Making their mark at Childcare Expo Manchester

22nd July 2016

Steroplast Healthcare partnered with Millie’s Trust at Childcare Expo Manchester and what a force it proved to be. The event proved a huge success for both organisations who are passionate about paediatric first aid and want to make it readily available for all, whether it be parents and grandparents or nursery staff and childminders.

For those who don’t know, Millie’s Trust was established following a terrible incident where Millie passed away after a choking incident at a nursery back in October 2012. Since that day, Dan and Joanne Thompson have worked tirelessly to ensure paediatric first aid training is accessible to all, including staff within nurseries to prevent an incident like this from happening again.

NDNA (National Day Nurseries Association) has been working with the Department for Education and with support and backing from Dan and Joanne in an advisory capacity, they have been awarded the contract for Millie’s Mark. There is currently a pilot scheme under way and the aim is for all nurseries to have 100% paediatric first aid trained staff. Also, as of September this year all newly qualified staff with a childcare level 2 and 3 qualification must have an emergency paediatric first aid or full paediatric first aid certificate. Millie’s Mark will be Millie’s legacy.

Following on from their attendance at Childcare Expo Manchester, Joanne and Dan have been working up to 7 days a week ahead of the launch and we had the privilege of speaking with them to help spread the word of this wonderful work in which they continue to achieve:

How was your experience at your first Childcare Expo last month in Manchester?

Childcare Expo was a good experience for us here at Millie’s Trust, we made lots of connections, from other training providers to childminders and nurseries.

What were your objectives from attending the show & did you achieve them?

We weren’t sure what to expect from the show as we hadn’t attended anything similar in the childcare sector before but we feel it was successful from our point of view. Engaging with new people is always a good thing, especially if they want to support Millie’s Trust.

How did the partnership with Steroplast Healthcare come about?

Steroplast have been fantastic ever since we have been working with them, it all started when Janice Watson left a sample first aid kit at our office and we were pretty impressed! After a few discussions we had Millie’s Trust First Aid kits, Mini kits and even plasters in our shop online!

How did Millie’s Trust develop into what is it today?

Through a lot of drive, determination and hard work, sometimes working seven days a week. We have developed in to a professional training provider as well as a registered charity, we teach anything from community groups to workplaces.

What do you envision Millie’s Mark will achieve?

Millie’s Mark will be Millie’s legacy. We hope to change the mind set of all childcare settings and encourage them to ensure all staff have a paediatric first aid certificate. This could also progress in to schools, play centres etc…

With the launch of Millie’s Mark this Summer, do you think it will encourage more people towards a career in nursery settings?

We would hope that more people would be encouraged to join the sector knowing that there are now more quality standards in paediatric first aid. They should be confident that they had the support of the nursery they were to be employed and the importance of paediatric first aid.

The pink giraffe can be seen across all branding, what does it represent?

The giraffe logo idea came from a soft toy that Millie carried around a lot. The logo was designed by Millie’s Daddy (Dan) and developed into the logo it is today by a good friend of ours who is a graphic designer.

Millie’s Trust courses can be found in the North West, are you working with companies to make these available nationally?

We already do have courses available nationally. We are always looking for new trainers in new areas and just appointed trainers in Cambridgeshire and a new trainer in Scotland.

In your opinion, what should children learn and discover from their time in early years’ care?

Children should learn to have fun and be confident in themselves during their time in Early Years Setting – you’re only a child once!

And finally, where do you see Millie’s Trust in the future?

Going from strength to strength with the wonderful support of our followers and supporters. Over the next 12-18 months we are hoping to secure enough funds to open our very own training centre.

You can find out more about Millie’s Mark by visiting their website as well as locations near you for their training courses. We wanted to say a big thank you to Steroplast Healthcare for supporting Childcare Expo as well as the inspiring Millie’s Trust for taking the time out to talk to us – keep up the good work!