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 recognized by the BCU as being active and up-to-date.
In order to meet these requirements all BCU Coaches (except BCU UKCC Level 1) need a recognised first aid certificate recorded on their Home Nation Association membership record. Please see below for contact details.
All first aid training needs to be delivered by a recognised provider and include within the syllabus general first aid and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). Click here for a list of First Aid Courses Recognised by the BCU. If a First Aid Course is not included on our recognised list, a copy of the syllabus will need to be submitted along with details of the course length and the training provider to the British Canoe Union for approval.
The minimum requirements for course length are listed below*
Old Scheme New Scheme
Level 1 4 Hours 6 Hours (recommended)
Level 2 4 Hours 8 Hours
Moderate Water Endorsement n/a 8 Hours
Level 3 8 Hours 8 Hours
Level 4 8 Hours Not yet applicable
Level 5 2 Days Not yet applicable
BCU 4 Star Leader n/a 8 Hours
BCU 5 Star Leader 8 Hours 16 Hours
* From 1st January 2010 this will be training contact time, NOT course length
Please Note: An up-to-date first aid certificate must be seen every three years by the home nation. Any first aid certificates that have been issued outside the UK, please contact the home nation. In addition we do not accept multiple first aid certificates added together to meet the training contact time requirement.
Serving military personnel, police officers, fire brigade, ambulance, personnel, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists are regarded as being currently first aid trained. However they still need to produce a recognized first aid certificate or other evidence of currency.
All our policies dovetail together to help Coaches and Paddlers and assume a level of first aid knowledge.
General Information:
There are crib cards available on request.
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/review/trainingfaq.htm
Contact Details:
Coaches need to send a copy of their up-to-date first aid certificate to their Home Nation Association:
Canoe England: 18 Market Place, Bingham, Nottingham, NG13 8AP
Fax: 0845 370 9501
Email: coaching@bcu.org.uk
Canoe Wales: Frongoch, Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7NU
Fax: 01678 521158
Email: welsh.canoeing@virgin.net
SCA: Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ
Fax: 0131 3177319
Email: coaching@canoescotland.com
CANI: Unit 2 Rivers Edge, 13-15 Ravenhill Rd, Belfast BT6 8DN
Fax: n/a
Email: office@cani.org.uk
British Canoe Union: 18 Market Place, Bingham, Nottingham, NG13 8AP
Fax: 0845 370 9501
Email: coaching@bcu.org.uk