Children’s businesses can be big business. What price can be put on the happiness and welfare of our young?
But to make a business stand out to today’s value-conscious parents, firms have to go the extra mile in what they have to offer.
And what parent would not be interested in knowing a business they entrust their child to is willing to do everything to keep their child safe?
“We are used to fast food restaurants having crayons and menus that youngsters can colour in,” said Mark Longden, managing director of Macclesfield-based Extreme Security Ltd.
“And that’s great – we all want our children to be happy and this kind of value added service helps. But I want our children to be safe as well and that’s where good first aid is so essential but so often overlooked.”
He said while most businesses are more than willing to ensure they follow their legal obligations for emergency first aid coverage, not many think about the benefits of going that bit further.
“Workplace first aid rules are about covering employees, not customers. Yet so many businesses welcome children through their doors – either with their parents or increasingly as the key customers themselves. How many of these businesses have staff on hand with dedicated expertise in paediatric first aid?”
“There are vital differences between suitable first aid for an adult and first aid for a child or baby, which will not be covered on the standard Emergency First Aid in the Workplace course most people do.”
Mr Longden said: “While there are some businesses that demand staff have a paediatric first aid qualification, such as childminders and nurseries, most do not – including, surprisingly, schools.”
“I believe any business catering heavily towards children, such as soft play centres or dance schools, would give themselves a strong competitive edge as well as helping develop their staff’s skills and motivation levels if they invested in ensuring front line workers were trained in paediatric first aid,” he added.
Extreme Security Ltd is an expert provider of a range of security and training services, including offering recognised paediatric first aid qualifications. For more details contact Mark Longden directly at Extreme Security on 0844 277 2502.
