First Aid

1. Introduction

The service must comply with all regulations and legislation (including the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981), to ensure the health, safety and welfare of adults, staff and visitors to the service, including an office environment.

The service must ensure that trained staff are available in the event of an incident, accident or other emergency to offer first aid to those affected.

A list of any trained first aid staff will be displayed in a staff area within each service.

2. First Aid Needs Assessment

The service or other manager will assess the service / office requirements for first aid by completing a first aid needs assessment. This should result in being able to ascertain the number of first aiders needed within each service / office.

Following the assessment, the service / office manager should identify appropriate staff – including sufficient numbers to cover the setting as required – to complete a first aid training (see First Aid Training Providers).

3. First Aid Training

The service / office manager will arrange training for a number of service staff or on an individual basis, as appropriate. The First Aider’s certificate should be kept in the member of staff’s personnel file and recorded on their training plan.

All care and support staff should undertake first aid training.

First aiders should be able to leave their place of work at any time to attend to an injured / sick person, and to allow time off for first aid training with an external provider where relevant.

Trained first aiders should be responsible for:

• attending incidents, accidents and responding to ill health within the remit of their training. They should not attempt to provide care for areas they have not been trained;
• reporting any occasions where they are required to attend to a first aid situation, and document what response was required and the outcome;
• keeping first aid kits and equipment up to date and in good order. They must replenish first aid equipment when it has been used or when it has expired;
• attending update training every two years, following discussions and confirmation in supervision and performance development appraisals with their line manager;
• give sufficient notice (no less than one month) to their line manager if they intend to step down from the first aider role.

4. Audits

Regular health and safety audits should be undertaken by the service to ensure that all elements of this policy and procedure are being implemented effectively.