Case Studies

Angela, the Director and Physiotherapist at Fit4Work, was approached by the Moving and Handling Lead at Leeds Community NHS Healthcare Trust to provide Moving and Handling training for both adults and children. This training included a full-day induction and a half-day refresher, spanning an eight-month contract period and comprising approximately sixty training sessions.

Angela’s profession as a physiotherapist specialising in musculoskeletal injuries and rehabilitation, combined with ten years of experience as a Moving and Handling practitioner and her ongoing professional development through monthly updates with the National Back Exchange, equipped her with the confidence, skill set, and knowledge necessary to undertake this contract.

The refresher courses for adults and children were half-day sessions, while the induction courses for adults and children lasted a whole day. The training courses were delivered in the following manner: two refresher courses occurred in one day - a children’s refresher in the morning and an adult refresher in the afternoon. Alternatively, the induction courses for children's or adult moving and handling training required one full day. All the courses comprised half theoretical and half practical elements.

The participating healthcare professionals included cardiac physiotherapists, staff nurses, district nurses, clinical assistants, primary care nurses, community staff nurses, community matrons, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, custody nurses, healthcare managers, discharge facilitators, healthcare support workers, and assistant case managers. Given the diverse team requiring moving and handling training, the sessions were tailored to the specific groups attending them. Angela could share her extensive knowledge and skills during the training sessions. Furthermore, she gained insight into the complexities and challenges faced by the healthcare team, which fostered discussion and generated ideas to address specific issues raised.