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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Answers to some common FAQ

Here are the answers to some common questions that we are asked frequently – FAQs! They are grouped into sections, the menu below will jump you straight to the FAQ section you’re interested in.

Remember for First Aid advice, the best place to check is our Digital Manuals, or our blog – you can search for information from the 100s of posts we have in the library.

If your question isn’t answered here, you can always contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Choosing Your First Aid Course FAQ

Which First Aid Course Should I Do?

The first aid course that is most suitable for you is usually dictated by your employer after they have carried out a First Aid Risk Assessment, or alternatively by a Governing Body who might require you to have a certain type of first aid qualification in order to satisfy the requirements of your other professional qualifications. Examples of this is the Equestrian industry who have different requirements for different coaching awards, the outdoor industry who usually require a 2 day Outdoor First Aid Course for most qualifications, Scottish Youth Football Association who require a 2 day SYFA course for their coaches, or Ofqual who require a 2 day Paediatric First Aid course for all childcare and early years workers in England.

First Aid course choice, if not dictated by one of the above, then it is up to you to decide which is best for you to do. Choose a course that is relevant to the context in which you operate, as well as covering your identified risks.

Please contact us for more help if you need it, we’re always happy to discuss with you.

Are First Aid Training Co-operative courses accredited by an Awarding Body or Awarding Organisation such as Ofqual or the SQA?

First Aid Training Co-operative are not accredited by any Awarding Organisation or Awarding Body for the certification of our courses. There are in fact four ways to accredit first aid training (as stated by the HSE) –

  1. Meet the HSE’s due diligence requirements for first aid providers
  2. Operate as a ‘Centre’ of an Awarding Organisation (England/Wales) or Awarding Body (Scotland)
  3. Be a member of a first aid trade body
  4. Be one of the traditional voluntary sector bodies (Red Cross / St John’s / St Andrews)

First Aid Training Co-operative are a large organisation, with ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification and a robust internal quality assurance (IQA) process in place managed by our full time Training & IQA Manager. This is far more robust than that which is requested by the HSE’s Due Dilligence requirements and allows us to certificate our own courses without adding the extra cost and administrative burden that being a ‘centre’ of an Awarding Body or Awarding Organisation might place on us.

In addition, we are members of the Federation of First Aid Training Organisations which provides a further level of External Quality Assurance alongside our ISO9001 certification. This means that an independent 3rd party organisation quality assures our systems and processes annually. You can therefore be sure of well resourced, highly skilled trainers, delivering and assessing first aid training courses to the latest standards when you book a course with us.

Which First Aid Course Should I Do?

The first aid course that is most suitable for you is usually dictated by your employer after they have carried out a First Aid Risk Assessment, or alternatively by a Governing Body who might require you to have a certain type of first aid qualification in order to satisfy the requirements of your other professional qualifications. Examples of this is the Equestrian industry who have different requirements for different coaching awards, the outdoor industry who usually require a 2 day Outdoor First Aid Course for most qualifications, Scottish Youth Football Association who require a 2 day SYFA course for their coaches, or Ofqual who require a 2 day Paediatric First Aid course for all childcare and early years workers in England.

First Aid course choice, if not dictated by one of the above, then it is up to you to decide which is best for you to do. Choose a course that is relevant to the context in which you operate, as well as covering your identified risks.

Please contact us for more help if you need it, we’re always happy to discuss with you.

Are First Aid Training Co-operative courses accredited by an Awarding Body or Awarding Organisation such as Ofqual or the SQA?

There are four ways to accredit first aid training (as stated by the HSE):

First Aid Training Co-operative are a large organisation, with ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification and a robust internal quality assurance (IQA) process in place managed by our full time Training & IQA Manager. This is far more robust than that which is requested by the HSE’s Due Dilligence requirements and allows us to certificate our own courses without adding the extra cost and administrative burden that being a ‘centre’ of an Awarding Body or Awarding Organisation might place on us.

  • Meet the HSE’s due diligence requirements for first aid providers
  • Operate as a ‘Centre’ of an Awarding Organisation (England/Wales) or Awarding Body (Scotland)
  • Be a member of a first aid trade body
  • Be one of the traditional voluntary sector bodies (Red Cross / St John’s / St Andrews)

First Aid Training Co-operative are a large organisation, with ISO 9001  Quality Management Certification (as well as ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification), and a robust internal quality assurance (IQA) process which is managed by our full time Training & IQA Manager.  We are not accredited by any specific Awarding Organisation/Body for the certification of our courses, however our process is far more robust than that which is requested by the HSE’s Due Diligence requirements and allow us to certificate our own courses without adding the extra cost and administrative burden that being a ‘centre’ of an Awarding Body or Awarding Organisation brings.

In addition, we are members of the Federation of First Aid Training Organisations which provides a further level of External Quality Assurance alongside our ISO9001 certification. This means that an independent 3rd party organisation quality assures our systems and processes annually. You can therefore be sure of well resourced, highly skilled trainers, delivering and assessing first aid training courses to the latest standards when you book a course with us.

Course Registration FAQ

I want to register for a course but I’m not sure what to bring with me, or how to get to the venue? 

Upon registration, all candidates are sent a full set of Event Instructions that include everything you need to know prior to your course. Please look out for this email as sometimes they can be intercepted by junk mail filters. 

I’ve registered for a course, but haven’t received any information from you?

Please check the junk mail or spam folder on the email account that you registered with. Also add the URL firstaidtrainingcooperative.co.uk to your ‘safe’ list to ensure that you do not miss any future communications.

I’ve joined a course waiting list – will I get a place?

Waiting lists are enabled when a public course is fully booked.  In the event that a candidate pulls out and frees a space, the waiting list registrants are contacted by email in the order in which they joined the waiting list.  Each person contacted is given 3 hours in which to respond, if they do not, the next person on the list is contacted. 

This system is completely automated by our Learner Management Software.   As we have no way of knowing whether a candidate will pull out of a course or not, we cannot advise you on whether you will get a place. 

I’d like to register for a public course, but need an invoice and can’t pay directly online. Can I still register?

Please contact our office who can sort this out for you. In order to do so, we need a Purchase Order number from your organisation, and the email address of the finance department (where your invoice will be sent). Without these we cannot register you on the course.

I want to register for a course but I’m not sure what to bring with me, or how to get to the venue? 

Upon registration, all candidates are sent a full set of Event Instructions that include everything you need to know prior to your course. Please look out for this email as sometimes they can be intercepted by junk mail filters. 

I’ve registered for a course, but haven’t received any information from you?

Please check the junk mail or spam folder on the email account that you registered with. Also add the URL firstaidtrainingcooperative.co.uk to your ‘safe’ list to ensure that you do not miss any future communications.

I’ve joined a course waiting list – will I get a place?

Waiting lists are enabled when a public course is fully booked.  In the event that a candidate pulls out and frees a space, the waiting list registrants are contacted by email in the order in which they joined the waiting list.  Each person contacted is given 3 hours in which to respond, if they do not, the next person on the list is contacted. 

This system is completely automated by our Learner Management Software.   As we have no way of knowing whether a candidate will pull out of a course or not, we cannot advise you on whether you will get a place. 

I’d like to register for a public course, but need an invoice and can’t pay directly online. Can I still register?

Please contact our office who can sort this out for you. In order to do so, we need a Purchase Order number from your organisation, and the email address of the finance department (where your invoice will be sent). Without these we cannot register you on the course.

General Course FAQ

What are the course timings?

Every course is a little different and it depends on what you have booked.  However, this information is included in the Event Instructions email that is sent to out when your registration is confirmed.  Normally we ask people to arrive at 8:45AM for a 9.00AM course start.

Will there be a break during the day?

Yes, depending on the length of course.  A full day course normally has a 15min break in the morning and afternoon, and 30mins for lunch.  The exact timings of these breaks are determined by the course but your trainer will be able to advise at the start of the day.

I (or a course candidate) need to arrive late and/or leave early.  Is this OK?

No.  We are bound to deliver courses that cover a specified amount of learning hours.  Completing the full number of hours forms part of the assessment criteria and is essential for the certification of the course.  Therefore, all candidates must attend the full course or we cannot provide a certificate. 

In exceptional circumstances for example if a candidate is held up by traffic on their way to the venue, we can cover the missed time during a break.  However, this can only be a few minutes as the breaks are not long, and our trainers need to have a break too! 

I am, or a course candidate is, recovering from an injury, or has a condition that affects my mobility, or might make performing some techniques such as CPR difficult. Can I still attend?

Yes, as long as we are made aware in advance, this falls under our fair access to learning and assessment policy and we can make a reasonable adjustment for you.  Please be aware that we need to see all candidates correctly perform each technique at least once, in the correct way.  

So, if for example a knee injury might make repeatedly kneeling on the floor to practice CPR difficult.  We could put your manikin on a table to avoid aggravating your injury while you practice.  We would however require to see you perform CPR fully and correctly once (IE kneeling on the floor beside the manikin) in order to pass that assessment criteria. 

What are the course timings?

Every course is a little different and it depends on what you have booked.  However, this information is included in the Event Instructions email that is sent to out when your registration is confirmed.  Normally we ask people to arrive at 8:45AM for a 9.00AM course start.

Will there be a break during the day?

Yes, depending on the length of course.  A full day course normally has a 15min break in the morning and afternoon, and 30mins for lunch.  The exact timings of these breaks are determined by the course but your trainer will be able to advise at the start of the day.

I (or a course candidate) need to arrive late and/or leave early.  Is this OK?

We are required to deliver courses that cover a specified amount of learning hours.  Completing the full number of hours forms part of the assessment criteria and is essential for the certification of the course.  Therefore, all candidates must attend the full course or we cannot provide a certificate. 

In exceptional circumstances for example if a candidate is held up by traffic on their way to the venue, we can cover the missed time during a break.  However, this can only be a few minutes as the breaks are not long, and our trainers need to have a break too! 

I am, or a course candidate is, recovering from an injury, or has a condition that affects my mobility, or might make performing some techniques such as CPR difficult. Can I still attend?

Yes, as long as we are made aware in advance, this falls under our fair access to learning and assessment policy and we can make a reasonable adjustment for you.  Please be aware that we need to see all candidates correctly perform each technique at least once, in the correct way.  

So, if for example a knee injury might make repeatedly kneeling on the floor to practice CPR difficult.  We could put your manikin on a table to avoid aggravating your injury while you practice.  We would however require to see you perform CPR fully and correctly for 2 minutes (IE kneeling on the floor beside the manikin) in order to pass that assessment criteria. 

First Aid Manuals FAQ

Do you provide a course manual?

Yes, each candidate is sent a link with which they can download a copy of our unique Digital First Aid manual, relevant to the course type that you are doing. This can be downloaded to your choice of mobile device, so that it is always with you.  It uses about the same storage memory as a single photo. 

The link is in the Event Instructions email that is sent to you when you register. Please check your junk mail / spam if you haven’t received this.

Can you provide a paper copy of the manual?

No.  All of our manuals are provided in digital format.  Feel free to print it out if you like though.

Why don’t you provide a paper manual?

Our research showed that the vast majority of paper manuals where assigned to a bookshelf and never used again, or worse, were left behind at the end of courses. Digital manuals on the other hand are always there when you need them, can be easily and constantly updated as new information is released, and are a much better tool for helping you remember what to do in an emergency.

Asides from all of that, they are also much better for the environment, using zero paper, zero delivery fuel, and with zero waste when a new edition is published.

Do you provide a course manual?

Yes, each candidate is sent a link with which they can download a copy of our unique Digital First Aid manual, relevant to the course type that you are doing. This can be downloaded to your choice of mobile device, so that it is always with you.  It uses about the same storage memory as a single photo. 

The link is in the Event Instructions email that is sent to you when you register. Please check your junk mail / spam if you haven’t received this.

Can you provide a paper copy of the manual?

All of our manuals are provided in digital format only.  Feel free to print it out if you like though.

Why don’t you provide a paper manual?

Our research showed that the vast majority of paper manuals where assigned to a bookshelf and never used again, or worse, were left behind at the end of courses. Digital manuals on the other hand are always there when you need them, can be easily and constantly updated as new information is released, and are a much better tool for helping you remember what to do in an emergency.

Asides from all of that, they are also much better for the environment, using zero paper, zero delivery fuel, and with zero waste when a new edition is published.

Certificates FAQ

When will my certificates arrive?

Your certificate will arrive by email within 10 working days of your course finishing, as long as your course fee has been paid. 

My certificate hasn’t arrived yet, can you help?

First, please check your junk or spam mail folder.  Often certificates are intercepted and end up there. 

If you can’t find it there, and you are sure that the course has been paid for, either by yourself or the course organiser, please contact our office and we’ll resolve the situation for you.  Often it’s a simple spelling mistake in the email address that we have on file for you. 

I’ve lost my certificate, can you provide a replacement?

Yes, please contact our office to arrange this.  We charge £10+Vat for this service. 

Can you provide a paper copy of the certificate?

No, but the pdf format in which they are supplied can be printed out very easily and you are welcome to do so. 

Why don’t you provide a paper copy of the certificate?

Our research showed that most people scanned their paper certificates in order to then send them on to their employer, National Governing Body, or similar. By sending you the certificate as a PDF document already, we cut out that administrative hassle and make life easier for you. We also save paper, postage and printer ink by doing so at the scale in which we send out certificates.

When will my certificates arrive?

Your certificate will arrive by email within 10 working days of your course finishing, as long as your course fee has been paid. 

My certificate hasn’t arrived yet, can you help?

First, please check your junk or spam mail folder.  Often certificates are intercepted and end up there. 

If you can’t find it there, and you are sure that the course has been paid for, either by yourself or the course organiser, please contact our office and we’ll resolve the situation for you.  Often it’s a simple spelling mistake in the email address that we have on file for you. 

I’ve lost my certificate, can you provide a replacement?

Yes, please contact our office to arrange this.  We charge £10+Vat for this service. 

Can you provide a paper copy of the certificate?

We cannot provide one, but the pdf format in which they are supplied can be printed out very easily and you are welcome to do so. 

Why don’t you provide a paper copy of the certificate?

Our research showed that most people scanned their paper certificates in order to then send them on to their employer, National Governing Body, or similar. By sending you the certificate as a PDF document already, we cut out that administrative hassle and make life easier for you. We also save paper, postage and printer ink by doing so at the scale in which we send out certificates, all steps in reducing our environmental impact.

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