Three Days of Practical, Confidence-Building Training
At the end of March and beginning of April, First Aid and Safety Training delivered a large-scale Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) programme for Citizens Advice Sunderland.
With 31 learners trained across three full days (31 March, 1 April and 2 April 2026), this was a fantastic opportunity to equip a wide range of frontline and support staff with the skills and confidence to respond to emergencies.
The atmosphere across all three days was positive, interactive and engaging — and every learner left feeling significantly more confident in their ability to act.
First Aid in a Front-Facing Environment
Citizens Advice operates as a forward-facing organisation, supporting individuals through complex and often stressful life situations. Staff roles represented on the course included:
- Reception and front-of-house staff
- Finance team members
- Interview advisers
- Call centre staff
- Home visiting staff
In this type of setting, first aid can present in many different forms — from incidents within the building to situations disclosed over the phone.
For telephone-based staff, we discussed the importance of recognising when a caller may be describing a medical emergency, and how to respond calmly and appropriately while directing them towards emergency services.
Real-Life Experience in the Room
One of the strengths of this programme was the depth of real-world experience learners brought with them.
Across the three days, staff shared experiences including:
- Successfully performing CPR in a real emergency
- Managing serious choking incidents
- Treating wounds and significant bleeding
- Supporting vulnerable individuals in distress
Several learners had also been to school with Connor Brown, which led to meaningful discussion around catastrophic bleeding awareness. As part of the course, we incorporated catastrophic bleed training, helping learners understand how to respond quickly and decisively in the rare but life-threatening event of severe blood loss.
Practical Skills That Build Confidence
The EFAW qualification covered all core elements, including:
- Roles and responsibilities of an emergency first aider
- Incident assessment and scene safety
- Adult CPR
- Safe and effective use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Managing the unconscious casualty
- Choking emergencies
- External bleeding and shock
- Recognition of medical conditions
With a defibrillator provided by Red Sky Foundation located directly opposite their building, the group took the opportunity to go outside and view the live device. We discussed how it would be accessed and used in a real emergency before practising repeatedly with a training AED inside.
This practical connection to their immediate environment helped reinforce how relevant first aid training is to their daily working lives.
A Focus on Mental Health Awareness
Given the nature of the work undertaken by Citizens Advice, we also placed emphasis on recognising the signs of mental health crisis and distress. While not a mental health qualification, understanding how to remain calm, communicate clearly and prioritise safety is critical in their setting.
Learners explored how first aid principles — such as reassurance, assessment and structured response — apply beyond purely physical injuries.
Feedback Across the Three Days
Feedback was consistently positive across all sessions.
From Day 1:
“Brilliant and informative session.” – Cherelle
“I learnt things I did not know otherwise, and I have worked in care settings. Very informative.” – Heidi
“I loved the practice sessions and loved that it was so interactive.” – Isaac
“Good interactive sections of the course and clear explanations of the subject.” – Julie
From Day 2:
“Excellent content, informed, entertaining and nice trainers, would 100% recommend.” – Elle
“Very insightful and easy to understand.” – Rhiannon
“Training was very involving and gave individuals a chance to try the technique.” – Joanne
“Best course I have had, very interesting.” – Kelly
“Good attitude and atmosphere for training.” – Luke
From Day 3:
“Enjoyed the training, thank you.” – Billie Jo
“The training was very interactive and engaging. I feel a lot more confident in my first aid skills.” – Phillipa
“Really useful training, will feel confident using the techniques learnt.” – Joanne
“Had a fab day and really enjoyed it.” – Gemma
“Very useful course with good practical exercises.” – Luke
“It was brilliant. Thank you so much.” – Anne
All 31 learners successfully completed the qualification, continuing our strong pass rate and reinforcing the value of interactive, practice-led training.
Large Group First Aid Training in Sunderland
Delivering first aid training to a large organisation over multiple days requires consistency, energy and adaptability. This programme demonstrated how practical, well-structured training can engage learners from diverse roles while maintaining high standards throughout.
Looking to Book Group Training?
We deliver Emergency First Aid at Work courses for organisations of all sizes, including multi-day programmes for large teams.
Contact us to discuss onsite or venue-based training tailored to your organisation’s needs.
