Paediatric first aid courses for nannies, au pairs and childcarers

When you hear about a toddler dying from a choking incident one’s first thoughts always go to where are my children? Who are they with? And are they ok? Drowning, choking and falls are the kind of accidents that could happen to any child. And when these accidents do happen what is most important is that we, the parents or the child carers looking after them whether they be nannies, au pairs, grandparents or nursery staff know what to do. Because in the worst-case scenario and without proper intervention, simple accidents can end in tragedy.

Qualified First Aiders For Children

It is about this time of year when parents start to recruit new nannies and au pairs. It is never an easy time on either side as there is always a settling-in period where it becomes obvious whether or not the relationship is going to work out.  I have written before about the importance of a nanny contract. But equally important is checking that they have a valid and up-to-date paediatric first aid certificate from a recognised provider. The certificate should specify that they have attended a minimum of 6 hours of face-to-face training.

Understanding First Aid Myths & The Correct Course of Action

Many families are employing child carers from overseas and with them, just like in the UK, come a number of folk tales about first aid. For example, some Eastern European au pairs on our first aid courses told us that in their country they put toothpaste on burns. Equally misleading is my grandmother’s advice to put butter on burns. Check out our common first aid misconceptions.

Booking A Course With Us:

On Safe and Sound Paediatric First  Aid Courses, we provide 6 hours of face-to-face training by instructors who work for the emergency services and have extensive experience in accident and emergency medicine. We also provide training on Anaphylaxis and the use of AEDs. In addition, we offer an extended e-learning module (through our sister site eLearn Here Direct)  that accompanies the learning. This aims to ensure that everyone leaves our training courses well-equipped in the knowledge that they would know what to do in an emergency situation. (For childcarers wishing to register with Ofsted this elearning module is a compulsory part of the course). Accidents are always going to happen however vigilant we are. However, having child carers with good first aid training and a well-equipped children’s first aid kit will help ensure you and your children are safe and sound.