The Australian Skills Quality Authority has released advice for RTO's to consider adapting practices, including changing delivery modes, re-sequencing delivery of units or components of units, and delaying workplace practical assessments during the COVID - 19 pandemic.
Education and care service providers and educators are encouraged to pursue all available options to complete first aid refresher training, including completing only the theoretical aspects of the training, if necessary.
Where training is essential and must continue, given the high risk of transmission of COVID-19 through bodily fluids such as saliva, RTOs must provide a “reasonable adjustment” to all students when teaching and assessing the performance of ventilations on a manikin.
This means that for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, RTOs must not allow students to breathe directly into a manikin. This will help minimise the risk of spreading the virus. Instead, students are to be assessed performing breaths to the side of the manikin.
Assessors are to use their professional judgement in assessing the competence of students’ capacity to perform CPR under these new circumstances. RTOs must still assess students against all other aspects of CPR as per the unit of competency requirements set out in the HLT Training Package. All other Assessment Requirements, including the Assessment Conditions, must also be met.
The State and Territory Regulatory Authorities will consider waivers relating to the requirements for refresher training, particularly those applications supported by evidence of having actively sought training opportunities and/or completed the theoretical aspects of the training.
References:
COVID-19 Emergency Response Sub-Committee Statement on the delivery of first aid training, Australian Industry and Skills Committee
Regulatory Authority For Early Childhood Services, Aussie Childcare Network