External first aid course revalidation

The Scouts First Response Training covers the key skills and knowledge our adults need to manage incidents and provide basic first aid, for this reason it forms a vital role in keeping our people safe. 

As part of our collective national learning from the recent inquest and our commitment at all levels to make scouts as safe as we possibly can, UKHQ are introducing some changes to the requirements and validation for First Aid / First Response. These changes include:

• only authorised County First Response Trainers can validate first aid training (anyone with access to learning records may still update a volunteers’ Compass record once they’ve received confirmation of validation from the First Response Trainer) 
• changes to the way we validate learning for people who complete external First Aid courses to make sure they meet all the requirements of our First Response syllabus 
• everyone completing First Response Training must complete and validate both modules 10A and 10B to enable them to act as the designated first aid cover on scout activities, events, trips, and programmes 

 In addition to this going forward we will use the date that 10A learning is completed to update your leading record and this date will set the renewal date of your next training 

Using external first aid courses to validate First Response training 

From 1 August 2024, anyone who wishes to use an external first aid course to validate First Response training and enable them to act as the designated first aid cover at section meetings and activities, must show one of our County First Aid Trainers that they have met or can meet all the requirements of our First Response syllabus.

This includes knowledge of child related illnesses and the demonstration of child CPR which are commonly not included on external courses. This is to make sure that all volunteers who are carrying out first aid have the skills to manage incidents relating to children and young people. 

As part of this new requirement, we are also required to review the historical validations of First Response learning which used external courses from 1 April 2022 through to 1 August 2024 to make sure that they meet our standard for validation.

Compass doesn’t allow us to easily identify the people that are affected by this requirement. After reviewing the adult data for the whole county, we have identified that this could include you. 

This means If you have completed an external first aid course and wish to continue to use it as your First Response qualification, you now need to demonstrate to our First Aid Team that your course covered all aspects of the Scouts' First Response syllabus. This includes child-related illnesses and child CPR, which are often missing from external courses.

How to validate an external first aid course

The first thing to say is that you do not need to repeat the whole First Response course, you can top-up with additional learning. What this involves will depend on the external course you have completed, you can refer to the scouts course comparison sheet to identify the First Response syllabus areas that the most popular courses do not cover.

To help meet this requirement Hampshire Scouts have produced three e-learning modules which cover the additional content required for Module 10A & B – First Response. You will find more information on this in the Next Steps section below

In additional to completing this elearning you need to attend a practical assessment session to demonstrate child CPR. Please note that you will not be able to act as the designated first aid cover a section events or activities until this has been done. Click here to book your place at a validation session. 

If you have already completed this to validate your knowledge of child related illnesses, you need to let us know, when how you completed your learning about child related illnesses and your practical demonstration of child CPR session, we will check your learning and this will remain valid. 

Historical validations of child CPR which used the online conversion will no longer be valid and will need to be validated again.

UKHQ have set a deadline for this revalidation to be completed by 30 November 2024 to remain compliant and for you to act as the designated first aid at weekly meetings, activities and camps. 

Next steps

Please CLICK HERE to update us on the external first aid course that you completed – PLEASE also use this form if our information is incorrect and you did in fact complete a Scout First Response course. The short form will ask you to upload a photo of your current certificate. 

Then…

• If you completed a Scouts First Response course
  • Please provide a photo of your certificate, we will update your records, and you will not need to do anything else.
• If you completed an external first aid course. 
  • Please complete the relevant child related illnesses conversion elearning. If you have already completed this to validate your knowledge of child related illnesses, we will discuss your learning with you when you attend your child CPR session and this will remain valid. 
    • First Response Conversion – 3 day First Aid Work 
    • First Response Conversion – 1 day Emergency First Aid Work
    • First Response Conversion – Child First Aid course 

(not including courses that have been completed as part of the GLSE EFAW+ courses run by Walker Training Services)

or

Evidence of completion, for example an attendance certificate, can be submitted to one of our First Response Trainers for validation.  

and… 

• Click here to book your child CPR in person validation session.

We understand these changes require your time and effort, and we deeply appreciate your dedication to keeping our Scouts safe. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

Thank you for your continued support and commitment and your understanding with this new national requirement.