The Federation of First Aid Training Organisations (FOFATO) was formed in September 2007 by Ian Kershaw MBE (Ex-Head of the First Aid Approval and Monitoring Section within the Health and Safety Executive from 1996-2007) at the request of Health and Safety Executive approved Training Organisations.
FOFATO now represent more than 400 Training Organisations across the whole of the United Kingdom.
We are the only TRULY INDEPENDENT organisation of its kind in the First Aid Industry because FOFATO does not directly offer any form of Training.
However through our Membership we offer a large variety of First Aid or Health and Safety related Training courses anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Employers can Contact FOFATO to find a reputable Training Organisation in your area that WE GUARANTEE offers HIGH QUALITY AND GOOD VALUE TRAINING.
As a consequence of the LOFSTEDT REVIEW, the Health and Safety Executive will no longer APPROVE and MONITIOR First Aid training from October 2013.
The Members of FOFATO have vigorously opposed the Ofqual/SQA from the very beginning and consequently have produced an alternative business plan and created the FIRST AID INDUSTRY BODY (info@firstaidindustrybody.co.uk) which will be run through a Chairman and a Management Committee made up of Training Organisations across the United Kingdom.
Training Organisations will be able to register with the Body in order to give Employers the assurance of standards that is required by the Lofstedt Review. We are about standards of First Aid Training and we insist that at least one Independent Assessor is used on a First Aid at Work course. This system will allow you to issue your own certificates but will be strictly monitored by Professional Inspectors and the costs will be kept to an absolute minimum.
As a consequence of the discriminatory way that HSE are conducting the process of future Approval and Monitoring (where non-HSE Training Organisations can register with an Ofqual/SQA Awarding Body from 1st January 2013 but are not allowed to register with an Industry Body), FOFATO have decided to move forward on a Third Party Approval and Monitoring Scheme (under HSE Approval) as from 8th April 2013. This means that non-HSE Training Organisations can register through the FOFATO scheme and are not forced to go down the Ofqual/SQA route. (if the Training Organisation is already working with a FOFATO Member as a Third Party then they are perfectly entitled to stay with this option.
The purpose of the scheme is twofold, firstly it will show HSE that we are capable of running an Approval and Monitoring scheme (which HSE still appear not to accept) and secondly as soon as HSE are no longer involved, the Training Organisations that are Third Party Approved will seamlessly transfer to the First Aid Industry Body (at no extra charge).
FOFATO also offer QUALITY First Aid and Health and Safety products at VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES both to Training Organisations and Employers. (Employers that buy FOFATO products will be directed to FOFATO Members for future training).