It can be quite tricky to tie in a Governing body’s requirements with First Aid courses available. This page attempts to match the two up.
E&OE. If you spot any errors or omissions please do let us know.
British Canoeing
From their website:
All active Coaches have a responsibility to maintain a current first aid award to ensure they can look after paddlers in their care. Coaches sign a declaration upon registration for our Coaching qualifications accepting this responsibility. Holding a valid first aid award is also part of the BCU Coach Update Scheme; Coaches who meet these requirements are recognised by the BCU as being active and up-to-date.
In order to meet the First Aid requirement all BCU Coaches (except BCU (UKCC) Level 1) need a recognised first aid certificate (that meets the required training contact time), recorded on their Home Nation Association membership record.
So, as far as we can ascertain:
| Coach Qualification | First Aid course Duration |
| BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach (supervised) | n/a |
| BCU (UKCC) Level 1 coach (independent) | 1 day |
| BCU (UKCC) Level 2 coach | 1 day |
| BCU Moderate Water Endorsement | 2 days |
| BCU 4 Star Leader | 2 days |
| BCU (UKCC) Level 3 Coach | 2 days |
| BCU 5 Star Leader | 2 days |
From the course specification it states that the 1 day and the 2 day qualification can be the 1-day and 2-day (Emergency) First Aid at Work courses, although Outdoor First Aid courses would seem to be more appropriate with minor modifications.
Compatibility matrix. Learning outcomes that need to be added to comply with 2-day NGO core syllabus
| Course | First Aid at Work | Outdoor First Aid |
| Directly Compatible? | Yes | No |
| Elements missing | Graze / bruise / cut | |
| Optional recommendations missing * | Evacuation methods | Electric shock (burn) Eye / ear / nose injury Evacuation methods |
Additional Recommendations:
- Coaches are advised to attend a First Aid Training that includes watersports related specifics within the course that is relevant to their normal coaching activity. e.g. hypo/hyperthermia, drowning, applying first aid in an outdoor environment, and incident management
- Any Coach working in an remote or wilderness environment should ensure they are appropriately trained to deal with the kind of first aid situations that are most likely to occur, and should consider attending more thorough training than the BCU minimum requirements. 4-day wilderness/expedition first aid training is considered more appropriate
- We will consider alternative First Aid awards from Coaches living and working abroad, where accessing one of our recognised courses may prove impractical. It is expected that these courses are delivered by a recognised provider, meet the required training contact time, and include within the syllabus core first aid (as listed above)
