Selecting your Provider

Selecting your First Aid 
Training Provider

HSE Guidance for selecting your First Aid Training Provider
We were approved by the Health and Safety Executive for the delivery of First Aid courses back in 2005.  However, as a result of a government report by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt, in 2013 the HSE withdrew their Approvals Scheme.  
Selecting a training provider became the responsibility of the Employer. 
 Employers now need to show 'due diligence' in selecting their Training Provider. 
This page details how SwimBag meet every requirement specified by the HSE in their guidance document GEIS No 3 (rev2).  
You can refer to this page as proof of your due diligence in selecting us to deliver your first aid training. 

Basic Life Support courses meet the requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
First Aid at Work qualifications meet the requirements of both the CQC and the 
Health and Safety (First Aid ) Regulations 1981.
Our Paediatric First Aid course exceed the requirements of The Early Years Foundation Standards.
Trainers and Assessors
The HSE requires that all trainers have either a valid FAW certificate or have exemptions due to being a healthcare professional (doctor, nurse or paramedic).  
They must have a training/assessing qualification at at least Level 3.  We have portfolios on all our trainers. 
Our lead trainers renew their FAW qualifications with other training providers, to keep us ahead of the competition.  Our newer trainers are encouraged to undertake their qualifications in-house on courses led by our lead trainers.
Current Practice 
We teach resuscitation skills as laid down in the guidelines published by the Resuscitation Council (UK).  All of our manikins have been modified to reflect current practice and are marked up as being 2010-compliant. 
The HSE directs us to use publications which are "supported by a responsible body of medical opinion".  We have opted to use the 'First Aid Made Easy' range of publications written by Nigel Barraclough SR Para.   These books are widely used by independent training providers and we have them printed with our own cover design and contact details.
Our First Aid Books
Certificates 
The HSE require that the certificates we issue contain the following information:
  • The name of the training organisation
  • The name of the candidate 
  • The title of the qualification 
  • Reference to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 
  • Duration of validity (3 years) 
  • The commencement date of the qualification.
Training Pic 7
Quality Assurance
 
A training organisation is required to have a Quality Assurance Plan in place, and that's what we have!  It states we should have a designated individual to take responsibility for quality assurance.  We have assigned these duties to Ady, who - as well as being a National Trainer Assessor for the Royal Life Saving Society (training and mentoring new lifeguard trainers/assessors) - also has Internal and External Quality Assurance qualifications and a Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector.  Ady's training is verified by Scott, Kate or Sean, all of whom hold Level 4 IQA qualifications.

Evaluation Procedures
Every learner is asked to complete an evaluation form at the end of their course.   The trainer reviews them and then completes an summary evaluation.  These are returned to the Training Director to aid our standardisation processes to continuously improve the service we offer.  

Complaints Procedure
In the unlikely event of a complaint resulting from our course tuition, we have a complaints procedure in place.   Initially, we expect customers to raise their concerns with their course trainer.   If that fails to solve the problem, all trainers have copies of our procedure in these situations.  Our Director of Training can be contacted directly on feedback@swimbag.com.

Record Keeping
After your course has finished, the trainer will send all the accountable documents back to SwimBag.   We know the HSE only require records to be kept for 3 years, but other awarding organisations require longer audit trails and it is easier for us to archive them all for a 7-year period.

Equipment
SwimBag Limited owns over 90 manikins, which are all 2010 compliant and extremely well maintained.  We support our associate trainers with manikin spares and advice.  The HSE accept a ratio of 1 manikin per 4 learners, but we normally have 1 for each learner.    All our learners on First Aid at Work courses are provided with personal CPR barrier protection. We also have a wide range of AEDs and a few of Choking Charlies. 
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