that everyone should be aware of around this time of year – particularly if you also have young children to consider. We have written this blog to highlight some of the risks associated with Halloween that don’t come down to scary characters such as witches or ghosts.

As big fans of Halloween, we want to ensure that everybody has fun whilst remaining vigilant and safe.

Trick or Treating Safely

Walk Safely

– Cross the street at corners, using zebra crossings and the green man where possible.

– Look left, right and left again when crossing the road and ensure you keep looking as you cross.

– Don’t look down at your phone or other electronic devices whilst walking, particularly when crossing the road.

– Always walk on the pavement.

– Keep an eye out for cars that are turning or parking. Teach children to never run out into the street or cross between parked cars.

Trick or Treat with an Adult

– Any children under the age of 12 should not be alone at night without adult supervision. If children are mature enough to be out trick or treating without adult supervision, they should be in familiar areas that are well lit and go out in groups.

– If children are old enough to go out on their own, walkie talkies are a great way to keep in touch and ensure that they are safe.

Other tips and tricks

– Consider giving your child a torch to carry and adding glowsticks to their costume to improve visibility

– Ensure that children bring all sweets home to check for choking hazards or allergies and that all sweets are wrapped.

– Tell children to respect neighbours and do not enter any house under any circumstance.

– Set a route and time for return.

Keep Costumes Safe

– As already touched on, decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape, stickers or glowsticks. Choose as light colours as possible.

– Do not obstruct vision – choose face paint and make up where possible rather than masks.

– Make sure the costumes fits to size to prevent slips, trips and falls.

– Ensure you choose a costume that is not flammable. There have been many horrifying cases where children or adult costumes have caught fire causing severe injuries. Halloween costumes are listed at toys and are not subjected to regulated clothing standards, which means that a child’s outfit does not have to be fireproofed to the regulated standard.

– Leave sharp and pointy props at home.

Driving Safely on Halloween

Even if you are not taking part in Halloween celebrations it is incredibly important to stay vigilant and drive safely.

– Drive slowly particularly in residential areas. Excitable children can move in unpredictable ways. Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic.

– Take extra time to look for children at junctions, crossing the road and when parking.

– Enter driveways and lanes slowly and carefully.

– Eliminate any distractions inside your car e.g. loud music so that you can concentrate and the road and your surroundings.

– The most popular trick-or-treating hours are between 5:30 and 9:30 pm. So be especially alert for children during these hours.

So, there you have it, your guide to a safer Halloween. We’d love to hear from you about what you’ll be up to on Halloween – get in touch via twitter @ajuda_training. Remember to have fun, stay safe and have a very Happy Halloween!

Last week Ajuda ran a Level 3 award in Education and Training at our training academy in Cardiff Bay. The intensive course ran over 5 days.

The course covers the basics of teaching in further education. Topics covered on the course include; roles, responsibilities and relationships in education and training, inclusive approaches to teaching and learning, lesson planning, assessment, record keeping, use of resources, how to motivate learners, communication and questioning skills, legal requirements and the development of English, Maths and ICT skills.

Our delegates also successfully delivered 20 minute micro-teaches at the end of the course.

“Great fun and a great experience – I learnt so much” said delegate, Ross.

The delegates delivered micro-teaches on a huge variety of topics such as, how to peel a banana, how to make a cup of tea, sexual education and how to put on a condom correctly, how to make a paper aeroplane, customer service skills and mental health and wellbeing.

Delegate, Daisy, said that “the atmosphere on the course was consistently welcoming and inclusive. The tutor, Menna, ensured that everyone respected each other and was comfortable throughout the week. Although we all had varying levels of experience in teaching and training (I had none), we were all brought up to the same level and I left feeling confident in delivering a lesson. A sometimes challenging but overall fantastic week. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone who is looking to start training.”

Although the week was incredibly challenging and intensive for the delegates, they absolutely smashed it. Ajuda are proud to have trained 4 brilliant teachers ranging from, first aid trainers, an SIA trainer and a mental health awareness trainer. Good luck in the future everyone!

For more information about the Level 3 award in Education and Training qualification, please see here.

 

Ajuda are excited to be giving away a FREE defibrillator at The National Education Show in Cardiff City Hall on 13^th October. Visit us at stand 120 to enter our prize draw and potentially win a life-saving defibrillator for your school.

A defibrillator is an important piece of equipment that can truly help to save a life by giving a high energy electric shock to the heart in certain types of cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) alone raises a person’s chance of survival from a cardiac arrest to 4%; CPR combined with the use of an AED can increase the chance of survival to 74%.

If you are attending The National Education Show next week, please come along to our stand and get involved.

Watch our video to see what our MD, Dawn, has to say about the exciting giveaway: