Becoming a first aid volunteer

**Maria87** · 16-05-2012, 08:26 PM

The course (HSE Approved 'First Aid at Work' ) costs in ecxess of £250 plus the additional re-training costs. Are candidates expected to pay for it or do you get sponsered by some company to cover the costs?

I've emailed St Andrews first aid to enquire but they haven't replied. I'm interested to hear from those who are first aid volunteers.

Thank!

**scooby22** · 16-05-2012, 10:14 PM

Hi, where abouts in Scotland are you?

Have you ever thought of training with the Red Cross - I did my training in Dundee and it wasn't nearly that expensive and I also volunteered there and in Glasgow. They used to subsidise the course costs if you agreed to volunteer afterwards, but this was a good while ago and I imagine you can do training in any of the major cities, unless you're fairly rural.
Some employers may also pay for you do do First Aid training, but this is usually on the proviso you act as a first aider in work

**Chwirkytheappleboy** · 17-05-2012, 02:35 AM

They charge you? I would have thought that if you're volunteering with St Andrew's they should provide free training, although it may not be HSE approved FAW. That's what St John Ambulance do in England; their commercial courses (which they charge businesses for) are HSE approved, but their induction courses for volunteers aren't. They contain the same first aid training, just without the workplace-associated stuff. I'd suggest you just sign up as first aid volunteer and then say "so when's my training course?"

**Maria87** · 17-05-2012, 03:32 AM

This is the reply I got:

"To become a St. Andrew's First Aid volunteer you are required to have a valid St. Andrew's First Aid Standard First Aid Certificate. Our next Standard First Aid courses available within the Glasgow Area, are detailed above. "

"The cost of the Standard course suitable for Volunteering depicted in the training below is £77.00 including VAT."

Am I missing something? Surely you cannot charge folks for the training course and then let them volunteer for you?!

I'll give them a call tomorrow!

**Profanius** · 17-05-2012, 12:45 PM

Hi Maria

Alas, first aid charities are at liberty to charge what they want, even for volunteers. The problem being is that people join the charity, get the free training and then never come back once they've got the certificate. I've even known employers to encourage their staff to take this action and save themselves £250. In effect it's stealing from a charity, but people don't seem to worry about this.

I've volunteered for the British Red Cross in England for over three years. Everyone is trained on the basis they will be a volunteer but more than half the people in any training course never come back. As a policy in England the training is still free, as we are a first aid charity and work to promote first aid skills amongst the public on the basis it might save someone's life some day. While some people exploit this, it is considered a greater good.

I don't honestly know if this is the case for all regional areas of the BRC, but it's worth giving your local Red Cross a try.

**snakefisch** · 17-05-2012, 05:48 PM

^ ^ was gonna be my advise! I've done all my first aid training for free, through work or St John, I don't suggest you pay a penny for it, so try and get around it

**Maria87** · 17-05-2012, 07:31 PM

I spoke to the lady on the phone and she said all volunteers have to pay for the course (26 hours training), for the same reasons Profanius mentioned.
She also said that you only have to pay the initial fee and any re-training or further courses is covered by them once you become a volunteer.
To be honest I can afford £77 but I'm trying to save up at the moment to pay for tution fees (if I get in, that is). I might just pay for it (if it will help me get into meds school!).

I recently got the Hearstart Instructor certificate to teach primary school children Emergency and Life Support skills.
Do you feel being a first aid volunteer helped with your application? Did you ever attend to someone who needed first-aid.

Thanks!
PS: I'm based in Glasgow btw

**snakefisch** · 17-05-2012, 07:39 PM

Hi Maria,

I do actually think being an active first aider helps with experience. I am the office first aider too with the BRC first aid at work certificate but tbh nothing major has ever happened there.
I recommend joining an organisation like BRC or St John (not sure if they are in Scotland) and going out on regular duties where you are more likely to be able to treat people.
I have helped a couple of people before, but not anything major/serious although I am now in the cycle response unit, and expect to do a lot more now.

Imo I am not sure it matters too much to the application as everyone seems to have it anyway and it's not something that really stands out.
I think the heartstart thing you do sounds good though, and maybe just stick with that so long as you have some other care volunteering you can use for your experience..?

**Profanius** · 17-05-2012, 08:07 PM

The 26 hour course will get you the Standard Fist Aid certificate. This is a step up from the FA at Work qualification which only really covers CPR and major conditions etc. and is cut down to meet the minimum H&S requirements employers have to meet. £77 is quite reasonable for what you get but I would still be loath to pay it to an institution I was intending to volunteer for. But as Snakefisch says, the certificate isn't worth much unless you do something with it.

Further training can be great but I would check the requirements. One of the reasons I was put off St Johns is their policy that they do not provide further training until you've been an FA volunteer for over a year. BRC offers training if you're ready and willing with no conditions, but it does vary by location.

IMHO first aid volunteering can be brilliant. It can offer a much wider range of experience and exposure to different environments and conditions than something like HCA work. One of the key skills you can learn is taking a patient history, sorting the relevant information from the irrelevant, making a preliminary diagnosis and treat accordingly etc. All key skills that are relevant to medicine. This only gets better with advanced training such as Resus Support and Trauma Management. But like anything else it's what you put into it that matters. If you volunteer at as many events as possible and get involved as much as you can you'll take a lot more from it.

**Chwirkytheappleboy** · 17-05-2012, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Profanius

One of the reasons I was put off St Johns is their policy that they do not provide further training until you've been an FA volunteer for over a year.

Hmmm if you say that's their official policy then I'll take your word for it, but as for what actually happens in practice, many many people do further training whenever they're willing and a course is available.