Heart of the Community accreditation scheme
Yorkshire Ambulance Service has teamed up with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity to launch the Heart of the Community accreditation scheme.
This will allow secondary schools and colleges to apply for accreditation to recognise their commitment to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education and defibrillator availability.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service's Restart a Heart campaign has resulted in the Trust carrying out almost 1,100 school visits to teach CPR to more than 270,000 students since 2014. This has led to an increase in the number of people willing to perform CPR when someone has had a cardiac arrest.
The accreditation scheme aims to recognise the efforts made so far by schools and colleges towards saving lives across Yorkshire by participating in Restart a Heart Day and encourage further participation in CPR education and defibrillator availability.
Accreditation criteria
There are three levels of accreditation - bronze, silver and gold - that schools and colleges can progress through and demonstrate how they have:
- made significant efforts to equip their students with life-saving skills through Restart a Heart training, visiting speakers/instructors or the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Ambassador Programme
- ensured the safety of their students by providing access to defibrillators which are registered, easily located and highly visible/accessible
- developed and implemented programmes to support the education of the wider community
- generated and encouraged an interest in CPR and first aid through a student first aid club.
Bronze, silver and gold awards are presented depending on the level of criteria they have met. Schools and colleges can find out which award they would be eligible for by checking their achievements against this self-assessment declaration form. This doesn't have to be submitted, it's just for their benefit to understand whether they could be a bronze, silver or gold award winner!
What are the benefits?
As well as providing life-saving skills and ensuring the safety of students and the wider community in the event of a cardiac arrest, other benefits include:
- Demonstrates commitment to life-saving
- Enhances school reputation
- Promotes the health, safety and welfare of society
- Recognises excellence
- Evidences school improvement
What is awarded with each tier?
Heart of the Community schools and colleges will receive a certificate, window sticker, digital badge, as well as acknowledgment on the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Restart a Heart website and social media channels. Gold recipients will also receive a trophy.
How to apply
Application for the accreditation scheme is free, quick and easy and can be completed online here.
An application does require some evidence submission for certain elements although certain aspects can be verified by us. The online application portal gives suggestions of what could be provided as evidence and might include training records, screenshots, copies of flyers etc.
For more information or help with your application, please email yas.restartaheart@nhs.net
Congratulations to our Bronze Award winners
- Stokesley School and Sixth Form College
- York High School
- Howden School
- Horizon Community College, Barnsley
- Outwood Academy Freeston, Normanton
- Upper Wharfedale School, Skipton
- Thornhill Community Academy, Dewsbury
- Saint Pius X Catholic High School, Wath upon Dearne
- Upper Batley High School
- North Huddersfield Trust School
- Beverley Grammar School
- Lawnswood School, Leeds
- Hessle High School
- Outwood Academy Adwick, Doncaster
- Headlands School
- Calder Learning Trust, Hebden Bridge
- Castle Hall Academy, Mirfield
- Sirius Academy North, Hull
- Roundhay School, Leeds
- Ossett Academy
