BY IAN KERSHAW MBE (EX-HEAD OF FAAMS 1997-2007) WITHIN THE HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE)
15th November 2007

Dear Members,

Welcome to the website of the Federation of First Aid Training Organisations and a big thank you to those Organisations who have already agreed to join the Federation.

Following my previous communications with First Aid at Work Training Organisations I have received a tremendous response with offers of support from a large number of the HSE approved Training Organisations. They have asked me to get involved and support the First Aid Industry to move forward

Ever since I became involved in the First Aid Industry in 1996 I realised that the only way to move the First Aid Industry forward was to work closely with Training Organisations in order to achieve a consistent approach across all Training Organisations as well as raising the standards of training and most importantly understand their concerns and so achieve a more professional Industry.

My original intention was to be in a position to take over the role of monitoring the First Aid Industry as it appeared that HSE wanted to move all of this work to an outside body sooner rather than later. However due to certain circumstances within the First Aid Industry this will not happen at the present time as the HSE is continuing with FAAMS certainly in the short term. They are also going to re-tender the approval and monitoring contract (which is currently held by Scout Enterprises) as from 1st April 2008 for a further period of 3-5 years.

Over the past few years there has also been a lot of uncertainty in the minds of many Training Organisations following the consultations that took place between HSE and the Training Organisations between 2002 and 2004 because the process of Approval and Monitoring does not appear to have moved forward. I intend to work closely with Federation members in an to attempt to move this forward

I feel at this stage that the First Aid Training Organisations need a way to pull together and form a powerful lobby in order to move the Industry forward from the void that currently exits and tackle a lot of the present issues.


I have now formed the Federation of First Aid Training Organisations (FOFATO) in order to create a powerful voice across the Industry and so be able to discuss a variety of issues with HSE as well as other interested parties and with the longer term proposal of being involved in the monitoring of the First Aid Industry.

My main reason for setting up a Federation at this time is because any future consultations between HSE and Training Organisations are only likely to take place with Representative Bodies rather than individual organisations and a large number of Training Organisations are not represented.

The direction in which the Federation eventually moves will, of course, be determined by its members.

My aim is to create a powerful body that represents a large number of First Aid Training Organisations. Initially I will be providing advice or guidance that may be required with the First Aid Industry to individual Training Organisations. This advice will cover many issues relating to approval, monitoring or legislation. I will also produce a quarterly newsletter giving any relevant and up to date information.

Finally I am prepared to work with any other like minded organisations and indeed I have already formed links with the National Health and Safety Committee of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in order to promote the interests of this Industry.



Yours sincerely,




Ian Kershaw MBE


Federation of First Aid Training Organisations Ltd

Tel: 0845 094 6317 or 0161 494 9045
Mob: 07786 018451
Web: fofato.co.uk
E Mail: iankershaw@fofato.co.uk