Selecting a First Aid Training Provider

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Selecting a first aid training provider

Employers and business owners may find it difficult to select a first aid training provider. Since October 1, 2013, the HSE has no longer approved first aid training or certifications.

It is now the employer’s or business owner’s job to undertake due diligence checks on possible first aid training providers to ensure that they satisfy their criteria, are appropriately qualified, and understand the training delivery technique.

There are several options to choose from when choosing a training provider.

  • The qualification regulators, Ofqual in England, SQA in Scotland, and Qualifications Wales in Wales, regulate those who choose to offer regulated qualifications (first aid qualifications).
  • When a training provider wants to prove their proficiency to an employer by providing evidence that they meet the HSE’s standards, they operate independently of any such programme.
  • Those who are affiliated with a voluntary aid society, such as St. John Ambulance, the British Red Cross, or St. Andrew’s First Aid, are eligible.

All training providers should be able and prepared to demonstrate how they meet the HSE’s criteria.

Regulated qualifications

Regulated qualifications are nationally recognised and can be obtained at a training centre through an awarding AO (Awarding Organisation), which is recognised by qualification regulators such as Ofqual, SQA, and the Welsh Government.

Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, exams, and assessments in England, while the “Scottish Qualifications Authority” (SQA) and Welsh governments perform comparable responsibilities.

There are many AOs in the UK; they have specific policies and quality assurance systems, and they must approve and monitor their training centres to guarantee that training achieves a specified standard.

AOs and their training centres must adhere to the Assessment Principles for First Aid Qualifications, as well as the competency of trainers and assessors and the content of quality assurance procedures.

We offer regulated first aid qualifications as an on-site option, as well as through our training venue in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Unregulated qualifications

Providers who offer unregulated qualifications must meet the standards established by the HSE and Skills for Health, as well as have adequate quality assurance in place.

Any employer or business owner is free to select any training provider they like, but they should conduct due diligence to ensure that it meets the needs and requirements of the business (Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981). You should also record and retain this due diligence.

Conclusion

Check out our blog to learn more about the differences between regulated and unregulated.

When selecting a first aid training provider, you should also consider the trainer’s experience, as many providers just have a basic teaching qualification like PTLLS and a first aid at work qualification.

This is the absolute minimum they require to be able to provide training.

At Warwickshire First Aid Training, we are all first responders who have gone through a rigorous selection process to secure a spot on the training team. A first aid certification at work is unlikely to provide them with the real-world first aid experience they need.

Our first aid trainers and assessors must be at least two levels more qualified than the first aid course they are teaching our students.