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Health & wellbeing · First aid & safety

First Aid Awareness: Staying Safe and Helping Others in Everyday Life

A practical, jargon-free course for UK adults who want to feel confident handling common medical emergencies at home, work, or out and about. Learn how to assess situations, give basic care, and know when to call for help.

360 min8 modulesBeginner friendly
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Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course, you will be able to recognise and respond to everyday first aid situations, including cuts, burns, choking, falls, and unconsciousness, and take appropriate action until professional help arrives.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    Module 1: Your Role and Staying Safe

    • What first aid means in everyday life
    • The first aider's priorities: safety, consent, and calling for help
    • Using personal protective equipment (gloves, face shields)
    • When to call 999 and what to say
  2. 02

    Module 2: Assessing the Situation

    • The primary survey: danger, response, airway, breathing, circulation (DR ABC)
    • Checking for responsiveness and normal breathing
    • How to put someone in the recovery position
    • When to move a casualty and when to leave them
  3. 03

    Module 3: Bleeding, Cuts, and Wounds

    • Cleaning and dressing minor cuts and grazes
    • Controlling severe bleeding with direct pressure
    • What to do with a nosebleed
    • Dealing with objects stuck in a wound
  4. 04

    Module 4: Burns, Scalds, and Heat-Related Emergencies

    • Cooling and covering burns and scalds (including from kettles, irons, or sun)
    • When to seek medical help for a burn
    • Recognising and treating heat exhaustion
    • Spotting heatstroke and what to do
  5. 05

    Module 5: Choking and Breathing Difficulties

    • Recognising mild and severe choking
    • Back blows and abdominal thrusts for adults
    • Adapting the technique for children and babies
    • Helping someone with an asthma attack
  6. 06

    Module 6: Falls, Sprains, and Fractures

    • Assessing a fall: when to move and when to wait
    • Using the RICE method for sprains and strains
    • Immobilising a suspected fracture
    • Head injuries: concussion and when to worry
  7. 07

    Module 7: Unconsciousness and Resuscitation

    • Checking for breathing and starting chest compressions
    • Giving rescue breaths (mouth-to-mouth)
    • Using a public access AED safely
    • CPR for children and babies (overview)
  8. 08

    Module 8: Allergic Reactions, Poisoning, and Other Emergencies

    • Spotting anaphylaxis and using an adrenaline auto-injector
    • What to do if someone swallows something harmful
    • Helping someone having a seizure
    • Recognising low blood sugar and when to offer sugar