Quite simply no you cannot teach them.



There is a massive document called "Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage" which is the bible where childminding and early years is concerened.



Within this document it gives all the requirements and procedures to be adhered to.

Under a section called "Safeguarding and promoting childrens welfare" is a section on Illnesses and injuries which goes on to state

"First aid training must be approved by the local authority and consistent with guidance set out in the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage"



However, it does not mean that you cannot teach - what it does mean is that you need to apply to your local authority for approval.



My LA insisted on seeing lesson plans/schemes of work/insurance and references etc, I do not know what your LA may require.



If you go ahead anyway, potentially what can happen is that OFSTED when carrying out their inspections will look at the FA certs and cross match these with the list of LA approved providers to ensure they match.

If they dont then the Childminder will have to re-take the course with an approved provider and may achieve an unsatisfactory inspection.



Paediatrics is a passion of mine and there is a lot of large and indeed small organisations that claim to be able to offer training nationwide, be very wary of these claims. My company is LA approved for my county, it does not mean I can train in other counties as I have not got approval in these.



Funnily, St John in my county do not even have approval to deliver Paeds.



Also OFSTED/EYFS do not approve anything, they offer guidance on content and you have to prove to the LA that your content is suitable.

I do hope you told them that they could be put into special measures by Ofsted as the Safeguarding agenda has a precedence over results.  Also a school not complying with the statutory legal requirements would be operating illegally which could in a worst case scenario lead to legal proceedings against the school i.e. the head and chair of governors.  That should focus minds into looking at the relevant page in the framework (26 if you really want to know).

I must agree with Marty. The local authority spoke to me when I was awarded my contract to teach paeds, she stated (as Marty has indicated) that OFSTED have double checked with them on numerous occasions to confirm if the training providor was on their approved list and on at least one occasion when it wasn't, the OFSTED have made those involved retake the course as they wouldn't recognise the certificate.

So the morale to the story is check first with the local authority.

Wavey, there is nothing stopping you from teaching it to who ever you wish, you just can't certificate it, well it wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on if you did... you could still use it for an observation for your PTLLS course.

As I understand it - yes.

Thanks guys.

Ive been in touch with the LA and they only approve one company per year for the training, and all training is then provided by the council to people in the area... bugger!

Thats what I thought.

Ive asked for clarification with regard to child minders etc and not schools, and see what they say. At least I ahve a name and the right dept at the council.

Well for what it's worth. Paed training if

1 - HSE Approved Training Provider

2 - Registration with one LA should authorise training in any LA

Approved by who? the AoFA/BRC/AMIJMU? another money making franchise idea, I don't think so. A Local Authority would have far more credibility in my opinion, they will hopefully have quality as a target, and aren't out to make financial profit from any approval system.

Very good point



On a personal note, I did not start our paediatric training classes until after studying for the paed version of PHTLS. Like when I did the PHTLS itself, I was amazed at how much I didn't know I didn't know about Trauma, so it was with the kids.



Hence my comment about many paeds courses being just a first aid course with an occasional mention of children. This was not my description; it is one I have borrowed from quite a few of the schoolteacher/TAs/MDAs etc who have made this comment to me about their previous training from other organisations (including some big names).



The most heartening comment I had was from a MDA who had been working in a particular school (by the look of her since the school opened in 1830-something!) who said to me that she had done so many paeds courses she had lost count - but this was the first time she had learnt anything about children.



To anyone delivering paeds courses without any specific paed training, I urge you to get some. Please trust me, you don't know what you don't know.



We also have a Paediatric A&E Consultant as our paed training advisor, and he is not just a name, he has been involved in the course design.

This is another concern when councils "hold the purse strings" they say what people will do.

My wife went on her FAW refresher earlier this year (council funded) and the instructor on that said the council were putting pressure on them to take more candidates per course.