Which First Aid Certificate Does a Nanny Need?

The unit codes are not intuitive, and plenty of nannies book the wrong course simply because the names look similar. Here is what each one actually is, and which one is worth your money.

The three units

• HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. About ninety minutes. This is CPR on its own, for adults, children and infants, plus choking and defibrillator use.
• HLTAID011 Provide First Aid. About three hours. This includes HLTAID009 within it and adds bleeding, burns, fractures, asthma, anaphylaxis, poisoning and more. This is the standard workplace first aid certificate.
• HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting. About three and a half hours. This includes everything in HLTAID011 and adds paediatric specific content, including febrile convulsions, asthma and anaphylaxis management in children, and the reporting expectations that apply in education and care.

Which one nannies usually need

If you work in a regulated education and care service, such as family day care or an outside school hours programme, HLTAID012 is generally the required unit. If you work privately for a family, there is no single legal requirement, but HLTAID012 is still the one most families and agencies ask for because the content matches the job. It is only about thirty minutes longer than the standard first aid course and covers the emergencies you are far more likely to meet.

Do not rely on an online only certificate

Resuscitation and choking response cannot be assessed over the internet. A nationally recognised certificate always includes a face to face practical component where you demonstrate compressions, rescue breaths and back blows on a manikin. Courses that promise full certification without any in person assessment will not satisfy an agency, an employer or a regulator.

How the blended format works

You complete a short theory component online in your own time, then attend one practical session. Assessment happens on the day and your certificate is issued the same day, so you can send it to a family or agency straight away. Check dates near you or read our frequently asked questions.