Would your nanny or babysitter know how to cope with a medical emergency? They may have been on a first aid course, but were they tested rigorously enough to ensure they would be confident and competent to help if something actually happened to your child?
Every day children die needlessly, when basic first aid could have saved their lives.
“Save a Life” Survey
The national “Save a Life” survey* involving over 2,000 people, showed that 1/3 of parents have had to rush their child to hospital at some point. It is crucial you employ a nanny or babysitter competent and confident enough to help your children in an emergency. It’s not enough to upskill just yourself if someone else is going to be solely responsible for your children. Don’t risk that powerless feeling of something having gone wrong and your nanny or babysitter having just stood back, helpless.
RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Annual Statistics
500,000 children need to go to casualty after accidents in the home.
125,000 children are killed or injured in garden accidents.
20,000 children end up in casualty departments with burns.
100 children die from severe burns every year.
Nearly 6,000 children are injured in road accidents.
70 children are killed on the roads every week!
40% of parents have witnessed their own baby choke and over 80% had no idea what to do. 34 children are treated for choking on food every day.** 92% of parents don’t think their babysitter would know what to do in relation to first aid.
Accidents: a very real threat
Accidental injury is one of the biggest single causes of death in the UK for children over the age of one. More children die each year as a result of accidents than from illnesses such as leukaemia or meningitis. Many of the accidents that happen in and around the home can be avoided; by identifying potential risks in the home, you and your nanny can anticipate and avoid hazards to help keep children safe.
All young children will have some injuries and accidents. Most will be minor, but it is crucial to know what to do if the accident or injury is more serious.
Children need to be able to explore and enjoy their environment, they shouldn’t be wrapped in cotton-wool. However, basic sensible precautions to keep them safe, along with the knowledge of what to do if an accident does happen will make a difference. First aid is not one of those areas that can be learnt from a book, there is no substitute for attending a practical course and having a go at resuscitating a manikin or removing an obstruction from a choking baby.
If you are trusting the safety and wellbeing of your child with someone else, make sure that they have had thorough training and have the skills and knowledge to confidently help in an emergency. Time and again, people look for cheap first aid courses, which typically involve large groups of trainees being talked at by an inexperienced trainer and then awarded their certificates with minimal assessment. This will not equip them with the vital skills and knowledge they need to confidently help your child in an emergency.
First Aid for Life training is different from other providers; our trainers are highly experienced medical professionals, courses are held in small groups and we only award our certificates once we have are sure each individual has fully understood everything and would be competent and confident in an emergency situation.
We offer the one day intensive Paediatric First Aid course for child carers looking to register on the Ofsted voluntary register and blended learning enabling child carers to fulfil the requirements of the compulsory and Early Years Ofsted registration by completing 6 hours’ online pre-learning and then choosing a one-day (6 hour) scheduled course. They are then awarded a 12-hour paediatric certificate on the day of the practical course. Book a Paediatric First Aid course here.
*Carried out by Mother and Baby Magazine in association with supermarket chain Tesco.
**St John Ambulance statistics.
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