First Aid at Work Requalification (2-Day)

First Aid at Work requalification delivered at your workplace. Two days. The structured reassessment of practical skill, clinical decision-making, and current knowledge your first aiders need before their certificate expires.

QUALIFICATION: First Aid at Work Requalification
DURATION 2 days / 12 guided learning hoursDELIVERY Face-to-face only GROUP SIZE Max 12 learners
CERTIFICATE Accredited FAW Requalification VALIDITY 3 years / Annual refresher recommendedAWARDING BODIES Worksafe / FAIB (Nuco and Highfield on request)
Important: Requalification must be completed before the existing certificate expires. If the certificate has already lapsed, the full First Aid at Work (3-Day) course may be required. Contact us before booking if you are unsure.

Course Overview

First Aid at Work qualification does not maintain itself. Over three years, the CPR technique drifts. Guidelines update. The primary survey changes. Confidence in AED use fades without regular practice. A first aider who completed their qualification three years ago and has not actively used or refreshed their skills since is not the same first aider who passed that course. Requalification exists to close that gap before it becomes a risk.

The First Aid at Work Requalification course is the two-day renewal programme for learners whose existing FAW certificate is approaching expiry. It is not a lighter version of the original qualification. It is a structured reassessment of practical skill, clinical decision-making, and current knowledge, delivered against the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines and aligned with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L74.

One of the most significant things this course addresses is the 2025 guideline update. The Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines introduced changes to the primary survey and approach to basic life support that experienced first aiders need to understand and integrate into their practice. A first aider who learned their primary survey three years ago under different guidance and has not been updated is working to an outdated framework. This course brings that knowledge current and rebuilds the practical habits around it.

Course Details

  • Duration: 2 days (12 guided learning hours)
  • Delivery: Face-to-face only, at your venue
  • Certificate: Accredited First Aid at Work Requalification (RQF)
  • Awarding organisations: Worksafe, FAIB. Nuco and Highfield available on request.
  • Validity: 3 years. Annual refresher strongly recommended.
  • Group size: Maximum 12 learners per trainer
  • Important: Requalification must be completed before the existing certificate expires. If the certificate has already lapsed, the full First Aid at Work (3-Day) course may be required. Contact us before booking if you are unsure.

Who This Course Is For

This course is for workplace first aiders who hold a current, valid First Aid at Work certificate that is approaching its three-year expiry.

  • Workplace first aiders across all sectors whose FAW certificate is due for renewal
  • Organisations in higher-risk environments, including construction, manufacturing, engineering, logistics, and care settings
  • Schools and education providers maintain first aid provision for staff
  • Employers renewing their first aid provision in line with HSE requirements

Learners must hold a valid, in-date First Aid at Work certificate to attend the requalification course. If your certificate has already expired, or if you are unsure whether it is still within the renewal window, contact us before booking, and we will advise on the correct route.

The Legal Requirement

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and HSE Approved Code of Practice L74, employers must ensure that their workplace first aiders remain competent and that their qualifications are current. A first aider whose certificate has lapsed is not a qualified first aider for the purposes of the Regulations. An employer relying on a lapsed certificate to meet their first aid provision obligations is not compliant.

The Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines include updated guidance on the primary survey and approach to basic life support that differs from previous guidance. First aiders working to the pre-2025 framework are not working to the current standard. This course updates their practice.

The timing of requalification matters more than many organisations realise. The two-day requalification route is only available while the existing certificate is still valid. Once it expires, the learner may need to complete the full three-day course. Leaving requalification to the final few weeks creates scheduling risk. Leaving it until after expiry creates a significantly more expensive and time-consuming problem.

What the Two Days Cover

All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines and HSE L74 throughout. Every course is built to include industry-specific scenarios and your organisation’s reporting systems as standard. Topics covered include:

  • The updated primary survey: what has changed in the 2025 guidelines and how to apply it correctly
  • The role and legal responsibilities of a workplace first aider under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981
  • Incident management and dynamic risk assessment
  • Managing an unresponsive casualty: airway, breathing, and the recovery position
  • Adult CPR: technique reassessment, rate, depth, and compression-to-breath ratio
  • AED use: correct pad placement, integration with CPR, and common errors
  • Choking in adults: partial and complete obstruction
  • Severe bleeding and wound management
  • Shock: recognition and first aid management
  • Heart attack and stroke: recognition and immediate response
  • Fractures, soft tissue injuries, and head injuries
  • Burns and scalds
  • Seizures, asthma, and diabetic emergencies
  • Minor injuries and incident response
  • Accident reporting and legal documentation requirements
  • Formal practical skills reassessment throughout both days

Every course is also built to include your industry-specific common risks and your organisation’s incident reporting systems as standard.

How the Course Is Delivered

This course is delivered face-to-face only. Practical first aid competencies must be physically assessed, and a requalification course that does not include direct observation of practical skills does not constitute valid renewal under HSE L74.

Groups are capped at 12 to ensure every learner receives sufficient hands-on time and individual feedback on their technique. Sessions are practical, scenario-based, and structured around continuous assessment throughout both days. Every scenario and discussion is built around your working environment, your industry risks, and your internal reporting procedures. We can also tailor delivery to your organisation’s emergency response documentation and plan ahead of the expiry dates of multiple first aiders.

Delivery includes:

  • Practical reassessment of CPR, AED use, and primary survey technique with direct trainer feedback
  • Integration of the 2025 guideline updates into existing knowledge and habit
  • Scenario-based learning covering the full range of workplace first aid emergencies
  • Formal continuous assessment of practical competencies throughout both days

Requalification or Full FAW Course?

The right route depends on the status of the existing certificate.

FAW Requalification (2-Day) is available to learners who hold a current, valid First Aid at Work certificate that is approaching its three-year expiry. It is shorter because it builds on existing assessed competency. Both the written and practical assessments must be passed, and the qualification awarded is identical to the original.

First Aid at Work (3-Day) is required for learners who do not hold a current certificate, either because they have never qualified or because their certificate has lapsed beyond the renewal window. Starting from scratch takes three days, not two. Letting a certificate lapse and then requalifying costs more time and disruption than renewing before expiry.

If you are unsure which route applies to your first aiders, contact us before booking. We don’t charge for that conversation, and it saves organisations from booking the wrong course.

Certification and Validity

On successful completion, learners receive a First Aid at Work Requalification certificate valid for 3 years, delivered through Worksafe or FAIB. Nuco and Highfield are available on request.

Annual refresher training is strongly recommended by the HSE. Our Basic Life Support and AED Training provides a focused annual skills update between full requalification cycles. Book requalification ideally six to eight weeks before the certificate expiry date to allow time for scheduling without pressure and to ensure continuity of provision.

Why Organisations Book With Prima Cura

Most training providers arrive with a course. We arrive with yours.

Before the day, we gather information about your workplace: your incident reporting forms, your internal procedures, the specific hazards your team actually faces. On the day, your trainer works that into every scenario, every discussion, every practical exercise. If your staff work in a care home, they’re not practising on hypothetical office workers. If your team are lone workers, that context shapes how the session runs.

It means the training lands. Not because it was well-delivered in a generic sense, but because it was relevant to the people in the room and the situations they’ll actually encounter.

A few other things that matter to the organisations that book with us:

  • 98.9% learner satisfaction across all Prima Cura courses
  • All trainers hold Enhanced DBS certificates and maintain ongoing CPD
  • We advise honestly on the qualification level at the enquiry stage. If a different course is a better fit for your workforce, we’ll say so before you book, not after

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Where We Deliver

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Groups are capped at 12 per trainer to protect the quality of hands-on learning.

Our associate network means we can deliver across England. You can meet the team on our Associates page.

FAQs

What is the difference between FAW Requalification and the full FAW course?

The First Aid at Work Requalification is a two-day course available to learners who hold a current, valid FAW certificate approaching its three-year expiry. The full First Aid at Work (3-Day) course is the initial qualification for learners who do not hold a current certificate or whose certificate has lapsed beyond the renewal window. The requalification route is shorter because it builds on existing assessed competency. Once a certificate has expired, that route may no longer be available.

Can requalification be completed after the certificate has expired?

Not always. The two-day requalification route is designed for learners whose certificate is still valid. If the certificate has already expired, learners may need to complete the full three-day First Aid at Work course to regain qualified status. If you are unsure whether your certificate is still within the renewal window, contact us before booking, and we will advise on the correct route. This is a genuinely important question, and getting it wrong is costly: the three-day course takes significantly more time than the two-day renewal.

When should we book requalification?

Ideally six to eight weeks before the certificate expiry date, to allow time for scheduling without pressure and to ensure continuity of first aid provision. Leaving it to the final two weeks creates scheduling risk. Leaving it until after expiry means the full three-day course. We deliver across Greater Manchester, the wider North West, and nationally, and we can help organisations plan renewal schedules for multiple first aiders with staggered expiry dates. Get in touch, and we will work out a practical approach.

Does this course follow the latest first aid guidelines?

Yes. All content is aligned with the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines, including the updated primary survey and current approach to basic life support. One of the most important things this course does is bring experienced first aiders up to date with what has changed since their original qualification. A first aider working to outdated guidance is not working to the current standard, regardless of how experienced they are.

Further Reading

Related Courses

Book or Enquire

Book your training or request a quote

Tell us your team size and your sector. We’ll come back with a quote, the right advice on qualification level, and a straight answer on whether this is the best course for your team.

We respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice. All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Resuscitation Council UK, the Health and Safety Executive, and current UK health and safety legislation, including the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. All content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: June 2026 | Next review: June 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects current UK health and safety legislation, HSE guidance, and Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines at the date of review. It does not constitute legal advice. The First Aid at Work Requalification course is available to learners who hold a current, valid First Aid at Work certificate within the permitted renewal window. Employers remain legally responsible for ensuring their first aid provision complies with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the Approved Code of Practice L74, including ensuring that first aiders hold current, valid qualifications. Where certificates have expired, contact us for advice on the appropriate requalification route before booking.

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