First Aid

Next review August 2024

1. Aims

The Aim of this Policy is to set out guidelines for all Staff in school in the administering of First Aid, and to determine whether or not the child is in need of ‘First-Aid’ or merely ‘Pastoral Care’.  Having such clarity will help us to ensure we are providing the best possible provision for safeguarding our pupils.  This is in line with the DFE document ‘Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children Young People (page 22, DFE, 2007)

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy is based on the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, advice from the Department for Education on first aid in schools and health and safety in schools, and the following legislation:

• The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, which state that employers must provide adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to enable first aid to be administered to employees, and qualified first aid personnel
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, which require employers to make an assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees
• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require employers to carry out risk assessments, make arrangements to implement necessary measures, and arrange for appropriate information and training
• The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013, which state that some accidents must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE),  and set out the timeframe for this and how long records of such accidents must be kept
• Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, which set out rules on the retention of accident records
• The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012, which require that suitable space is provided to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils

 3. Roles and responsibilities

Frenchwood Primary School are fortunate to have ten members of Staff with designated responsibility for administering First-Aid in school and at least three Paediatric first aiders.  These members of Staff operate on a rota basis which is displayed in the staffroom and First-Aid room (The Hive). If members of staff are not able to cover, it is up to that member of staff to swap or inform a member of SLT.

3.1 Appointed person(s) and first aiders

The school’s appointed persons: - Cathryn Antwis, Steven McLoughlin & Annamarie Tegland. They are responsible for:

• Taking charge when someone is injured or becomes ill
• Ensuring there is an adequate supply of medical materials in first aid kits, and replenishing the contents of these kits
• Ensuring that an ambulance or other professional medical help is summoned when appropriate

First aiders are trained and qualified to carry out the role (see section 7) and are responsible for:

• Acting as first responders to any incidents; they will assess the situation where there is an injured or ill person, and provide immediate and appropriate treatment
• Sending pupils home to recover, where necessary
• Filling in an accident report on the same day, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, after an incident (see the template in appendix 2)
• Keeping their contact details up to date

Our school’s first aiders will be displayed prominently around the school.

3.2 The local authority and governing board

Lancashire County Council has ultimate responsibility for health and safety matters in the school, but delegates’ responsibility for the strategic management of such matters to the school’s governing board.

The governing board delegates operational matters and day-to-day tasks to the headteacher and staff members.

3.3 The governing board

The governing board has ultimate responsibility for health and safety matters in the school, but

delegates’ operational matters and day-to-day tasks to the headteacher and staff members.

3.4 The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for the implementation of this policy, including:

• Ensuring that an appropriate number of appointed persons and/or trained first aid personnel are present in the school at all times
• Ensuring that first aiders have an appropriate qualification, keep training up to date and remain competent to perform their role
• Ensuring all staff are aware of first aid procedures
• Ensuring appropriate risk assessments are completed and appropriate measures are put in place
• Undertaking, or ensuring that managers undertake, risk assessments, as appropriate, and that appropriate measures are put in place
• Ensuring that adequate space is available for catering to the medical needs of pupils
• Reporting specified incidents to the HSE when necessary (see section 6)

3.5 Staff

School staff are responsible for:

• Ensuring they follow first aid procedures
• Ensuring they know who the first aiders in school are
• Completing accident reports (see appendix 2) for all incidents they attend
• Informing the headteacher or their manager of any specific health conditions or first aid needs

 4. First aid procedures and equipment

4.1 In-school procedures

In the event of major injury, a designated member of First-Aid staff should be sent for immediately.  An informed assessment will be carried out and the appropriate treatment given. 

Should the injury require medical assistance (i.e. Parent called into school/hospital visit/ambulance/), a member of the office staff should be contacted immediately to seek urgent authorisation from the Head/Deputy Head Teacher (injury type permitting) and the relevant action taken.

In the event of minor injury, once treated, the class teacher or teaching assistant must be informed so that they can liaise with Parents/Guardians/Out-of-school club/Carer at the end of the school day. 

Should the child be feeling unwell or have been sick in school, the class teacher must be notified so that an informed decision may be made.

Should the decision be that Parents be notified/the child needs to go home, the office should be contacted to confirm authorisation with the Head/Deputy Head Teacher, and Parents contacted.

EPIPENS: 

There are a number of pupils in school requiring ‘Epipens’.  The administering of epipens must be carried out by the nearest member of staff in the event of an emergency and/or when anaphylactic shock is apparent irrespective of whether Piriton has been administered first.  Please ensure you are familiar with the use of epipens and/or symptoms of anaphylactic shock.  

PUPILS WITH SPECIFIC NEED:

Details of Pupils with specific need i.e. diabetic/severe allergies/epipens etc may be found at the front of each register, staff room wall and 1st Aid room ( The Hive)(Please also see Appendix D).  Please take time to familiarise yourself with the pupils concerned and their individual potential need.

INCIDENT REPORTING:

All incidents requiring first-aid (whether minor or major) must be recorded in the school First-Aid book.  This is situated in the First Aid room (The Hive).

TREATMENT:

School has a ready supply of minor first aid equipment. These may be found in the First Aid room. 

The administering of items such as antiseptic creams etc are not permitted in case of allergic reaction.  Cuts and grazes should be treated with gauze and clean water and Elastoplast/Micropore applied where applicable.

There are buckets in the First Aid room (The Hive) for pupils who feel sick.  Please place a vomit bag inside the bucket before use.  Sawdust, mops and buckets may all be found in the Cleaner’s store.

4.2 Off-site procedures

When taking pupils off the school premises, staff will ensure they always have the following:

• A school mobile phone
• A portable first aid kit
• Information about the specific medical needs of pupils
• Parents’ contact details

Risk assessments will be completed by the teacher leading the visit and approved by the EVC (John Moore) prior to any educational visit that necessitates taking pupils off school premises.

There will always be at least one first aider with a current paediatric first aid certificate on school trips and visits, as required by the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

There will always be at least one first aider on school trips and visits.

5. Record-keeping and reporting

5.1 First aid and accident record book

• An accident form will be completed by the first aider/relevant member of staff on the same day or as soon as possible after an incident resulting in an injury
• As much detail as possible should be supplied when reporting an accident, including all of the information included in the accident form at appendix 2
• A copy of the accident report form will also sent home to parents/carers
• Records held in the first aid and accident book will be retained by the school for a minimum of 3 years, in accordance with regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, and then securely disposed of

5.2 Reporting to the HSE

Records will be kept of any accident which results in a reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence as defined in the RIDDOR 2013 legislation (regulations 4, 5, 6 and 7).

The Head will report these to the Health and Safety Executive as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 10 days of the incident.

Reportable injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences include:

• Death
• Specified injuries, which are:
  • Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
  • Amputations
  • Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
  • Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
  • Serious burns (including scalding)
  • Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
  • Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
  • Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
• Injuries where an employee is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 7 consecutive days (not including the day of the incident)
• Where an accident leads to someone being taken to hospital
• Near-miss events that do not result in an injury, but could have done. Examples of near-miss events relevant to schools include, but are not limited to:
  • The collapse or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
  • The accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness
  • The accidental release or escape of any substance that may cause a serious injury or damage to health
  • An electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion

Information on how to make a RIDDOR report is available here:

How to make a RIDDOR report, HSE
http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm

5.3 Notifying parents

The first aider will inform parents of any accident or injury sustained by a pupil, and any first aid treatment given, on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.

5.4 Reporting to Ofsted and child protection agencies

The Head will notify Ofsted of any serious accident, illness or injury to, or death of, a pupil while in the school’s care. This will happen as soon as is reasonably practicable, and no later than 14 days after the incident.

The Head will also notify LA of any serious accident or injury to, or the death of, a pupil while in the school’s care.

6. Training

All school staff are able to undertake first aid training if they would like to.

All first aiders must have completed a training course, and must hold a valid certificate of competence to show this. The school will keep a register of all trained first aiders, what training they have received and when this is valid until (see appendix 3).

Staff are encouraged to renew their first aid training when it is no longer valid.

At all times, at least 1 staff member will have a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate which meets the requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework and is updated at least every 3 years.

7. Links with other policies

This first aid policy is linked to the

• Health and safety policy
• Risk assessment policy

8. Information

• List of appointed persons is displayed in the medical room/Hive
• Accident books are kept in the medical room/Hive and EYFS
• First Aid training log is kept in the medical room.