AliceinWonderland Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 The link below is for the government consultation on the proposed requirement for all newly qualified staff (level 2 and 3) to hold a paediatric first aid certificate before being counted in ratios. This was launched yesterday and the closing date is 10th December. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/paediatric-first-aid-eyfs-statutory-framework-amendments Quote
BroadOaks Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Level 2 or level 3 courses usually include a paediatric first aid course in my area, i don't know about others? 1 Quote
AliceinWonderland Posted October 16, 2015 Author Posted October 16, 2015 That's exactly what I was going to suggest in the consultation. It's definitely not included in my area. Don't think a 3 month grace would be much use either, it would cost a fortune to get someone in privately to do a first aid course when we may only need 1 or 2 members of staff to do it and the councils early years team only put them on every so often, for example we have none available until January and the last one was in the summer. Think it should be mandatory to be done while doing the course. Also, it would mean that we were paying out for new members of staff to do first aid and then you may find that they were not very good and have to let them go. =waste of money or make them pay for it themselves. Don't know about other areas, we have to pay about £50 per person for the course. What do you do? council or private? 1 Quote
BroadOaks Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 hmmm, well with the college NVQ placement it is part of this course and available if required! It has been this way for a good few years aswell.. and they also give £1500 per student to the employer to boot as a scheme to get more employers to take apprentices on. Well funded area i guess! Quote
AliceinWonderland Posted October 16, 2015 Author Posted October 16, 2015 We can apply for the £1500 from the government for having an apprentice but that's it! maybe I should move!! lol Quote
SueJ Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 It's a fabulous idea in principle and before money was quite so tight as it is now I used to have all my team first aid qualified (for their own benefit as well as the setting's). We have no training grants in our area unless you count the apprenticeship grant. There are also the knock on costs of having everyone renewed every 3 years too to take into account - the cost of the course, the cost of paying someone to do the course and the cost of paying for staff cover whilst everyone is off training! 3 Quote
Guest Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 I pay £55 for our first aid training because it's not included in the NVQ qualifications and I feel better knowing everyone has it. I have it written into our contracts that we pay for all required training but if they leave the company within 6 months of taking the course they have to pay the £55 back, just I case people don't last through the probationary period or leave soon after starting Quote
Fredbear Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 We also have all our staff trained together every three years. This is not something I'm willing to stop, however we factor this into our fundraising efforts and planning. Getting tougher each time though. 1 Quote
thumperrabbit Posted October 17, 2015 Posted October 17, 2015 We are the same as Fredbear all staff trained but all ours come up for renewal at different times so doesn't (didn't) matter if someone couldn't get on a course straight away. Ours are currently £90 plus vat per person. Quote
lashes2508 Posted October 17, 2015 Posted October 17, 2015 First aid training should be part of the training, oddly our apprentice got it via college but another new staff member did not , we try and train in a group and invite other settings to join to make cost cheaper but I now have 3 members of staff who need to do their training . Quote
AliceinWonderland Posted October 17, 2015 Author Posted October 17, 2015 wow! not sure what happened to the size of the font on my earlier post. I apologise, not shouting!! Our staff are all due at different times too, otherwise i could see the benefit of doing everyone together and inviting other settings along too. We also have quite a transient population in our area, staff do come and go so even if i decided to just go ahead and do them all together whether they needed it or not, we may still find that then they leave etc, like the idea of putting it into contracts about paying it back if they leave. I do that already with DBS as have been stung with that before. Quote
louby loo Posted October 17, 2015 Posted October 17, 2015 When I did my level 3, pre NVQs it was included as part of the course. Actually thinking about it - it was the full 'first-aid in the workplace'. We had to pass that to get the childcare certificate. Quote
eyfs1966 Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 I have filled in questionnaire, but frankly was somewhat confused by the whole thing... they are saying newly qualifieds must do PFA to count in ratio...fine...but what then happens after 3 years? Must they then all be re trained? What is the point? The EYFS asks for 1. Is this a way of actually saying all staff must have a current PFA? To my mind, we need someone to say either a PFA is a requirement for all staff, OR it's not, not one rule for one set of staff and different for another. (Or have I completely missed the point?) PS. I'm getting a little weary of these endless "consultations" and "calls for evidence"...... Quote
lsp Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 Do you think we should invoice DC for our time used to fill all these consultations in? At consultants rates of course! 1 Quote
Fredbear Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 All PFA certificates are valid for three years only. I'm sure a refresher would be more appropriate but what do I know. As for billing the DC for all our time I think that's a great idea. Quote
narnia Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 all staff trained at my expense. last one was in May of this year and cost us £50 each. Quote
SueJ Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 In the small print the costings for future renewals etc. are based on new entrants being paid the minimum wage rather than the living wage "We are implicitly assuming that new entrants qualified at Level 2 will enter the sector at age 18 and will be aged 21 at the time they will require their first refresher training course." This however this extract is from a government research report in 2003 - (haven't found anything more recent) which debunks that idea "Who works in childcare? The LFS data show that the childcare workforce is overwhelmingly female (97%) and white (97%), Table 2. The majority employed in childcare are aged between 30 and 50 (60%) and have children of their own aged under 19 (65%)." And the Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2011 report put the average hourly rate for a childcare worker at £7.80/£7.90 - again well above the minimum wage being used by the consultation costings. This would suggest that the costings for this are seriously skewed - whilst it is a good idea in principal - in practice it is another thing that's going to cost a fortune. Quote
LKeyteach Posted October 19, 2015 Posted October 19, 2015 Yep I paid for my staff team at the beginning of last academic year and paid for food handling the year before and safeguarding this year. We have done it as a group so has benefited team building as well on our premises and did invite practitioners from other settings and parents. Did not get any take up from externals though. But money is getting tight so not sure I can do anything next year. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.