First Aid
First Aid Rules for Childminders: What Ofsted Actually Requires
This guide is for general information only and doesn't replace hands-on, accredited first aid training. In a medical emergency, always call 999 (or 112) immediately.
Anyone registering as a childminder, or running an early years setting, will come across paediatric first aid (PFA) requirements fairly quickly. What’s less clear from a quick search is exactly what’s required, of whom, and by when. The rules sit in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, and they’re more specific than “someone should know first aid.”
Who needs a certificate
At least one person with a current, full paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises and available at all times that children are present. For a childminder working alone, that means the childminder themselves. For any assistant who might be left solely responsible for the children at any point, they need their own current certificate too, not just the lead childminder.
The requirement widens further for staff holding level 2 or level 3 childcare qualifications gained after 30 June 2016: they must hold either a full paediatric first aid certificate or an emergency paediatric first aid certificate to be counted in the setting’s staff-to-child ratios.
The new-starter deadline
New staff, including early years students and trainees, have three months from their start date to complete paediatric first aid training. Until they do, they can’t be counted in the ratios that determine how many children a setting is allowed to care for, so this isn’t a box to tick eventually, it directly affects how a setting can operate from day one.
Three months, not “eventually.” A new starter who hasn’t completed paediatric first aid training within three months simply can’t be counted in ratios, which can leave a setting short-staffed on paper even if the right number of people are physically there.
Mealtimes specifically
The framework also calls out mealtimes directly: someone with a current paediatric first aid certificate needs to be present to supervise children and manage the choking risk that comes with eating, which is one of the more common incidents paediatric first aid training specifically prepares for.
Certificate validity
As with adult first aid certificates, paediatric first aid certificates are valid for three years and need renewing before they expire to keep a setting compliant and to keep staff countable in ratios.
Why this matters beyond compliance
Ofsted inspections do check this, but the bigger reason to get it right isn’t the inspection, it’s that choking, falls, and allergic reactions in young children can escalate quickly, and paediatric first aid is built specifically around how children’s bodies and emergencies differ from adults’. Getting the certification right is really about making sure there’s always someone in the room who actually knows what to do.
Need Paediatric First Aid training?
Our Paediatric First Aid course meets the EYFS requirement in full, for childminders, nannies and early years staff.
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