IAN KERSHAW LEAVES HSE
Dear Friends and Work Colleagues, 1st February 2007
I will be officially leaving HSE on 31st January 2007. I am taking early retirement from HSE because as you are probably aware I have been on sick leave due to work related stress. However this certainly does not mean that I am moving away from helping the First Aid Industry to move forward.
As you know I have run FAAMS for the past 10 years since its amalgamation into Manchester in 1997 to the best of my ability and with the limited resource that I have always had to endure.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my work particularly talking to and going out meeting Training Providers across the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales. I have made a lot of very good friends along the way and maybe some enemies too but they know who they are!
My vision when I started as Head of FAAMS was to work with the First Aid Industry in order to achieve the required long term results which was a highly professional Industry producing quality First Aiders for the workplace.
Firstly I wanted to pull the whole of the First Aid Industry into working in the same direction away from the fragmentation that I inherited. In the early days I met with most of the larger Training Providers as well as the Trade Associations that existed at that time (because it would have impossible to meet up with every individual Training Provider) and it appeared that we all had the same goal which was to obtain the highest possible standard of training across all Training Providers by introducing a consistent monitoring system and consequently produce confident and competent First Aiders in the workplace.
I have implemented the same rules for Training Providers irrespective of size in order to achieve a consistent approach across all Training Providers. I have treated all Training Providers in the same way and I was prepared to give them a slap on the wrist if standards were not being maintained or rules were being abused.
I have dealt with every single new application for First Aid at Work approval since 1997 and so feel able to say that I have achieved a certain standard and consistency across every application for approval during that time.
I have also worked very closely with HSE’s First Aid contractors (both TASC and Scout Enterprises) and I feel have forged very good working relationships with both the contractors and indeed the group of highly professional Visiting Officers who through my management have maintained consistently high standards across the First Aid Industry. By working with the Contractors in this way I have at least achieved some consistency into the way the Training Providers are monitored and consistency in the frequency of monitoring.
During the past 5 years HSE has been involved in reviewing First Aid and particularly the Approvals and Monitoring process as well as the Structure and Content. The intention being to move administration processes of FAAMS outside HSE and just retaining involvement in the structure and content of First Aid courses. I have become more and frustrated over the lack of movement in this area but I can assure you that it was not for the want of trying on my part.
Following the publication of the results of the Discussion Document 2003, I was instrumental in attempting to push forward the idea of an Industry Body (with the full support of HSE at that time). In early 2004 I got the support of all the Voluntary Aid Societies a well as the largest Independent Organisations. It was my intention to get representation from the other Independent Organisations very quickly and certainly by the middle of 2004 this did not happen because I was then excluded from any future meetings.
The consequences are now very clear in that there has been a huge delay in the implementation of an Industry Body or perhaps alternative option through the QCA which has damaged the First Aid Industry. It has also delayed the implementation of the new 3 day First Aid at Work (FAW) course, annual refreshers and the new Emergency First Aid courses. The feeling that I am getting from the First Aid Industry is that there is a frustration amongst the majority of Training Providers who cannot wait to get started with these new courses.
Finally I have to say that I strongly disagree with the decision to stop the notification of
FAW courses (and have made the point very strongly to HSE management) because I feel it will mean a lowering of standards, as Training Providers who want to break the rules will do so without the fear of being caught.
I know that with the right backing I would have and I feel still could sort out the First Aid Industry to the advantage of both HSE and the Training Providers.
So for the time being, I want to say a big thank you all for the help and support you have given to me and my colleagues in FAAMS over the past 10 years because I feel that together we have definitely moved the Industry in the right direction however the job is far from finished.
Best Wishes
Ian Kershaw MBE
Head of First Aid Approvals and Monitoring Section (FAAMS) 1996-2007