Qualsafe Awards offers two Level 3 paediatric first aid qualifications: the full Paediatric First Aid award and the shorter Emergency Paediatric First Aid award. They sound almost the same, but they are written for different people, and only one of them is the full paediatric first aid qualification that early years settings in England need. Choosing the right one saves you from booking twice.

PLAB Guide Training Centre in Levenshulme, Manchester is a Qualsafe Awards Approved Centre (No. 908553) and runs both courses every month.

The short answer

• You work in an early years setting in England (a nursery, preschool, school early years class or as a childminder or nanny) and your role needs a paediatric first aid certificate: book the full Paediatric First Aid course.
• You are a parent, grandparent, guardian, babysitter or volunteer and want to know what to do in a life-threatening emergency: the one-day Emergency Paediatric First Aid course is a good fit.
• You are not sure which your role needs: check with your setting or employer, or ask us before you book.

Side by side

What the EYFS framework requires

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework requires early years providers in England to have at least one person with a current, full paediatric first aid certificate on the premises and on outings whenever children are present. Staff who gained a level 2 or level 3 early years qualification since 30 June 2016 must also obtain a paediatric first aid qualification within three months of starting work to count in staff-to-child ratios.

The full Paediatric First Aid award is designed to meet these requirements. The Emergency Paediatric First Aid award on its own is not the full certificate, so if you are booking for an early years role, choose the full course.

What the full course adds

Both courses cover the life-threatening emergencies: assessing an incident, infant and child CPR with an AED, choking, the unresponsive casualty, and bleeding and shock. The full course adds a second unit on illness and injury, including fractures, head and spinal injuries, asthma, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, meningitis, febrile convulsions, burns and scalds, poisoning and extremes of temperature.

Two days face to face, or blended?

The full course comes in two formats that lead to the same qualification. The two-day course suits learners who prefer to learn everything with a trainer in the room. The blended format suits learners who are comfortable studying online and want one day away from work: you complete six hours of Qualsafe online learning first, then attend one classroom day for the practical skills and all of the assessments. Blended learning reduces classroom time but not the total training, which is still at least 12 hours.

Renewing your certificate

Both certificates are valid for three years. To stay qualified, take the qualification again before your certificate expires. Qualsafe recommends annual refresher training in between to keep your skills up to date.

Training for your nursery, school or team

We can run either course for your staff, at our Levenshulme centre or at your setting in Greater Manchester, with one price covering a group of up to 12 learners. Ask us for a group booking.

Next steps

• Paediatric First Aid course in Manchester: the full Qualsafe Level 3 Award, two days or blended
• Emergency Paediatric First Aid course in Manchester: one day, for parents, carers and volunteers
• Also useful: Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness course in Manchester