WHAT FIRST AID TRAINING DO I NEED ?

The first aid training delivered by Scouts – also known as First Response course – is required to be held by all members who have, or can be expected to have regular engagement with young people. This includes Team Members (Section), Team Leader (Section), Group Lead Volunteers, District / County Lead Volunteers and their respective Team Leads.

Completion of a first course must be undertaken and recorded within 12 months of a new appointment in one of these roles. [If you were a Section Assistant pre Transformation, you have 24 months to complete your First Aid training from 25th November 2024]. Following your initial course, you must complete a full refresh course before the expiry of your current certificate. Members will receive an automated reminder at regular intervals from HQ starting at 6 months prior to expiry.

Current rules require that; all activities, must have access to someone holding a current, relevant first aid qualification and access to suitable first aid materials.

The current Scouts First Response syllabus that needs to be completed in full can be accessed by the following LINK 

For most situations, the minimum requirement is First Response or an equivalent syllabus of at least 6 hours duration. This can be covered in three ways, see below. The exception is where the activity is an “adventurous activity” and the circumstances are set out in POR Rule 9.2.2.4. See this for full details but basically, any activity where participants are three hours or more from physical contact. In these circumstances, first aid materials must be immediately accessible and there should be a member with a minimum 16 hour current first aid qualification.

HOW TO COMPLETE YOUR FIRST AID TRAINING

Within Somerset, there are currently three ways in which you can complete your required First Aid training, these are:

• Face to Face Course
• Blended Learning
• External Courses

Details of each are set out below.

Completion of First Aid training on Compass is split between theory and practice:

Module 10a – This covers all the theory training provided by the current on-line options.

Module 10b – This covers the practical assessment that must be undertaken as soon as possible.

FACE-TO-FACE COURSE

Somerset County Training Team are facilitating a number of face-to-face training courses at various locations around the County.

Place numbers are strictly limited to 12 per course.

These courses, delivered by an external training provider, are financed by Somerset Scouts. In cases of late cancellation or a “no show”, the Scout County may invoice the Scout Group / Scout District for the recovery of the place cost.

Details of current courses will appear in the Training Calendar available HERE

BLENDED LEARNING

What is “Blended Learning”?

Quite simply, a combination of e-learning, trainer led learning and practical assessment. The first two elements must be completed to fulfil the requirements for Module 10a and the third completes Module 10b.

First, you need to complete an e-learning course which lasts about two hours. This is being hosted and provided by Hampshire Scouts. To access this learning, please click on the following link

At the end you will be prompted to complete your personal information. It is important that you select SOMERSET so that the completion details are captured and recorded on the following screen. This is a requirement before you can progress with the next element.

Next comes a two and a half hour online facilitated session led by a first aid trainer. Currently, these are being provided by Hampshire Scouts and a few other Counties. You just need to complete one session but must have completed the e-learning element BEFORE the on-line course.

HAMPSHIRE SCOUTS – CURRENT DATES ARE   07/04/2025, 13/05/2025, 11/06/2025, 15/07/2025 & 18/08/2025  –  from 19:15 to 21:30.

To book  a Trainer led session with Hampshire Scouts (delivered by Zoom), you will need to visit the Hampshire Scouts webpage at https://training.hampshirescouts.org.uk/first-aid/

WARWICKSHIRE SCOUTS – CURRENT DATES ARE   07/04/2025 or 07/05/2025

To book  a Trainer led session with Warwickshire Scouts (delivered by Zoom), you will need to visit the Eventbrite registration as follows

Monday 7th April (19:15 to 21:30) click https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/first-response-blended-online-learning-10a-07042025-tickets-1284461782769?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Wednesday 7th May (19:15 to 21:30) click https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/first-response-blended-online-learning-10a-07052025-tickets-1289540724019?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Please note, for the Warwickshire courses you will need to send a copy of your completed e-learning certificate once you have a place booked.

IMPORTANT Once the course is completed, a certificate is produced, a copy of which you need to send to advise the County Learning Team at Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk  so that a record may be kept and entered in your My Learning area of your Membership Record. Completion of both of the above two elements will satisfy the requirements for 10A.

Finally, the practical element.

The e mail advice of completing 10A (above), will also add you to the pool of learners who can be advised of the dates and location of the practical assessment – 10B. This is a 25 / 30-minute assessment in a small group to complete the learning.

Somerset Scouts are providing opportunities to complete the practical element (10b) at locations around the County. Details will be sent to all those who have completed 10a and submitted their certificate (see above) as and when dates / locations are arranged.

Those eligible will receive an e-mail advice and invitation to book a space on the next date.

If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the County Learning Team at Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk

COMPLETING AN EXTERNAL COURSE 

Following the Coroners inquest to the tragic incident at Great Orme in 2018, the Prevention of Future Deaths Notice issued and the Scouts response earlier this year, Scouts has reviewed the approach to be taken where a member has a first aid qualification from an external course provider. This is to ensure that the certificate meets all the requirements of the current First Response syllabus in Scouts.

From 1st August 2024, members who complete an external course will need to submit their certificate and, if possible, the syllabus taught.  These must be sent, in all instances to Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk

This will apply to any externally delivered training provided by a regulated body such as Red Cross or St John Ambulance or, a training provider who is Ofqual or Qualsafe registered. The completed course must be for a minimum of 6 hours  and be solely covering first aid. If the training is for less than six hours or covers other topics, it is not possible to accommodate within the requirements. This will apply to some NHS courses like Basic Life Support and those of a specific nature such as care, pain management or healthcare support. Similarly, some courses delivered for nursery and child employment will not be of a wide enough nature to be accepted.

Members, whose employment requires them to undertake medical or first aid activities on a regular basis such as Nurses, Midwives, Police Officers, Medical Practitioners, Members of HM Armed Forces, Ambulance Care – Assistants / Paramedics / Technicians may be exempt from undergoing unnecessary duplication of first aid training. Such professionals will be required to provide evidence of an up-to-date qualification which as a minimum meets the Scouts First Response Syllabus. This evidence can be a certificate or an official letter confirming the necessary areas have been met. There are no exemptions and you will need to provide evidence to Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk who will confirm the requirements are fully met or will arrange for learning and validation of any missing elements.

External courses rarely deliver all the content required by Scouts. This is because they are generally structured for a specific audience. For example, many First Aid at Work (FAW) or Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) courses do not include elements relating to young people as, in most instances, it would not be expected that they would encounter or be responsible for a young person. Therefore, child CPR and child illnesses would not be covered. Similarly, a Paediatric First Aid course might not include adult CPR or adult choking. These courses might not cover other elements too such as fractures and sprains, head injuries or dental injuries.

In order to fill those gaps, members, after submission of certificate / syllabus, will if required, be directed to, and asked to complete an on line conversion course hosted by Hampshire Scouts. There are a number of courses and the designated one will depend upon the external qualification held. The training lasts between 30 and 45 minutes.

The link to these Conversion Courses are below. After a self-test, a certificate is produced which must be submitted to Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk. If you are not sure which course to complete, please contact Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk.

• Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day)
• First Aid at Work (2 or 3 day)
• Child First Aid courses
• Royal Yachting Association

Where a practical demonstration is also required, the learner will be advised of opportunities to undertake practical demonstration of either child CPR or adult CPR.

Until all aspects of the learning are complete, your First Aid for Scouts is not complete and you cannot be considered as “first aid cover” for meetings, events, camps etc.

If you have any questions, please mail to Adult-Training@somersetscouts.org.uk

We appreciate that all is not simple and straightforward however, the above options are set out and in place to ensure that there are ways to allow all to complete their first aid training.