Government opens consultation on compulsory first aid training
The consultation, which closes on 10 December at 5:00pm, invites early years providers, parents, healthcare professionals and local authorities to submit their views on the proposal, which would see all newly qualified Level 2 and 3 early years staff to complete either a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate if they are to count towards adult-to-child ratios under the EYFS.
The government first announced plans to make paediatric first aid training compulsory for all early years staff in March; a move that was backed by parents Joanne and Dan Thompson, who had campaigned for the change since the death of their daughter, Millie, at a nursery in 2012.
Their Millie鈥檚 Trust petition was signed by more than 100,000 people.
The Alliance spoke out in favour of the move, with chief executive Neil Leitch stating: 鈥淲e warmly welcome the consultation on paediatric first aid requirements, and the fact that the government is taking proactive steps to ensure that the EYFS framework reflects best practice in this area.鈥
He added: 鈥淲e look forward to working with the Department for Education to ensure that the details of these requirements are full thought through, that they are based on the best interests of the child and, crucially, that providers are adequately supported in implementing them.鈥