ROSELYN HOUSE SCHOOL / THE RHISE SERVICE 

FIRST AID POLICY AND PROCEDURES 

THE PLACE FOR FIRST AID 

First aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones. Under health and safety legislation employers have to ensure that there are adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities for providing first aid in the workplace. 

This guidance reflects consultation with the teacher unions, LEAs, health services and voluntary organisations. The guidance does not constitute an authoritative legal interpretation of the provisions of any enactments or regulations or the Common Law; that is exclusively a matter for the Courts. 

FIRST-AID PROVISION AT ROSELYN HOUSE SCHOOL / THE RHISE CENTRE COMPRISES: 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Health and Safety legislation places duties on employers for the health and safety of their employees and anyone else on the premises. In schools this includes responsibility for the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and teachers, non-teaching staff, students and visitors (including contractors). The Employer is KS Education Limited who is primarily responsible for health and safety matters, with staff also having responsibilities. 

The employer is responsible, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), for making sure that Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service has a health and safety policy. This should include arrangements for first aid, based on a risk assessment of the school, and should cover: 

The employer should also make sure that their insurance arrangements provide full cover for claims arising from actions of staff acting within the scope of their employment.  It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure that the statutory requirements for provision of first aiders are met, that appropriate training is provided and that correct procedures are followed. The employer should be satisfied that any training has given staff sufficient understanding, confidence and expertise.  (More information is given in the section on Insurance). 

In practice, most of the day to day functions of managing health and safety are delegated to the Headteacher. 

The Headteacher is responsible for putting the School's policy into practice and for developing detailed procedures. The Headteacher should also make sure that parents/ carers are aware of the school’s health and safety policy, including arrangements for first aid. 

Teachers and other staff in charge of students are expected to use their best endeavours at all times, particularly in emergencies, to secure the welfare of the students at the school in the same way that parents might be expected to act towards their children. In general, the consequences of taking no action are likely to be more serious than those of trying to assist in an emergency. 

The employer must arrange adequate and appropriate training and guidance for staff who volunteer to be first aiders/ appointed persons. The employer must ensure that there are enough trained staff to meet the statutory requirements and assessed needs, allowing for staff on annual/ sick leave or off-site. 

WHAT ARE A FIRST AlDERS MAIN DUTIES? 

First aiders must complete a training course approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

APPOINTED PERSONS AT ROSELYN HOUSE SCHOOL AND THE RHISE CENTRE  ARE:  

All employed staff (see training sheet). 

We endeavour to train all staff as soon as possible following their induction period. 

In addition to this we have staff specifically trained in paediatric first aid. This gives specific training in first aid from infancy up until the age of 18. 

FIRST AID-WHAT DO SCHOOLS NEED TO DO? 

Employers must provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and qualified first-aid personnel. 

“In the light of their legal responsibilities for those in their care, schools should consider carefully the likely risks to students and visitors, and make allowance for them when drawing up policies and deciding on the numbers of first-aid personnel.” 

The Headteacher should regularly review the school’s first-aid needs (at least annually), and particularly after any changes, to ensure the provision is adequate. Where minimum numbers of trained first aiders are set, these should be monitored to ensure that these standards are being met. 

KS Education Limited must inform all staff (including those with reading and language difficulties) of the first-aid arrangements. This should include the location of equipment, facilities and first-aid personnel, and the procedures for monitoring and reviewing the school’s first-aid needs. 

A simple method of keeping staff and students informed is by displaying first-aid notices in staff/ recreation rooms. The information should be clear and easily understood. 

Notices must be displayed in a prominent place. 

Including first-aid information in induction programmes will help ensure that new staff and students are told about the first-aid arrangements. It is good practice to include such information in a staff handbook. 

INSURANCE 

In the event of a claim alleging negligence by a member of the school staff, action is likely to be taken against the employer rather than the employee. 

KS Education Limited should make sure that their insurance arrangements provide full cover for claims arising from actions of staff acting within the scope of their employment. This is included in the public liability insurance. 

RISK ASSESSMENT OF FIRST-AID NEEDS 

Roselyn House School/ The RHISE Service includes staff, students and visitors when carrying out risk assessments for first-aid needs. 

In addition we keep a check on current procedures and legislation. 

In the event of someone having an accident whilst at school, they would first be assessed by the designated first aiders and if considered a serious accident then 999 would be telephoned and the injured person would be taken to: 

Royal Preston Hospital 

Sharoe Green Lane 

Fulwood, Preston 

PR2 9HT 

01772 716565 

If students are in the community, they would be taken to the closest Accident and Emergency Department. 

This person would be accompanied by a member of staff with, where possible an information form and relevant people contacted immediately. The member of staff would stay with the injured person until they could arrive. 

SPECIFIC HAZARDS OR RISKS ON SITE 

For example; hazardous substances, dangerous tools and machinery. Temporary hazards, such as building or maintenance work, should also be considered and suitable short-term measures put in place. 

Are there staff or students with special health needs or disabilities? What age range does the school cater for? Different first-aid procedures may apply to students due to size.  

For example, the size of students may affect the type of first-aid procedures required, such as resuscitation techniques. First-aid training organisations can provide advice on training for first-aid personnel in schools. 

ACCIDENT STATISTICS AND MONITORING 

KS Education Limited monitor and evaluate all injuries. They will liaise with outside agencies where appropriate on specific issues. 

Accident statistics can indicate the most common injuries, times, locations and activities at a particular area of the school, activity or site. These can be a useful tool in risk assessment, highlighting areas to concentrate on and tailor first-aid provision to. 

The Headteacher should consider the likely risks to students and visitors, as well as employees, when drawing up policies and deciding on the numbers of first-aid personnel. 

The HSC provide guidance on numbers of first-aid personnel based on employee numbers. As a general guide, they recommend that: “Schools will generally fall into the lower risk category, but some schools or areas of activity may fall into the medium risk category.” Roselyn House School has based provision on the results of their risk assessment. When considering how many first-aid personnel are required, KS Education Limited  have considered: 

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING 

A first-aider must hold a valid certificate of competence, issued by an organisation whose training and qualifications are approved by the HSE. 

Training courses cover a range of first aid competencies. Standard first aid at work training courses do not comprehensively include resuscitation procedures for children, however we do ask trainers to cover it briefly each training session. KS Education Limited, as employer arrange appropriate training for their first-aid personnel. 

First aid at work certificates are only valid for three years. Employers should arrange refresher training and re-testing of competence before certificates expire. If a certificate expires, the individual will have to undertake another full course of training to become a first aider.  Roselyn House School AND The RHISE Centre will record all first aiders and certification dates.  First Aid training is a mandatory training for staff at Roselyn House School / The RHISE Service. 

FIRST-AID MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 

Employers must provide the proper materials, equipment and facilities at all times. 

First-aid equipment must be clearly labelled and easily accessible. 

Contents of a first-aid container 

Where there is no special risk identified, a minimum provision of first-aid items would be: 

Travelling first-aid containers 

Before undertaking any off-site activities, the Headteacher should assess what level of first-aid provision is needed. The HSE recommend that, where there is no special risk identified, the following is a minimum stock of first-aid items for travelling. 

Minibus first-aid containers 

Transport Regulations require that the minibus has on board a first-aid container with the following items: 

The first aid room is situated in the Salon at Roselyn House School and the staff office at The RHISE Centre.  The salon has a sink basin and is next to a toilet.    The staff office at RHISE is opposite a toilet and kitchen with sink. 

HYGIENE/ INFECTION CONTROL 

All staff should take precautions to avoid infection and must follow basic hygiene procedures. Staff should have access to single-use disposable gloves and hand washing facilities, and should take care when dealing with blood or other body fluids and disposing of dressings or equipment. Further guidance is available: 

www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/what-infections-are-how-they-are-transmitted-and-those-at-higher-risk-of-infection 

REPORTING ACCIDENTS AND RECORD KEEPING 

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) some accidents must be reported to the HSE. 

The employer must keep a record of any reportable injury, disease or dangerous occurrence. This must include: the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place of the event; personal details of those involved and a brief description of the nature of the event or disease.  This record can be combined with other accident records. 

The following accidents must be reported to HSE if they injure either the school’s employees during an activity connected with work, or self-employed people while working on the premises: 

Accidents resulting in death or major injury (including as a result of physical violence). 

Accidents which prevent the injured person from doing their normal work for more than three days (including acts of physical violence). 

For definitions of major injuries, dangerous occurrences and reportable diseases see HSC/E guidance on RIDDOR 1995, and information on Reporting School Accidents. 

HSE must be notified of fatal and major injuries and dangerous occurrences without delay (e.g. by telephone).  This must be followed up within ten days with a written report on Form 2508.  Other reportable accidents do not need immediate notification, but they must be reported to HSE within ten days on Form 2508. 

Updated June 2023