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First aider practising back blows on an infant choking manikin

Emergency Paediatric First Aid Course

Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid (RQF)

A practical one-day qualification covering essential emergency first aid for infants and children.

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Suitable for parents, grandparents, guardians, family friends and other carers, as well as organisations that have determined this level of paediatric first aid training is appropriate for their responsibilities and setting.

Qualsafe registered training centre logo, centre number 0908442
Group of adults taking part in a first aid training session with CPR practice on a resuscitation manikin.

Ofqual Regulated

3

Year Certification

1

Day Course

Interested in This Course?

DTMK offers this qualification as private training for groups at their own suitable venue.

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It can be arranged for:

  • Community and voluntary organisations

  • Sports and activity groups

  • Family support organisations

  • Groups of parents, grandparents, guardians and carers

  • Professional settings that have confirmed this qualification meets their requirements

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Private delivery allows people who may need to respond together to develop practical skills in the same training environment.

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Before booking for professional purposes, the organisation is responsible for checking whether Emergency Paediatric First Aid provides sufficient training for the learner’s role and setting.

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If a full paediatric first aid qualification is required, view the Two-Day Paediatric First Aid course.

What Is the Emergency Paediatric First Aid Qualification?

The Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid (RQF) is a regulated one-day qualification covering essential emergency first aid for infants and children.

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It prepares learners to recognise and respond to immediately life-threatening situations, including an unresponsive casualty, cardiac arrest, choking, serious bleeding, shock and seizures.

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The qualification is based on recommendations from:

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The qualification contains the Emergency Paediatric First Aid unit that also forms the first part of the full Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (RQF).

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It does not include the wider range of childhood illnesses, injuries and emergencies covered by the full two-day qualification.

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Parents, grandparents and other carers may find the course provides a useful foundation in emergency paediatric first aid. Professional settings must check their applicable requirements and decide whether this qualification provides sufficient coverage for the learner’s role.

How the Emergency Paediatric First Aid Course Works

This is a one-day, face-to-face course providing a minimum of six guided learning hours with a trainer. Breaks are additional to the required training time.

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Learners take part in:

  • Trainer-led learning and discussion

  • Practical demonstrations

  • Repeated skills practice

  • Infant and child emergency scenarios

  • Five practical assessments

  • A multiple-choice assessment

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Training focuses on recognising and responding to immediate threats to life involving infants and children.

 

Learners practise assessing an emergency, summoning appropriate assistance, performing CPR, using an automated external defibrillator, responding to choking and managing other serious incidents.

 

All teaching and formal assessment take place in the classroom. Learners must successfully complete every mandatory assessment to achieve the qualification.

Practical Training for Infant and Child Emergencies

Emergency paediatric first aid requires practical skills that cannot be developed through theory alone.

 

Learners work with infant and child training manikins and practise:

  • Conducting a scene survey and primary survey

  • Recognising when an infant or child is unresponsive

  • Performing infant CPR

  • Performing child CPR

  • Using an automated external defibrillator safely

  • Responding to infant and child choking

  • Placing an unconscious casualty into an appropriate recovery position

  • Controlling external bleeding

  • Recognising and managing shock

  • Monitoring the casualty until further help arrives

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DTMK uses demonstrations, supported practice and realistic scenarios to help learners understand how their response must change according to the casualty’s age and condition.

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Learn more about the practical equipment used during training on our Meet the Manikins page.

Who Is This Qualification For?

This qualification is suitable for people who want practical training in essential emergency first aid for infants and children.

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It may be appropriate for:

  • Parents and guardians

  • Grandparents and other family members

  • Family friends who regularly care for children

  • Babysitters and informal carers

  • Volunteers working with children

  • Sports coaches and activity leaders

  • Community and youth group volunteers

  • Employees whose organisation has confirmed this qualification meets their needs

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The course may be useful for professional settings as part of their wider first aid arrangements, but it is not automatically suitable for every childcare or early years role.

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Employers and organisations must consider the learner’s responsibilities, the ages of the children, staffing arrangements and any regulatory or contractual requirements before selecting the course.

 

Where a full paediatric first aid certificate is required, learners should complete the Two-Day Paediatric First Aid course.

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For further guidance, read The Top Five Questions Nurseries Ask About Paediatric First Aid Training.

What Does the Emergency Paediatric First Aid Course Cover?

The course concentrates on essential emergency first aid for infants and children.

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Course content includes:

  • The role and responsibilities of a paediatric first aider

  • Minimising the risk of infection

  • Differences between an infant and a child for first aid purposes

  • Assessing an emergency situation safely

  • Conducting a scene survey

  • Completing a primary survey

  • Summoning appropriate assistance

  • Recognising an unresponsive infant or child

  • Infant and child CPR

  • Safe use of an automated external defibrillator

  • Identifying and responding to choking

  • The recovery position

  • Continual monitoring of breathing

  • Recognising and managing seizures

  • Identifying life-threatening external bleeding

  • Controlling external bleeding

  • Recognising and managing hypovolaemic shock

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The course does not cover the broader range of childhood illnesses and injuries included within the full Paediatric First Aid qualification.

How Is the Qualification Assessed?

Assessment takes place throughout the classroom course and includes five practical assessments and one multiple-choice question paper.

Learners must successfully demonstrate:

  • Infant CPR and safe use of an automated external defibrillator

  • Child CPR and safe use of an automated external defibrillator

  • Management of a choking casualty

  • Management of wounds, bleeding and shock

  • Management of an unconscious casualty

Learners must also complete a 15-question multiple-choice assessment. The maximum assessment time is 25 minutes, and learners must answer at least 11 questions correctly.

Every mandatory practical and theory assessment must be completed successfully to achieve the qualification.

Learners who require further support will receive clear feedback and, where permitted, an opportunity for reassessment.

Entry Requirements

Learners must be at least 14 years old on the first day of training.

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There are no other formal entry requirements, although Qualsafe strongly recommends that learners have literacy and numeracy skills at Level 1 or an equivalent standard.

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Learners must be able to:

  • Participate in practical activities at floor level

  • Perform infant and child CPR

  • Demonstrate the recovery position

  • Take part in casualty management exercises

  • Complete the required practical and theory assessments

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Due to the practical nature of the course, learners should wear suitable clothing and flat footwear.

 

Please tell DTMK before booking if a learner has an injury, medical condition, disability, learning need or language-related requirement so that suitable support and reasonable adjustments can be considered.

Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments

DTMK aims to make this qualification accessible while maintaining the practical and assessment standards required by Qualsafe.

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Please contact us before booking if a learner has a disability, medical condition, injury, learning need or language-related requirement. This allows us to discuss appropriate support and determine whether a reasonable adjustment is permitted.

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Support may include:

  • Additional explanation or approved learning materials

  • An adapted training environment where appropriate

  • Suitable supervised rest breaks

  • An approved alternative arrangement for the theory assessment

  • Verbal delivery of the question paper where this meets Qualsafe requirements

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Learners must still demonstrate all essential practical first aid skills independently. Assistance from another person cannot be used to complete a practical assessment.

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Where a learner cannot complete every required practical skill, DTMK may be able to provide an informal record of the learning outcomes achieved. This would not constitute the Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid (RQF).

Qualification Details

Qualification: Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Emergency Paediatric First Aid (RQF)
Qualification number: 603/0786/9
Regulated by: Ofqual
Operational start date: 1 January 2017
Guided learning hours: 6
Total qualification time: 7 hours
Credit value: 1


Number of units: 1 mandatory unit
Minimum learner age: 14
Maximum class size: 12 learners per trainer


Assessment: Five practical assessments and one multiple-choice question paper


Certificate validity: 3 years

Successful learners receive a regulated Qualsafe certificate.

 

To remain qualified, learners must retake the qualification and its assessments before the certificate expires.

Qualsafe also recommends annual refresher training to help maintain essential skills and keep learners aware of changes to first aid procedures.

 

All assessments must be completed successfully within the Qualsafe registration period. The maximum permitted period, including any referrals, is four weeks.

Is Emergency Paediatric First Aid the Right Course?

Emergency Paediatric First Aid is a one-day qualification focused on immediate threats to life. It is not the same as the full two-day Paediatric First Aid qualification.

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It may be appropriate where:

  • A family member or informal carer wants structured emergency training

  • A volunteer has limited but defined responsibilities

  • An organisation includes the qualification within wider first aid arrangements

  • A risk assessment identifies this level of training as suitable

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The full Paediatric First Aid qualification includes the emergency content plus a broader range of childhood illnesses, injuries and medical emergencies.

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Organisations are responsible for checking which qualification their staff require. This decision should consider:

  • The learner’s role and responsibilities

  • The ages and needs of the children

  • The number of trained people available

  • The setting’s first aid risk assessment

  • The current Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework

  • Requirements imposed by employers, regulators, commissioners, insurers or professional bodies

 

DTMK can explain the differences between available courses, but the organisation remains responsible for confirming that its selected qualification satisfies its obligations.

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View the full Two-Day Paediatric First Aid course if broader training is required.

Arrange Emergency Paediatric First Aid Training at Your Venue

DTMK delivers this qualification as private training for groups at their own suitable venue.

 

The course may be arranged for:

  • Community and voluntary organisations

  • Youth groups and sports clubs

  • Family support services

  • Charities working with children

  • Groups of parents, grandparents and carers

  • Professional settings that have confirmed the qualification meets their requirements

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Private delivery allows up to 12 learners to train together and practise responding to paediatric emergencies as a group.

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Your venue will need a suitable indoor training room with enough space for floor-level practical activities, infant and child manikins, written assessment and group exercises.

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DTMK will discuss learner numbers, proposed dates, access requirements and venue suitability before confirming the booking.

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