As a parent, placing your child in an early year setting that is endorsed with Millie’s Mark provides reassurance that all childcare practitioners know what to do in a paediatric first aid situation. It acknowledges that children’s safety is at the forefront of the setting’s mind when they care for your child. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidelines, which childcare settings in England are required to follow, state that just one person with a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present or on outings.
Millie's Mark is a special endorsement for childcare providers that go above and beyond minimum requirements by having 100% of staff trained in paediatric first aid, and also ensuring that everything learned during the course is kept in the forefront of practitioners’ minds so that they are confident, ready and capable. Millie’s Mark is named after Millie Thompson, who died after choking on food at nursery in 2012 when she was just nine months old. Read more about Millie’s legacy at www.milliesmark.com/about-us. National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is delivering Millie’s Mark in conjunction with Millie’s Trust.
How does an early years setting achieve Millie’s Mark? In order to apply for Millie’s Mark, 100% of staff working directly with the children must be qualified in paediatric first aid. The accreditation process then takes between three and six months. The process involves being allocated a mentor, who supports the setting to check processes and procedures are up to the standard required through a setting audit, staff confidence audit, staff training matrix and floor plan review. If areas for improvement are identified, the mentor works with the setting to develop an action plan. Once these steps are complete, nurseries upload evidence to the Millie’s Mark website. The evidence is assessed, and a percentage of nurseries receive a spot check.
