Use your needs assessment as the starting point
Choosing first-aid training begins with the workplace and its people. HSE’s guidance asks employers to consider their circumstances, workforce and risks when making arrangements. The course you choose should follow that assessment.
Before enquiring, bring together your existing assessment, current first-aider record and any questions about cover. Include work patterns, absence cover and any specialist activities that you want to discuss with a competent adviser.
Choose the focus you need to discuss
PCT offers three options according to client needs: Emergency First Aid at Work, Emergency Paediatric First Aid, or a combined programme. Explain whether your learning priorities concern workplace emergencies, children or both, and agree the appropriate content with PCT.
All three PCT options run over one day. Emergency First Aid at Work includes a minimum of six hours of learning, and the combined course is approximately six hours. Each leads to a PCT course certificate valid for three years after successful completion. The combined programme leads to PCT’s Emergency and Paediatric First Aid Training certificate.
Ask what is included
Request the complete course outline and assessment arrangements. Check the requirements for successful completion, the certificate learners receive, its validity and how participation or access needs can be accommodated.
HSE no longer approves first-aid training providers. Its provider selection guide explains checks employers can make. Ask for evidence of trainer competence, quality assurance, teaching standards, syllabus and certification rather than relying on a general approval claim.
Look beyond the course date
Check who can attend, who covers their usual role and where training will take place. Ask about the room, equipment, breaks and any preparatory information. It is easier to resolve these details before confirming a booking.
Agree how your organisation will keep certificate and renewal information. For workplace first-aid certificates, HSE states a three-year validity and strongly recommends annual refresher training. PCT’s paediatric and combined course certificates also have a three-year validity. Your organisation may identify a need for earlier refresher learning or additional training.
Prepare a clear enquiry
Tell the provider which course you are considering and why. Include the approximate number of learners, your location, preferred dates and any questions raised by your assessment. If you remain unsure, say so: the purpose of an enquiry is to establish suitability before you commit.
State any specific age coverage, qualification or other requirement explicitly. Ask PCT to confirm whether the proposed course addresses it before you book. A similar course name alone cannot establish suitability.
Explore the three options
Sources & scope
Source links checked 7 September 2026. England-specific education and children’s homes guidance is identified in the sources. These planning guides do not replace professional advice, organisational policy or supervised training.