Recognising the Seriously Ill Child

Most unwell children in your setting have a cold, a mild tummy bug or an ordinary nursery cough. A small number are seriously ill, and in babies and young children serious illness can worsen very quickly. This course helps practitioners recognise the seriously ill child early: the red flags for sepsis and meningitis, dangerous breathing difficulty, dehydration and high temperatures by age, and exactly when to call 999, NHS 111 or parents.

It is an awareness course about recognition and escalation. You are never asked to diagnose or treat. It complements, and does not replace, paediatric first aid training.

Why recognising the sick child matters

Sepsis, meningitis and severe breathing difficulty often begin looking like an ordinary illness: a temperature, a grizzly morning, a child who is not quite right. Babies and toddlers can look stable for a while and then decline rapidly, so the earlier a seriously ill child reaches medical care, the better the outcome. You see each child every day and know how they normally look, sound and behave. That makes you one of the best-placed adults to notice when something changes.

There are duties afterwards too. Registered providers must notify Ofsted of serious incidents affecting children within the required timescales, some incidents need a RIDDOR report to the Health and Safety Executive, and exclusion and return after serious infection follow UKHSA guidance and the treating clinicians. Every practitioner should know these duties exist and tell their manager the same day.

What’s in the course

1. Why early recognition saves livesWhy minutes matter, why you are the right person to notice, and the thoughts that delay a call.
2. Knowing normal: baselines and the unwell childEach child’s baseline, the key person’s role, and a quick look-listen-feel scan of the whole child.
3. Sepsis and meningitis: the signs you must never missThe red flags, the glass test on all skin tones, and why you never wait for a rash.
4. Breathing difficulty, dehydration and high temperaturesThe work of breathing, counting wet nappies, temperature thresholds by age, and febrile seizures.
5. When to call 999, NHS 111 or parentsA simple escalation ladder, where parents fit, and who goes with the child in the ambulance.
6. Recording, reporting and aftercareFactual, timed records, Ofsted and RIDDOR notification, and supporting children and staff afterwards.
7. Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.

What you’ll learn

• How to record a child’s baseline and run a whole-child scan of appearance, breathing, circulation and skin, and behaviour
• The sepsis red flags, including mottled or blue-tinged skin, a rash that does not fade under a glass, floppiness, a weak or high-pitched cry and far fewer wet nappies
• Why any one red flag is enough to call 999, and why “no rash” is never reassurance
• How to check for a non-blanching rash on darker skin: palms, soles, tummy and inside the eyelids
• The signs of dangerous breathing effort, from sucking in around the ribs to grunting and flaring nostrils
• Why 38°C or above under 3 months, or 39°C or above at 3 to 6 months, always needs urgent medical advice
• When to call 999 for a febrile seizure: a first seizure, one lasting more than 5 minutes, or any difficulty breathing
• How to write a factual, timed record and what to put in the hospital grab bag

Who this course is for

• Practitioners and key persons in every room, who see children every day and know their normal
• Baby room staff, where temperature thresholds and wet nappies matter most
• Managers and room leaders who set emergency roles and make Ofsted notifications
• Paediatric first aiders who want the recognition and escalation side in more depth

How it works

• OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
• 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
• 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
• CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.

Frequently asked questions