1st response training
Training for all volunteers to give first aid and manage emergency situations
1st response is Girlguiding's own first aid course.
It'll train you to provide first aid to members in emergencies - in or outside of your unit meeting place. The course was created specifically for members of Girlguiding and The Scout Association. If you have a valid 1st response qualification from Girlguiding, you can also use it in Scouts, and vice versa.
The course will give you simple lifesaving first aid skills that are relevant to your role and the confidence to cope with emergency situations. See the full 1st response syllabus (PDF, 84KB) for details of everything the course covers.
Who should do 1st response?
Everyone in a Girlguiding volunteer role is encouraged to complete 1st response training. Rangers can also do the course as part of their personal development.
If you already have a valid 1st response from Scouts, you only need to do the elearning. Then you can ask your local commissioner to add your first aid directly to GO.
How to do 1st response
To fully complete the 1st response training, you need to:
- Complete the 1st response elearning on the learning platform.
- Attend a local training session(s).
You must complete the elearning before you attend a training session. You should complete the elearning and all training sessions within 3 months of each other.
1. Elearning
You can find the 1st response elearning on our learning platform.
2. Training sessions
1st response training sessions are organised and run locally, usually at county level. Check your county's website for any courses available. If you can't find this information, speak to your unit leader, commissioner or training coordinator.
1st response training is a 6-hour course, which may be delivered all in one day, or broken into shorter sessions. Your local training team can tell you what is available. The sessions are:
- Life support.
- Trauma and injury.
- Major illness.
- Environmental emergencies.
3. Completing 1st response
Once you have completed the elearning and all required training sessions, you’ll get a new course called 'first aid' on GO. The 'completed on' date of this course will be the date you attended the last of your 1st response training sessions, and your 1st response training will expire 3 years from this date.
How long does 1st response take?
- The elearning takes 10 to 15 minutes.
- The training sessions take 6 hours in total, as 1 x 6-hour session or 3 x 2-hour sessions.
Keeping your skills up-to-date
Your 1st response training is valid for 3 years. After that, you’ll need to redo the elearning and the training session(s) to make sure your training is up to date. You'll be sent a reminder 6 months before your training expires. Your elearning will need to be renewed 3 years from the completion date on your GO record.
If you already have a first aid qualification
If you already have a first aid qualification, you might not need to attend our 1st response course. Find out what external first aid qualifications are accepted by Girlguiding as equivalent to 1st response.
First aid for adventure activities
For some outdoor activities (including walking scheme levels 2 and 3 and the first aid part of DofE expedition training) 1st response is not sufficient, and you'll need to complete a 16-hour first aid course. Please see external first aid qualifications for details.
If you want to deliver 1st response training
1st response: guidance for trainers covers all you need to know about becoming a 1st response trainer and delivering the course to members.
