What is concussion awareness training and why do schools need it?

Concussion is big news these days. There’s a growing awareness of the problem, particularly in sport. And there’s a growing recognition that we must take preventative measures to reduce the risks of long-term serious brain damage from concussion, especially in kids playing sport.

While Concussion Awareness training is NOT yet mandatory in schools, it may soon become so. Currently the guidelines are a little uncertain, but schools are under increasing pressure to address the issue.

What schools must do these days is implement concussion management policies and procedures. They are also obliged to provide educational materials at least for people in specific roles. Their own policies may also make training mandatory.

Overall, schools are both legally and morally responsible for the health and wellbeing of the children in their care. When things happen to children at school, the school can be held accountable either through current legislation or through being sued or taken to court for negligence etc

That’s why more and more schools are now pro-actively engaging in concussion awareness training, particularly for any staff directly responsible for sport and physical activity. But also there needs to be some awareness among the rest of the staff so that if a child is injured in the playground at lunchtime, the staff member monitoring them will know some immediate steps to take.

The key point of concussion awareness training is to ensure that those people who spend the most time with kids playing sport and other activities can recognise and respond to suspected cases of concussion.

If you have no idea what the symptoms of concussion are in the first place, you are unlikely to be able to take the appropriate action.

Concussion Awareness Training for schools

A well-structured and well-run Concussion Awareness Course for schools would aim to enhance concussion awareness in schools by equipping all the staff, including administrators, teachers and support personnel with strategies to recognise, manage and prevent concussion.

The course content should include:

·      Understanding why training in concussion in a school environment is important

·      How concussions happen in schools and the most common causes

·      The most common signs of concussion

·      How to treat concussion

·      The potential legal consequences for the school if the concussion is not handled properly

At Results First Aid Training we now offer Concussion Awareness Training for all our clients in the education sector, including schools, kindergartens, ELCs, etc

This training is approximately 30 minutes long and can be added onto any regularly scheduled CPR or First Aid Training that is booked with us.

While the Concussion Awareness Training is not accredited, which means there is no certificate on completion, we can provide the school with documentation to confirm the training has taken place. This will assist the school with reporting compliance in regards to any concussion issues.

For more information or to book Concussion Awareness Training for your school or ELC, please contact us via this link: https://www.resultsfirstaid.com/contact