The Sunrise Training and Education Programmes (STEPS), an initiative delivered by Sunrise Medical LTC that keeps healthcare professionals up-to-date with the clinical, legal and practical issues of moving and handling people, has been officially accredited by CPD, the nationally-respected quality benchmark.
“The Principles and Practice of Moving and Handling” is a modular three-day course designed for people such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, care workers, back care advisors, and moving and handling advisors.
The content of the course has been developed by a team of nationally-respected independent consultants headed by consultant occupational health physiotherapist and ergonomist Jacqui Smith.
“There are still too many people – both healthcare professionals and patients – being injured because of poor moving and handling practice,” said Jacqui Smith.
“The risks to health and to career, and of course the potential for litigation, are simply too big to ignore, particularly when organisations can make use of specialist training resources. “CPD accreditation will make STEPS even more attractive to employers as well as individuals. All the very latest thinking and practice has gone into this course and our hope is that its mixture of educational content and practical expertise will prove to be of great value to the healthcare professional.”
The Health Professions Council, the UK-wide health regulator that sets standards for professional training, states that all health professionals must continue to develop their knowledge and skills while they are registered. The Council defines CPD as “a range of learning activities through which health professionals maintain and develop throughout their career to ensure that they retain their capacity to practice safely, effectively and legally within their evolving scope of practice”.
The STEPS programme consists of educational seminars and workshops with each seminar led by an independent clinical healthcare consultant. Attendees receive clinical reference material and handouts to take home. Occupational therapist and independent moving and handling specialist Sheenagh Orchard, who has already attended the course, commented: “I decided as part of my CPD that I would do an update that would allow me to reexamine my underpinning knowledge and practical skills. As I work alone a great deal of the time I found it very valuable to have the opportunity for some peer review. I found the course stimulating, professional and fun – learning some new skills and tips as well as consolidating my current knowledge and practice.”
By the end of the course, each attendee should:
• Have an understanding of the legislation relating to moving and handling, health and safety, human rights and duty of care.
• Be able to identify areas of potential risk when handling people and be able to remove or reduce risk.
• Be able to adapt moving and handling techniques to meet individual client needs.
• Be familiar with a range of moving and handling equipment with hands-on experience provided.
• Be able to make sound decisions about choosing the right moving and handling equipment to meet the needs of the work area.
