First-aid
All
childminders in England and Wales must hold an
appropriate valid paediatric first-aid certificate when
they register. The first-aid certificate should be updated on a
regular basis.
Government guidelines for childcarers state that first-aid
training must:
- cater for practitioners caring for children in the absence of
their parents
- be a minimum of 12 hours
- cover what to include in a first-aid kit for babies and
children
- demonstrate resuscitation techniques using models of babies and
children, and give practitioners a chance to practise on models of
each age group
- inlcude how to record accidents and incidents
appropriately.
If you live in England, you should first contact your local
authority for information on first-aid training in your area. You
could also try calling your local Family Information Service to see
which training courses are recommended.
St John Ambulance (0870 010 4950) and British Red Cross (0870
170 9110) both run courses suitable for childminders and other
home-based childcarers.
Keeping records
NCMA sells an Accident, Incident and Medication folder designed
for childminders to be able to accurately record any accidents or
incident to the children in their care, and to keep an accurate
record of children's medication and treatment. For more information
or to buy a copy, visit NCMA's shop.