DHU Healthcare’s training team has once again been providing life-saving skills aid to young learners in Derby as part of its commitment to improving the wellbeing of local communities.
As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, DHU Healthcare provided trainers to teach basic first skills to two classes of 16 to 19-year-old construction students that could one day save a person’s life.
Derby Skillbuild tutor Stacey Mortimer spotted the opportunity for her students to take advantage of DHU’s commitment as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company to help improve the health and wellbeing of people in the local communities.
DHU’s Lead Clinical Mandatory Trainer Zoe Hunt and Clinical Mandatory Trainer Sarah Goodwin visited the Skillbuild site for an intensive session with youngsters looking to start a career in the construction trade.
Zoe said: “When Stacey asked us to return we were more than happy to come back and share our skills. Basic first aid training is an important skill for anyone to have, particularly for these young people who are starting out in construction, a profession where there is a high likelihood that a colleague may need emergency medical care.
“Construction sites can be hazardous environments, so providing these young learners with the skills and experience to provide essential care could help to save a life in the time between an accident happening and emergency services arriving on site. It’s about promoting a culture of safety and preparedness to reduce the number of preventable serious injuries, providing a safer work environment for everyone.
“As a socially conscious business, supporting the voluntary and community sector is at the core of what we do at DHU. By providing people with these skills and encouraging them to share this knowledge, we want to help improve the lives of individuals and communities, whilst contributing to the overall well-being of society.”
The students were shown a range of techniques using manikins, training CPR machines and scenarios that mirror real life situations in a safe environment. This included checking the airways, how to position the patients and the right way to resuscitate using a combination of theory and practical examples.
Stacey said: “After the success of their last visit, we were delighted to have the DHU training team return to Skillbuild to teach more of our learners lifesaving skills in first aid.
“In construction you can be exposed to a variety of hazards on the job, and may be at an increased risk of experiencing injuries or other medical emergencies. By teaching basic first aid to our construction students, we can help to ensure that they are prepared to provide the necessary care correctly in a potential emergency situation.
“Having DHU at Skillbuild really helped to empower our learners and hopefully gave them the confidence to take action should an unfortunate event ever take place.”
Neal Brown, Head of Operations at Derby Skillbuild, said "It was an absolute pleasure to welcome DHU to Derby Skillbuild. Sarah and Zoe are a wealth of knowledge and experience. The learners engaged with the session content and have used the information learned to write better informed risk assessments and we have also noticed a change in their attitude to safety while working on site."
Skillbuild offer courses in a variety of subjects such as Music, Business Administration, Electrical Installation, Construction and Health & Social Care to learners outside of the traditional educational system.