Nursery World - Oliver Steeper: Coroner urges DfE to strengthen nursery paediatric first aid requirements

A coroner has written to the Department for Education calling for changes to be made to paediatric first aid training requirements for early years staff following the death of Oliver Steeper.

Oliver Steeper tragically died after choking on food at nursery in 2021, PHOTO: Steeper Foundation

Coroner Katina Hepburn has issued a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to the DfE following the inquest of nine-month-old Oliver who passed away in hospital after choking on food at Jelly Beans Nursery in Ashford, Kent in September 2021.

In her report, Ms Hepburn raises concern that staff in early years settings only need to renew their paediatric first aid (PFA) every three years, with no requirement for refresher training in between. Also, that only one member of staff with paediatric first aid needs to be ‘on site’ at any one time.

The report states, ‘I am concerned that the Framework (EYFS) does not mandate an increased number of qualified paediatric first aiders to be present on site. I have reviewed the current EYFS statutory framework, published 8th December 2023 and updated 4th January 2024. This contains the same provision as that which was in force at the time of Oliver’s death in 2021.

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