Nigerians usually believe that foreign certification is best and to an extent we can agree until we set our own standards but do you that there are different methods of first aid training certification? That is, that there different ways to get a valid first aid training certificate?
Whose Training Certificates Should You Get?
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stopped being involved in monitoring FAW (First Aid at Work) trainings in 2013.
They instead, placed responsibility of due diligence on the employer or customer to ensure the training received was appropriate and credible.
The 4 Methods of Certification
These are the methods of certification in the UK, which Levande follows:
- Membership of an Awarding Organisation e.g. Qualsafe Awards, Highfield Qualifications Ltd etc
- Voluntary Ambulance Service e.g. Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance etc.
- Membership of a First Aid Industry Body e.g. FAIB
- The Independent Training Provider e.g. Levande Healthcare
Whose certificate is best? First of all, there is no best.
Awarding Organisations
The vast majority of First Aid Training Providers subscribe to one of the Awarding Organisations (which must be recognised by Ofqual) to accredit their courses.
This route has an inherent Quality Assurance process built in; the Awarding Organisation sets standards for the training provider to operate at.
Employers and customers do not need to perform their own due diligence on certification courses by an Awarding Organisation.
The Awarding Organisation will visit the Training Provider to ensure these standards are met and to observe the quality of the teaching. These make it expensive, with fees for joining, training materials, annual fees, certificate fees etc. All this additional costs are added to the customer’s final bill.
Voluntary Ambulance Services
Due diligence is not required for certification courses though any of the voluntary ambulance services as they provide training under their own brands.
First Aid Industry Bodies
The Trade Body conducts their Due Diligence on the Trainer and the business before granting membership. Only then can the Trade Body’s logo be on certificates, reflecting the due diligence which has taken place.
Independent First Aid Training Provider
They are able to deliver courses with no membership to an Awarding or Trade Body as long as they are able to demonstrate their capabilities and competencies as demonstrated by a due diligence process.
The employer has to undertake due diligence to satisfy themselves of their credibility.
Many employers & customers will do so but many won’t because it is an added effort. They would rather trust the quality assurance that has been conducted by an Awarding Organisation or Trade Body.
Independent First Aid Training Providers are responsible for the quality of the training provided which must be current, accurate & accountable. They will need to show:
- The minimum first aid knowledge & experience of the trainers.
- The minimum educational training of the trainers.
- The quality management system.
- The training standards.
- Awareness of current first aid guides
- and a few other things…
Anything Else?
Most countries have regulations and it is somewhat similar – Australia, Scotland, America etc.
In the US, there is OSHA to regulate, while AHA and Red Cross certificates are common.
It is time to set the Nigerian standard for First Aid Trainers, First Aid Trainings and First Aid Certifications. We should do this so people don’t ask, “Is your training certificate recognised internationally?“, because they already know it is of high standard.
Need a first aid training for certification? See all our available trainings. You can also find our contact details here.
The health and safe first aid