Level 3 Paediatric First Aid Qualification – Important Clarification

Qualsafe Awards would like to provide some clarification in response to a recent statement that has been incorrectly issued by another Awarding Organisation regarding the new Level 3 Paediatric First Aid qualification:

Incorrect Statement issued by another Awarding Organisation:
From Sept 2014 the Level 2 Award in Paediatric first aid will cease. Awarding organisations have put forward a proposal to make the paediatric first aid course a level 3 award.

Accurate statement:
The units in the current Level 2 Award in Paediatric First Aid (QCF) qualification have recently undergone a national review. During this review Awarding Organisations re-assessed the levelling (Levelling, in simple terms, is a score allocated based on the complexity and autonomy of the skills learned. For the avoidance of doubt, the Level of a qualification does not relate to its duration) and it was agreed that the updated units should be categorised as Level 3. This is largely due to the autonomy of the role of the paediatric first aider.  Therefore, from 1st September 2014 the existing Level 2 Paediatric First Aid qualification will be replaced with the Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (QCF).

Incorrect Statement issued by another Awarding Organisation:
While the hours of this award have increased, awarding organisations, in consultation with the HSE have agreed to continue to offer this as a 2 day programme to ensure it is competitive with other organisations.

Accurate statement:
During the review of the paediatric qualification, the guided learning hours were also reassessed and for the first time an allowance was created based on time that the Learner may spend doing home study, reflection, repetition of skills etc. This increases the allocated guided learning hours, but does NOT, at present, increase the hours that Centres must allocate to face to face classroom learning/assessment. This remains at 12 hours.

Incorrect Statement issued by another Awarding Organisation:
The main benefit to employers is that someone attending this programme will also be deemed the competent first aider in the workplace for HSE purposes.
The HSE could never accept a paediatric qualification as it was only 12 hours. This new qualification meets both requirements.

Accurate Statement:
The new Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid does NOT meet the requirements of FAW and this is NOT suitable for the purposes of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Adult first aid protocols are not formally assessed during this QCF qualification and the course is delivered at a much faster pace than the 18 contact hours required for FAW.

However, a proposal has been made and is currently being debated, to bring paediatric first aid qualifications in line with FAW. Please note that this suggestion is yet to be debated fully and could not be viably implemented unless all key stakeholders in the first aid industry AND the Department for Education agree. Further information and a national consultation document will be sent to all Centres in the near future so that everyone can provide their feedback on this. We would like to reassure Centres that no change in course duration will take place until the above consultation has taken place and we would never implement such changes without sufficient prior notice to Centres.