Administration of First Aid Policy and Procedure

Our priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone attending our centres. This includes children, staff and other adults.

This document gives staff a clear set of guidelines for administering first aid. It also sets out the qualifications and skills they require.

1. Scope

This policy applies to children, families, staff, management and visitors of Early Learning Victoria centres. This includes volunteers, students on placement and contractors or labour-hire employees of Early Learning Victoria.

2. Policy statement

This policy sets out procedures for administering first aid effectively. This helps to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children, staff and others attending the centre.

This policy also sets out the first aid training and other requirements of staff (including volunteers). These are part of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (the National Law) and Education and Care Services National Regulations (the Regulations).

2.1 Requirements

Early Learning Victoria must ensure that all centres have policies and procedures for administering first aid. Early Learning Victoria must also take reasonable steps to ensure these are followed. This is required under the National Law and Regulations.

First aid requirements must be met in the Early Learning Victoria centre, on excursions, and when transporting children.

All Early Learning Victoria centre staff should have an approved first aid qualification. There must always be at least one staff member present with a current first aid qualification. (This is also consistent with the Staffing overview policy).

Details and evidence of all current approved training and qualifications must be included in Early Learning Victoria staff records.

Nominated first aid officers

Centres with 10 or more employees must appoint at least one staff member as a first aid officer. This is required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

In centres with fewer than 10 employees, it is still considered best practice to appoint someone as first aid officer.

Generally, the nominated supervisor will be a first aid officer. But other staff members should also be appointed first aid officers, to cover the times when the nominated supervisor is away. (This also helps for staffing longer centre operating hours.)

Nominated first aid officers must:

respond immediately to any incident requiring first aid
maintain current approved first aid qualifications and training
track the qualifications and training status of all other first aid officers. A spreadsheet or similar tracking tool should be used to monitor when qualifications are due to expire, and to ensure ongoing compliance
check and refill stock in first aid kits (as in First aid kit guidelines and checklist). This includes removing items past their use-by date
complete a first aid risk assessment no less than annually (see First aid risk assessment)
advise families that a list of first aid products used by Early Learning Victoria centres is available, and that first aid kits can be inspected on request
ensure out-of-date first aid kit products are disposed of safely
ensure that each room at the Early Learning Victoria centre has a first aid kit, and that there are enough extra first aid kits at the centre to deal with any emergency
clearly display where first aid kits are in the centre.

Risk assessments for excursions

Early Learning Victoria must complete a risk assessment before any excursion. This is required by the National Law and Regulations. Risk assessments note and assess risks, including those for which first aid may be needed. They note how risks will be managed and minimised. (See the Excursions, incursions and regular outings policy.)

First aid kits

Early Learning Victoria centres must keep the right number of first aid kits. This will depend on the number of children at the Early Learning Victoria centre. These kits must be suitably equipped, and easy to spot and access by adults at all times. Portable first aid kits must also be available on excursions and in any vehicles transporting children (see First aid kit guidelines and checklist).

3. Actions and procedures

Timely administration of first aid can save lives. It can also prevent injuries and illnesses from becoming chronic or fatal.

Being able to give prompt first aid is especially important in an early childhood service. Staff have a duty of care and obligation to help children who are injured, become ill or need help taking medication.

Staff must only apply first aid in line with their skills and level of training. See Better Health Channel: first aid basics and DRSABCD for more information.

Administration of first aid: procedure

In the event of a minor injury requiring first aid, staff must:

treat the injury as required and provide comfort and care to the child
notify the child’s family to collect them from the Early Learning Victoria centre, if it is in the child’s best interest.

For an incident requiring first aid or in a medical emergency, first aid responders must apply basic first aid with the ‘DRSABCD’ action plan:

Danger – check for any danger to you, anyone nearby and then the injured child. Move other children away
Response – check if the child is conscious. See if they will respond when you talk to them, touch their hand or squeeze their shoulder
Send for help – call 000 and the child’s family
Airway – check the child’s airway is clear and that they are breathing
Breathing – check for breathing. Look for chest movements, listen for air coming through the child’s mouth or nose or feel for breathing by putting your hand on the lower part of the child’s chest
CPR by trained staff – if the child is unconscious and not breathing, apply CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
Defibrillator – if the child is unconscious and not breathing, apply an automated external defibrillator if one is available, and if appropriate to do so.

In a serious medical emergency, the nominated supervisor or person in day-to-day charge must contact the child’s family as soon as possible.

Once the medical emergency has been managed, the nominated supervisor or person in day-to-day charge will work with Early Learning Victoria central office to report the incident, following the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy. This includes documenting the incident as soon as possible in the Incident, trauma and illness record through Kidsoft.

3.1 Responsibilities of families

At enrolment, families must:

give written consent for Early Learning Victoria centre staff to give first aid and call an ambulance if needed (see the Enrolment and orientation policy)
share details about their child’s allergies or any specific health care needs (see the Management of medical conditions policy).

Families should understand that medication can be given to their child in an anaphylaxis or asthma emergency without their authorisation (see the Management of medical conditions policy).

Families must also:

collect their child as soon as possible when told of an incident, injury, trauma or illness that required first aid
be contactable, either directly or through emergency contacts on the child’s enrolment record, if an incident requiring first aid happens
tell staff if there has been a change in the child’s health, or recent accidents or incidents that may impact the child’s care and require first aid. This includes updating their medical management plan.

3.2 Responsibilities of staff

All centre staff

All centre staff must:

follow this policy and procedure
tell the nominated supervisor or person in day-to-day charge immediately about any serious or notifiable incidents.

Educators must:
- respond immediately to any incident needing first aid
- maintain current approved first aid qualifications and training
- record accurate details about any first aid given within 24 hours of the incident, injury, trauma or illness
- ensure parents are told within 24 hours if their child is in an incident or suffered an injury, trauma or illness
- record details on the Incident, Injury, trauma and illness record in Kidsoft
- ensure that if the injury involves the head or face, the child’s parents are called as soon as practicable after the injury has occurred
- keep up to date with children’s allergies, medical details and days they attend the centre
- consider any information about allergies or medical details when giving first aid
- ensure that all children are adequately supervised at all times, including when staff are giving first aid
- follow the procedures in the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy if a child is ill, or is in a medical emergency or incident at the centre
- ensure that the right number of first aid kits are taken on excursions.
The nominated supervisor must:
- ensure that details and evidence of all current approved training and qualifications are recorded on each staff member’s record, including training renewal dates
- ensure there are systems to track and monitor staff first aid training and qualifications
- ensure that the Ambulance Victoria ‘How to Call Card’ is displayed near all telephones
- support educators and centre staff to maintain their current approved first aid qualifications
- ensure that each room at the Early Learning Victoria centre has a first aid kit, and that there is also one outdoors
- ensure there are enough extra first aid kits at the centre to deal with any emergency
- clearly display the location of first aid kits
- ensure adults can easily access first aid kits, but that they are kept safely away from children
- ensure enough fully equipped first aid kits are taken on excursions, during evacuations and when transporting children
- check and refill stock in first aid kits (as in First aid kit guidelines and checklist). This includes removing items past their use-by date
- advise families that a list of first aid products used by ELV centres is available, and that first aid kits can be inspected on request
- ensure out-of-date first aid kit products are disposed of safely. (The safest way is through the Return Unwanted Medicines Project)
- ensure that all centre staff are told the location of first aid kits and about first aid requirements at their induction
- ensure that parents are told within 24 hours if their child is in an incident, or suffers an injury, trauma or illness
- record details on the Incident, injury, trauma and illness record in Kidsoft
- follow the procedures in the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy if a child is ill, or is in a medical emergency or incident at the centre
- ensure a resuscitation flow chart is clearly displayed in the centre’s indoor and outdoor spaces
- ensure risk assessments (see First aid risk assessment) are completed. Before excursions, any risk that may lead to the need for first aid should be considered and minimised
- appoint a staff member to be the nominated first aid officer if the centre has 10 or more employees. (This is also advised for centres with fewer than 10 employees.)
The approved provider must:
- ensure that all staff, parents and volunteers are given a copy of this policy and clearly understand it
- ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children, staff and others at the centre from harm and hazards that are likely to cause injury
- ensure that the prescribed educator-to-child ratios are met at all times
- ensure that educators receive first aid training and regularly training in the management of specific health care needs, such as asthma, anaphylaxis, type 1 diabetes and epilepsy
- ensure an appropriate number of first aid kits are available at the Early Learning Victoria centre, taking into account the number of children and staff at the centre
- ensure that procedures are in place to check first aid kits regularly. This includes using First aid kit guidelines and checklist
- check the first aid requirements for the Early Learning Victoria centre
- work with the nominated supervisor to notify the Regulatory Authority of a serious incident using the NQA IT System (see the Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy).

4. Resources

Legislation and standards

Relevant legislation and standards include:

Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
National Quality Standard, Quality area 2: Children’s health and safety
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014
Privacy Act 1988
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019.

Administering medication procedure
Duty of care policy
Enrolment and orientation policy
Excursions, incursions and regular outings policy
Incident, injury, trauma and illness policy
Management of medical conditions policy
Staffing overview policy
Supervision of children policy

Definitions

Approved first aid qualification: Approved first aid qualifications, anaphylaxis management and emergency asthma management training is listed on the ACECQA website.

Current first aid qualifications: A qualification is ‘current’ if:

cardiopulmonary resuscitation training that forms part of the approved first aid qualification was completed within the previous year
first aid qualification was completed within the previous 3 years
anaphylaxis management training was completed within the previous 3 years
emergency asthma management was completed within the previous 3 years.

First aid: First aid is initial care in response to an illness or injury. It generally consists of a series of techniques to preserve life, protect someone (particularly if unconscious), stop a condition from getting worse and promote recovery.

Notifiable incident: Any incidents that seriously compromise the safety, health or wellbeing of children. The Regulatory Authority and parents or carers must be notified within 24 hours of a serious incident. The Regulatory Authority can be notified online through the NQA IT System.

Resuscitation flowchart: Outlines the 6 steps of resuscitation: danger, response, airways, breathing, compression and defibrillation. The Australian Resuscitation Council provides free flowcharts for resuscitation of adults and children.

5. Authorisations and review

This policy is the responsibility of Early Learning Victoria. Contact: ELV@education.vic.gov.au

It was approved by the CEO, Early Learning Victoria, Department of Education on 2 January 2026.

Early Learning Victoria regularly reviews its policies and procedures. This policy is due for review on 2 January 2028. It may be reviewed sooner if legislation or Department of Education policy changes.

Reviewed by Director, Quality ELV and Director, Early Years Services ELV.

Early childhood Parents & carers

Updated 2 April 2026