WCFAT Guide · Childcare First Aid WA
Both are first aid courses. But they're not interchangeable — and choosing the wrong one can leave your workplace out of compliance.
If you work in childcare, education, or a related field, you've probably seen both HLTAID011 and HLTAID012 mentioned — and wondered which one you need. The short answer: if you work in a childcare centre, kindergarten, family day care, or OSHC setting in WA, you need HLTAID012. HLTAID011 is the standard workplace course and does not satisfy the childcare regulatory requirement on its own.
Here's a detailed breakdown of what's actually different between them.
Under the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations, which apply in WA, every approved education and care service must ensure that:
This is a mandatory requirement, not a recommendation. Failure to maintain compliance can result in significant penalties and place your service's approval at risk.
Many educators make the mistake of completing HLTAID011 thinking it covers their childcare requirement. It doesn't. While HLTAID012 includes all the HLTAID011 content, the reverse is not true — HLTAID011 alone does not satisfy the regulatory requirement for education and care services in WA.
| Role / Setting | HLTAID011 | HLTAID012 |
|---|---|---|
| General workplace first aider (office, retail, hospitality) | ✅ Yes | Not required |
| Construction and mining first aider | ✅ Yes (minimum) | Not required |
| Childcare centre educator or assistant | ❌ Not sufficient | ✅ Required |
| Family day care provider | ❌ Not sufficient | ✅ Required |
| OSHC / vacation care worker | ❌ Not sufficient | ✅ Required |
| Kindergarten educator (WA) | ❌ Not sufficient | ✅ Required |
| School teacher (non-childcare) | ✅ Recommended | Optional but beneficial |
| Nanny or au pair | ✅ Minimum | ✅ Strongly recommended |
| Security officer (WA) | ✅ Required under WA law | Not required |
No. HLTAID012 includes all the content of HLTAID011 — you do not need to do both courses. Completing HLTAID012 gives you:
Your statement of attainment will list all four units. For childcare workers, this single course satisfies all your first aid training obligations.
HLTAID011 and HLTAID012: 3-year certificate renewal. However, the Australian Resuscitation Council recommends renewing your CPR component (HLTAID009) annually — and most childcare regulators and employers treat this as mandatory.
For childcare workers: the regulation requires your certificate to be current at all times. Don't wait for it to expire — build a renewal reminder into your calendar 3 months before the expiry date.
West Coast First Aid Training delivers HLTAID011 and HLTAID012 on-site at your childcare centre, school, or workplace across Perth and Broome WA. Our trainers include former paramedics and nurses with real experience managing paediatric emergencies — not just classroom instructors reading from a script.
We bring our Laerdal QCPR manikins, including infant and child manikins, giving your educators the most realistic and effective training available. Real-time feedback on compression depth and rate means your staff leave genuinely confident — not just compliant.
Minimum 10 participants. We come to you.
We deliver both courses on-site at your location in Perth and Broome WA. Minimum 10 participants. Real trainers. Real equipment.
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