CPR, AED and safeguarding requirements

The certificate must be issued by a Resuscitation Council (UK) instructor or equivalent and conform to the Resuscitation Council (UK) guidelines in place at that time. Certificates should be added to Supporting Documentation and the Compliance Passport. It is essential that the certificate is valid at the time of CCT and extends beyond the end date of training. 

Some certificates – particularly those issued following attendance at an Advanced Life Support (ALS) course state they are valid for 3-4 years. For clarity, you must still demonstrate competence in CPR and AED every 12 months, by attending an appropriate course every 12 months. 

•    Resuscitation Council UK

If you are unable to undertake CPR and/or AED due to a physical disability, you can still demonstrate competence in this area if, for example, you can show your ability to direct others to undertake CPR and use an Automatic External Defibrillator. You would still be required to provide evidence of competence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) every 12 months, by attendance at a training session run by an approved Resuscitation Council trainer/assessor or equivalent.

All trainees at all stages of training (from the beginning of ST1 onwards) need evidence of Level 3 Adult AND Child safeguarding. This should be evidenced with a certificate of completion of a Level 3 safeguarding course in their Learning Log.

Going forwards all trainees then need a knowledge update every 12 months and this needs to include:

•    a demonstration of their safeguarding knowledge
•    key safeguarding information
•    appropriate action to take if there are any concerns.

Examples of these knowledge updates include:

•    Attending face to face training
•    Webinars
•    Attendance at safeguarding practice meetings
•    eLearning

In addition, all trainees need a minimum of one Clinical Case Review in each training year (ST1/2/3) that shows the application of safeguarding knowledge. This does not need to include a referral to a safeguarding body but should include consideration of safeguarding issues, how they should be managed, and the appropriate people/organisations to involve. 

If a trainee does not have experience in a case that allows them to directly apply their safeguarding knowledge, they can fulfil this requirement by demonstrating that they have participated in, for example: 

•    Group case discussions (for example at VTS teaching) where you discuss a case which you have been directly involved with, or a case which you have not been directly involved with and reflect on the learning from the case. For example, If a colleague brings a case for discussion regarding a pregnant woman where there is a concern about substance misuse, and you actively participate in the discussion and learn how to apply your knowledge, then you can reflect on this case in a Clinical Case Review.
•    Discussing a case at a practice safeguarding meeting (either a case which you have been directly involved with and have presented, or a case which you have not been directly involved with) and reflecting on the learning from the case. For example, you may have a concern about an elderly man who lives alone and is vulnerable. Having presented this case at a practice safeguarding meeting and learned how to apply your knowledge, you can then reflect on this case in a Clinical Case Review.

Evidence of both the knowledge update, and application of knowledge, must be documented in a learning log entry. It should be linked to the clinical experience group, 'People with health disadvantages and vulnerabilities'.

If 36 months pass since completing a Level 3 Adult and Child Safeguarding course, trainees will need to undertake another Level 3 Adult and Child Safeguarding course. This would then be counted as the knowledge update for the 12-month period it was completed.

For CCT, trainees need to have, for both adult and child safeguarding:

•    an in-date level 3 certificate uploaded to the relevant section of the Trainee Portfolio
•    evidence of a knowledge update in the last 12 months if an appropriate level 3 safeguarding course is not completed in that period.
•    clinical case review demonstrating the application of safeguarding knowledge in the ST3 year.

As with all areas of the curriculum, the Educational Supervisor will be asked if the trainee demonstrates capability in safeguarding in their final review.

If in any post the supervisor has concerns about the trainee, the trainee should be closely supervised and supported when dealing with any cases that may have safeguarding implications.

If a trainee does not have any posts within a specific training year that include children, it is not mandatory (though still recommended) that they understand and document their learning about child safeguarding.