What you need to do now

Please take time to read and familiarise yourself with the new guidelines. No changes to your training are required at this stage. The Resuscitation Council UK allows training providers time to implement updates so trainers can understand the changes and resources can be revised to ensure a seamless transition for learners.

Our implementation plan

Over the coming weeks we will update all affected resources, including teaching notes, PowerPoints and books. When everything is ready (including printed book stock), we will issue a detailed guidance pack and a further newsletter explaining what has changed and how to apply it in your training.
Any existing stock of the current book editions can continue to be used before switching to the updated versions.

Improvised life-threatening bleeding protocols

As mentioned in previously, improvised life-threatening bleeding protocols are being added to the First Aid at Work syllabus. We will introduce these alongside the guideline updates. All trainer/assessors must demonstrate competence in managing life-threatening bleeding prior to introduction into the FAW course (please refer to the previous newsletter for details).

Awarding Organisation timeline

The First Aid Awarding Organisations meet at the beginning of December to confirm qualification updates that align with the new guidelines and the introduction of improvised life-threatening bleeding. We anticipate implementing these changes from January.

To reiterate: no immediate change is required to your teaching. Please review the guidelines now; updated resources and step-by-step implementation guidance will follow as soon as possible.

READ THE GUIDELINES …
https://www.resus.org.uk/professional-library/2025-resuscitation-guidelines

SUMMARY OF CHANGES …
https://www.resus.org.uk/professional-library/2025-resuscitation-guidelines/executive-summary-main-changes-2021-guidelines

• Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
• First Aid at Work (FAW)
• FAW Re-qualification
• Paediatric First Aid
• Fully Online Annual Refresher

What is Blended Learning?

Blended learning is a modern training approach that combines the convenience of online study with the essential, hands-on experience of classroom training.

Learners complete part of the course online at their own pace, perfect for fitting around busy schedules. Once the online learning is complete, they attend a classroom session where they put theory into practice through guided, practical skill assessments.

This format offers greater flexibility for learners while ensuring all course requirements are met in line with regulatory standards.

Options for Instructors

We offer three different pricing options for Nuco-registered instructors, allowing you to choose the model that best suits your delivery style and learners’ needs.

You can find full details, including terms and conditions, on the NucoPlus.

As a reminder, Nuco-registered instructors can also choose to deliver part of the course content via live webinar. This allows you to teach the theory in a virtual classroom setting before completing the practical assessments in person. This hybrid approach offers even more flexibility and helps maintain strong learner engagement while still meeting compliance standards.

You can read more about webinar delivery options and how to get started.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions or would like further information, our team is here to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We’re excited to bring you some wonderful news that will add an extra layer of fun and recognition to your Mini Medic courses!

Understanding the importance of celebrating the achievements of our young learners, we are delighted to introduce our brand new Mini Medic Stickers – a perfect way to commend and reward the Mini Medics for their dedication and efforts.

Why You and Your Mini Medics will Love Them:

• Engaging & Motivational: These stickers are designed to engage the children and serve as a tangible reward for their accomplishments.
• Vibrant Designs: Featuring vibrant colors and fun designs, these stickers are sure to be a hit among the Mini Medics.
• Easy to Distribute: Conveniently sized, these stickers can easily be handed out during class or added to completion certificates.

How to Get Them:

The Mini Medic Stickers are now available for purchase through our website. Simply visit NucoPlus to place your order and add a touch of excitement to your next class!

Become a Mini Medics Trainer

Become a Mini Medics trainer today and inspire the next generation to learn vital first aid skills and mental wellbeing.

For more details about Mini Medics, you can visit minimedics.co.uk.

These specially designed badges symbolise advocacy, understanding, and readiness to assist in mental health emergencies. They’re not only a badge of honour but also an emblem of responsibility.

Why ‘First Aider for Mental Health’ Badges?

These badges are ideal tokens to provide to your learners upon the completion of their training. By wearing this badge, your learners demonstrate their capability to respond effectively to mental health crises, promoting awareness and reducing stigma surrounding mental health.

Features and Pricing of the Badges

The badges are made with a thoughtful blend of aesthetic appeal and symbolism. They’re durable, versatile, and the perfect size to stand out on any garment or bag. The badges are sold individually at £2.39 each (£1.99 excluding VAT). We understand the need for affordability, especially when buying in bulk, so we are pleased to offer volume discounts for larger orders.

How to Order

You can order these badges directly from our online store. Remember, these badges should only be purchased and distributed by instructors who have completed our Mental Health First Aid training to ensure proper usage and representation.

We believe that these badges will not only serve as a celebration of your learners’ achievements but also foster a greater sense of community and awareness about mental health.

Digital ‘First Aider for Mental Health’ Badge for Email Signatures

In addition to our physical badges, we have also created a digital version of the ‘First Aider for Mental Health’ badge. This badge can be displayed on your email signature, symbolising your dedication to mental health awareness and readiness to your email recipients. Best of all, this digital badge is available free of charge. Display it with pride and help us continue spreading awareness for mental health.

Other Mental Health Resources You Might Be Interested In

We also offer a range of other products that you might have missed or forgotten about. These resources further extend our mission of spreading mental health awareness and training:

• Mini Medics Mental Health Trainer Pack: Mini Medics Mental Health is a basic mental health course designed for children between the ages of 9 and 13, but it can suit children of any age.
• Mental Health C.A.R.E. Cards: These cards display the First Aid Action Plan for Mental Health on the front side and useful contact information on the reverse side.
• First Aid for Youth Mental Health Book: This book provides comprehensive guidance on First Aid for Youth Mental Health. Available as a printed book or e-book.
• First Aid for Mental Health Book: A comprehensive guide for First Aid for Mental Health training. Available as a printed book or e-book.
• First Aid for Mental Health Awareness Book: This resource provides comprehensive guidance on First Aid for Mental Health Awareness. Available as a printed book or e-book.

• FAA Award in Outdoor First Aid
• FAA Award in Emergency Outdoor First Aid
• FAA Award in Forestry First Aid
• FAA Award in Oxygen Therapy Administration 
• FAA Award in Immediate Management of Anaphylaxis 

LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the qualifications have been updated where required and can be found in the relevant FAA Qualification Specification available to download on NucoPlus.  

FAA COURSE PAPERWORK AND GUIDANCE

The FAA course paperwork and guidance has been reviewed and the updated documentation can be found on NucoPlus. By using the new paperwork, guidance, and PowerPoint and trainer notes, you will ensure that you are teaching to the current requirements.

A trainer/assessor must ensure they use the new course paperwork and all required FAA guidance, and destroy any old course paperwork they may be holding for the above qualifications by the 1st July 2023.

It is essential that everyone is fully familiarised with the new assessment paperwork prior to use.

FAA GUIDANCE

All the qualifications have an FAA Marking Guide and trainer/assessors must refer to the FAA Classroom Course, Paperwork, and Assessment Guidance in conjunction with the relevant FAA Marking Guide, FAA Session Plan, and FAA Practical Assessment Record as relevant.

The FAA Classroom Course, Paperwork, and Assessment Guidance can be found on NucoPlus and accessed by links provided on FAA documentation.

FAA SESSION PLANS AND FAA QUALIFICATION SPECIFICATIONS

The FAA Session Plans and FAA Qualification Specifications for these qualifications have been amended and can be downloaded from NucoPlus.

The training notes and PowerPoint presentations have been updated accordingly and are available on NucoPlus.

FAA will be continuing its review of other qualifications and we will inform you as they are introduced.  As said previously, please bear with us during this period when the paperwork and guidance is not standardised.

NOT QUALIFIED TO TEACH THESE QUALIFICATIONS?

If you are not currently qualified to teach these qualifications, why not consider attending one of our Instructor Courses.

If you already hold the skills to teach these qualifications, why not transfer these skills to Nuco so that you can deliver with us. Please email the registrations team to check your eligibility – registrations@nucotraining.com.

This is a non-regulated annual refresher course recapping the skills and knowledge the learners have previously learnt on their regulated First Aid for Mental Health qualification whilst also looking at current events that may affect a person’s mental health and ways in which we can improve our wellbeing.

VIEW COURSE INFORMATION

This course can be ran by any instructor who is registered to teach First Aid for Mental Health with Nuco.

The resources, such as PowerPoint and Tutor Notes are available to download free of charge within your Downloadable Resources.

NOT REGISTERED TO TEACH FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH?

If you are not currently registered with Nuco to teach First Aid for Mental Health why not consider attending our First Aid for Mental Health Instructor Course. 

If you already hold the qualifications to teach Mental Health training, why not transfer these skills to Nuco so that you can deliver the FAA qualifications in adult and youth mental health. Please email the registrations team to check your eligibility – registrations@nucotraining.com

In 2020, during the initial COVID-19 pandemic, the Resuscitation Council introduced a moratorium on learners having to demonstrate rescue breaths during first aid training.

We can confirm that the First Aid Awarding Organisation Forum have stated that from the 1st November 2022 this moratorium is being removed. All first aid courses starting from this date will require learners to demonstrate rescue breaths to achieve the regulated qualification.

Learners will no longer be able to choose not to demonstrate rescue breaths if they want to be awarded the regulated qualification.

If a learner is not willing or is not able to demonstrate rescue breaths, then unfortunately they cannot be awarded the regulated qualification but can be issued with a non-regulated certificate.

The guidelines have also been updated regarding secondary assessment. Previously learners were able to verbally complete the assessment but from the 1st November will also have to physically demonstrate the completion of a secondary assessment at least once during the course.

FAA have updated its COVID-19 Classroom Guidelines to reflect this change and you can view this here.

Training providers should continue to maintain high levels of hygiene during classroom courses and guidance on how to achieve this is contained within the guidelines above

The paperwork available to download and the paperwork you receive when ordering hard copies has now been updated to reflect these changes.

The changes are minimal but are as follows:

• The practical assessment record has been updated to move the trainer/assessor’s name and assessment date above where learner’s results are entered. This will reduce the number of pages that need to be scanned and stored
• Head injuries – Previously it stated that the emergency services should be called if the casualty has been unresponsive for more than three minutes. This has changed to calling the emergency services if they become unresponsive at all
• Poisoning – Providing sips of water/milk for a swallowed poison is being phased out due to the possibility of this aiding absorption of the poison in the stomach. The protocol is to simply call the emergency services and attempt to identify the poison

Trainers are required to introduce this latest version by the 1st December 2022.

We have had enquiries regarding the minimum time a learner must demonstrate CPR during assessment. As per the new FAA assessment guidance all learners should demonstrate CPR for a minimum of two minutes. Learners should be encouraged to demonstrate rescue breaths during this but if they are unwilling, they are able to do compression only CPR for adult first aid courses due to current COVID guidance from our regulatory bodies.

If you have any questions at all then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

CHANGES TO THE LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The vast majority of changes are minor grammatical amendments that do not affect the content or assessment of the course.

The updated learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the qualifications can be found in the relevant FAA Qualification Specification available to download on NucoPlus.

All required changes have been reflected in the assessment documentation, so it is essential that you fully familiarise yourself with the new assessment paperwork prior to use.

FAA COURSE PAPERWORK AND GUIDANCE

The FAA course paperwork and guidance has been reviewed and amended to incorporate the required changes and the updated course paperwork and guidance can be found on NucoPlus. By using the new paperwork, guidance, and PP and trainer notes, you will ensure that you are teaching to the new requirements.

Trainers must ensure they use the new course paperwork and destroy any old course paperwork they may be holding for the above qualifications.

FAA continually try to improve the course paperwork, including making completion as simple as possible, but there are certain regulatory requirements that must be covered due to the paperwork providing evidence of a learner’s achievement.

Following the review of these qualifications FAA will be continuing with the other FAA first aid and related qualifications.  We will inform you as the other qualifications are amended and please bear with us during this period when the paperwork and guidance is not standardised.

FAA COURSE REGISTER AND ASSESSMENT RESULTS

There are now two common FAA Course Register and Assessment Results documents covering most FAA qualifications.  One register covers a maximum of 12 learners and the other a maximum of 16 learners, depending on the qualification.

The FAA Award in First Aid at Work requalification course has a separate register which includes a column for the entry of the learner’s old qualification date and an amended trainer/assessor declaration where the trainer/assessor confirms that all learners were eligible to attend the 2-day course and all evidence of this has been retained.

The qualification being delivered should be entered in the box provided e.g. FAA Award in First Aid at Work.

The register has been simplified with only one box to complete to confirm a learner’s achievement.

FAA LEARNER REGISTRATION FORM

The FAA Learner Registration Form now covers all FAA qualifications with the qualification being entered under the course information.

The learner registration form includes general assessment guidance for learners.

FAA PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT RECORD

As it did previously this document details the required steps for successful completion of a scenario and protocol to be followed.  As relevant, additional protocol requirements can be found in the FAA Marking Guide.

Learner practical assessment results should now be recorded on the table at the end of the document.

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT

The FAA Award in First Aid at Work and the FAA Award in Paediatric First Aid include a written assessment.  Qualification assessment must cover all assessment criteria with some being more suited to written assessment than practical demonstration.

The written assessments are now predominantly multiple choice questions.

Learners must never mark their own or another learner’s assessment and grey boxes are provided for the trainer/assessor to mark and score the written assessment.

FAA MARKING GUIDE

The FAA Marking Guide is a new document and gives as relevant:

• Additional protocol to be followed for the practical assessment
• Answer guidance for the related oral questions
• Answers to the written assessment
• The maximum time allowed for completion of a written assessment
• The pass mark

All centres and trainer/assessors must fully adhere to FAA assessment/marking guidance confirmed by Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny (CASS).

FAA CLASSROOM COURSE, PAPERWORK, AND ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE

This is a new document giving comprehensive information for a trainer/assessor about important aspects of course delivery and assessment including guidance about conducting and marking assessments and course paperwork completion.  The guidance also includes information about learner ID checks, conflict of interest and reasonable adjustment etc.

Centres and trainer/assessors must refer to this guidance in conjunction with the relevant FAA Marking Guide, FAA Session Plan, and FAA Practical Assessment Record as relevant.

The FAA Classroom Course, Paperwork, and Assessment Guidance can be found on NucoPlus and accessed by links provided on FAA documentation.

This guidance and the FAA Marking Guide replace the current FAA Trainer/Assessor Assessment Guidance and the FAA Course and Paperwork Guidance.

FAA SESSION PLANS AND FAA QUALIFICATION SPECIFICATIONS

The FAA Session Plans and FAA Qualification Specifications for these qualifications have been amended and can be downloaded from NucoPlus.

The training notes and PowerPoint presentations have been updated accordingly and are also available to download on NucoPlus.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE USE OF A ‘TRAINING DEVICE’ ADRENALINE AUTO-INJECTOR

The basic resources required for completion of the scenarios are detailed on the FAA Practical Assessment Record.

Learners are now required to practically demonstrate the correct use of a training auto-injector, commonly known as an EpiPen, during the assessments for the FAA Award in First Aid at Work as well as the FAA Award in Paediatric First Aid.  Training providers will be required to have at least one training auto-injector available on these courses for completion of the assessment.

Please note that in no circumstance is the use of a ‘live’ auto-injector permitted for use in a training environment.

EpiPen branded training auto-injectors are available free of charge to training providers on the EpiPen website:  EpiPen® Training Pen | EpiPen®

Jext branded training auto-injectors are available free of charge to training providers on the Jext website:  Order Trainer Pen (jext.co.uk)

FAA recommends that training providers who require a training auto-injector for their courses order a free unit as soon as possible to ensure they have the resources required to complete the assessments.

NEW PAPERWORK AND ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTATION

FAA introduced brand new paperwork and assessment documentation for this qualification in August 2022.

You must ensure that the latest version of the paperwork is used and this can be found in the downloadable resources section of NucoPlus.

View the new guidance which all trainer/assessors must read in full prior to use of the new course paperwork.

If you have any questions at all then please so not hesitate to get in touch.