UK Coaching’s New First Aid Programme Tackles Sector Blind Spot
News by UK Coaching
The launch of a tiered, coaching-specific first aid training framework will contribute to safer environments for participants by boosting knowledge, confidence, and preparedness across sport and physical activity settings.
UK Coaching has launched a new First Aid offer designed to meet the distinct needs of coaches working in sport and physical activity.
Responding to a long-standing gap in sector-specific provision, the new tiered framework aligns with the Standards for Deployment and provides clear guidance on the level of first aid knowledge required for different coaching roles.
Structured into three progressive stages, UK Coaching’s First Aid offer is designed to build knowledge progressively depending on your need and embed good practice across the sector.
With a focus on practical, preventative action, the offer aims to build confidence among coaches, particularly in grassroots and community environments where access to medical support may be limited.
The first stage of the offer introduces a core eLearning course, a Reflection Tool that suggests next steps for training, a condition-specific course and linked learning resources.
The structured approach will help individuals identify the level of first aid appropriate for their role and setting, while developing essential skills in responding to common medical incidents.
As the offer evolves, it will support coaches in applying their learning with confidence, contributing to safer coaching environments and, ultimately, raising the overall quality of coaching across the UK.
Closing the Gap: A First Aid Framework Built for Coaches
In 2017, the Duty of Care in Sport Review led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson highlighted critical gaps in how the sector supports the safety and well-being of coaches and participants.
Page 25 of the Report (Theme 7) specifically addressed safety, injury, and medical issues – including the need for a sector-specific approach to first aid.
It was this set of recommendations which inspired the development of UK Coaching’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest eLearning Course.
UK Coaching responded further with the launch of the industry-transforming Duty to Care Hub and Digital Badge, however progress across the wider sector has been limited and the recommendation for a tailored first aid offer has remained largely unmet.
UK Coaching has therefore built on its commitment to creating safer environments in sport and physical activity by addressing the sector’s need for basic first aid training.
UK Coaching Product Manager Robin Lavin said:
Our research has found that the training available to coaches is inconsistent. Coaches attend varying amounts of training from two hours up to three days. Some coaches are not required by their governing body to undertake any First Aid training at all.
“For those that do, it is largely first aid at work, which is normally expansive, time intensive and more importantly not relevant to our environment and doesn’t cover children under eight.
“Our new First Aid programme will offer a flexible learning journey, enabling learners to access appropriate materials based on their role and associated risk.”
- Lack of a sector-specific first aid framework: Existing first aid training is often generic and not tailored to the unique environments and risks faced in coaching and sport settings.
- Inconsistent standards and expectations: Without a clear, tiered offer aligned to the Standards for Deployment, coaches and organisations lack guidance on what level of first aid knowledge is appropriate for different roles and contexts.
- Low awareness and confidence: Many coaches feel underprepared to respond to medical incidents, especially in grassroots and community settings where access to medical support may be limited.
- Missed opportunity for preventative action: A structured approach to first aid can help reduce risk, improve response times, and ultimately contribute to safer environments for participants and coaches alike.
Wave One Rolls In
The first wave has arrived, which includes a suite of learning materials and resources focused on raising awareness of first aid. They will support individuals to identify what level of first aid is recommended for them and develop knowledge and skills relating to sudden cardiac arrest and other essential first aid situations such as bleeding, choking, minor injuries and the recovery position.
Products for this wave of the offer are:
First Aid Reflection Tool: This is a series of questions designed to encourage the individual to consider factors which impact the first aid requirements for their setting, making recommendations for the next steps of training.
Core First Aid eLearning course: This will be an interactive eLearning module, enabling learners to select their role/environment in which they operate. Through applied learning approaches, learners will explore learning to equip them in basic first aid.
Condition Specific Course: On top of the introduction course, we are developing a course covering the below conditions, looking at their causes, symptoms, treatment and response:
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- Concussion
- Seizures and epilepsy
- Asthma and Hyperventilation
- Fractures and soft tissue damage
- Anaphylaxis, bites and stings
- Hot and cold care (heat stroke and cold-water shock).
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA): This is an existing eLearning module, which immerses learners to gain knowledge and practical skills in responding to a SCA, and the use of a defibrillator machine. We have recently updated this product, which can be accessed free of charge.
Supporting resources: An interactive action planner/workbook, and linked learning resources. These will support learners to apply the learning from this section into the environments they operate within, with ease.
Wave Two: First Aid Workshop
Wave Two will introduce the ‘First Aid in Sport and Physical Activity’ workshop in January 2026 – a four-hour, in-person session designed to build on foundational knowledge and develop practical, hands-on skills. The interactive format will allow coaches to demonstrate their ability to treat a range of casualties, reinforcing confidence and competence in real-world scenarios.
Wave Three: First Aid Qualification
For those that require a qualification, the previous waves have been mapped against the 1st4sport Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work, giving organisations the flexibility to incorporate them into formal qualification pathways if desired.
Long-term Impact: First Aid, Fit for Coaching
Over time, coaches – and the wider sport and physical activity workforce – will be equipped with essential first aid knowledge and skills tailored to the realities of their environments and aligned with deployment standards. This offer strengthens UK Coaching’s position as a central hub for coaching development, providing a comprehensive and responsive support system for the sector.
As the well-known mantra goes: coaching is about people. If you care about coaching, you care about people, and nothing is more important than protecting those who take part in sport and physical activity.
Next Steps:
Coach
Contact us to learn more and speak to your organisation about arranging a course tailored to your coaching environment.
NGBs and Partners
Get in touch with our workshops team or your Partnership Team to find out more or to book a course that meets your deployment standards and safeguarding responsibilities.
Higher Education / Further Education
Contact us to explore how our tiered First Aid offer can be embedded into your curriculum or delivered as part of your professional development pathway.
Find out which first aid course is right for you
Choose from a variety of learning options, including tutor-led and e-learning courses. Our first aid course checker tool will help you decide which is the right one for you.
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