TMS Insight’s Basic Life Support course equips learners with the confidence, knowledge, and hands-on skills to provide life-saving assistance in an emergency. It is designed for any workplace where a designated responder may need to act decisively before professional medical help is available.
The qualification is regulated in the UK and awarded by First Aid Awards (FAA), sitting on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). It is delivered, assessed, and quality assured in line with the Assessment Principles for Regulated First Aid Qualifications and the current Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines, so you can be confident the training reflects current best practice.
Learners spend the majority of the course on practical skills, with each element demonstrated on a manikin at floor level to replicate a real-life emergency as closely as possible. Scenario-based practice is combined with oral questioning from the trainer/assessor throughout, so competence is built and evidenced together.
The course can be delivered as a half-day session or spread over a maximum of three weeks (with each session a minimum of one hour), with a maximum ratio of 12 learners to 1 trainer/assessor.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course, a participant will be able to:
- Conduct a primary survey of a casualty and assess an emergency situation safely.
- Identify when to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Demonstrate effective adult CPR on a manikin at floor level for a minimum of two minutes.
- Safely use an automated external defibrillator (AED), including, where appropriate, rescue breath barrier devices.
- Place an unresponsive, breathing casualty into the recovery position and continually monitor their breathing.
- Recognise the signs of choking and administer appropriate first aid to a choking casualty.
Target Audience
This qualification is suitable for designated workplace first responders, managers, team leaders, and any employee whose role includes a duty of care for colleagues, customers, or members of the public. It is equally valuable for anyone who wants the confidence and competence to act in a medical emergency, whether at work, at home, or in the community.
Prerequisites
- Learners must be aged 14 or over to attend. A learner cannot assume the responsibility of being a first aider in the workplace until they reach the age of 16.
- It is recommended that learners hold a minimum of Level 1 in literacy or equivalent.
- Due to the practical nature of the assessment, learners must be able to get to the floor unaided and demonstrate all required elements on their own, with the casualty at floor level.
Reasonable adjustments may be available for learners with a disability, medical condition, or learning need, in line with the FAA Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration Policy. Please contact us before booking if you have any concerns.
Assessment
The qualification is assessed entirely through practical demonstration, supported by set oral questions from the trainer/assessor. Assessment is ongoing throughout the course, with learners made aware of when they are being assessed and what they are required to demonstrate. There is no grading: learners either pass or are referred. To achieve the qualification, a learner must satisfactorily complete each assessment scenario.
Certification & Validity
Successful learners receive the FAA Level 2 Award in Basic Life Support (RQF), valid for three years from the date of achievement. Annual refresher training is strongly recommended to keep skills current. To requalify at the end of the three-year period, learners complete the full course again.
Progression
Learners who achieve this qualification can progress to other FAA first aid and related qualifications, and to TMS Insight’s wider Health & Safety portfolio, including fire safety, manual handling, and first aid for mental health.