Foster families: first-aid and CPR standards

First Aid & CPR United Kingdom

Becoming a foster carer in the UK means providing a safe home to a child who cannot live with their birth family. Among the requirements after approval: completing first-aid training, including paediatric first aid, within your first year of fostering.

The first-aid requirement

Under the Fostering Services National Minimum Standards and the Training, Support and Development (TSD) Standards, all foster carers must receive training in first aid, including paediatric first aid, delivered by a recognised provider. It equips carers to respond to common emergencies — choking, injuries, cardiac arrest — in children of different ages, and forms part of the learning to be evidenced in the first 12 months.

The requirement sits within the framework overseen by Ofsted in England and the equivalent inspectorates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. First-aid training is in addition to the fostering assessment and parenting suitability, and must be kept current.

Severe allergies and anaphylaxis

Paediatric first-aid training covers recognising and managing severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), including the use of an adrenaline auto-injector.

How to meet it

A recognized, up-to-date first-aid and CPR certificate meets this requirement. It is in addition to the required training or assessment, and is renewed periodically.

See the recognized first-aid courses in your region

Training aligned with the latest emergency-care standards

Our CPR, AED and first-aid training is developed in line with the most recent international guidelines for emergency cardiovascular care and first aid.

We rigorously follow the recommendations of ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation), the international body responsible for the scientific evaluation and development of global resuscitation standards. These recommendations serve as a reference for health organizations, institutions and professional orders worldwide — and are updated as scientific and clinical evidence evolves.

Keep your skills current with confidence

Every intervention can make a difference. Keeping CPR and emergency-care skills current is both a professional requirement and a responsibility toward patients, colleagues and the public.

See the recognized first-aid courses in your region

References

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