Moving and Handling Partnership Benefits Care Workers and Students

Care workers and students are being trained in moving and handling thanks to a unique partnership between Fife College and Fife Council.

In response to a Government initiative, which aims to ensure that all care staff are trained to nationally recognised standards in moving and handling, Fife College is rolling out a course to all of its students studying care related subjects from August 2017.

Students will complete moving and handling training to the Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme standard – this certificated training gives individuals practical skills to help them in their work to move and handle clients safely and comfortably which is also safe and easy for the care worker.

Alongside delivering the course to approximately 900 students over the next year the College is also offering the course to care providers and their employees enabling them to benefit from the new skills and Scottish Manual Handling Passport certificated training.

Fife Council, who already provide the course to their own Care Workers, have been working in partnership with Fife College over the past year to train College staff to become trainers, sharing with them materials and equipment.

The partnership will help to ensure that the training is of a standard recognised and accepted by all agencies involved and by sharing resources will help to reduce costs.

Diane Ritchie, Curriculum Manager at Fife College is excited about the partnership which offers a win win for all parties. Said Diane: “We are very pleased to be working with Fife Council on this great initiative, they have been extremely supportive and generous with their time and resources.

“Moving and Handling plays a big part in the day to day job of the majority of care workers and getting this right is vital within a care setting, not just for the health and well-being of the person requiring care but for the care worker too. Knowing how to correctly move and assist a client or how to use the variety of equipment available to assist them is a skill - we are delighted that through this partnership we can now ensure all our students have this training before they leave us making them more attractive to a potential employer.

“We are also now in a position to offer training, through the business arm of the College, to care providers and organisations in Fife which will help to ensure that everyone in the sector within the Kingdom has the same standard of skills.”

The training takes two full days to complete at the end of which there is a practical test and assessment which each student is required to complete successfully.

With hundreds of care staff from NHS Fife, Social Work and the Third sector working within Fife’s new Health and Social Care Partnership to deliver complex care packages.

Ian Wilson, Service Manager (Resources) with the Partnership welcomed the programme and said:

“As one of the largest employers of care workers in Scotland, we welcome this approach. Training staff involved in moving and handling to nationally recognised standards helps ensure consistency of practice across agencies, including partners in the independent sector, and contributes to a better care experience for those who use services.

“It provides assurance that college graduates and trainees, who are often employed by the Partnership after they graduate, have been trained and assessed to a common standard and the adoption of the Passport supports a more joined up approach. As an employer, this makes better use of resources as we no longer have the expense of having to re-train staff in moving and handling as part of our induction programmes. Ultimately, the beneficiaries of this initiative will be those in our community who require moving and handling as part of their care needs.”

A formal signing of the partnership agreement between Fife Council and the College took place recently at the College’s Levenmouth Campus in Methilhaven Road, Buckhaven where the training hub for the course is currently based.

Care providers wishing to find out more should contact Lewis Gale, Business Development Manager at Fife College on 01383 845185 or email [email protected]

Fife College offers a wide range of care courses – apply now to start in August. For further details visit www.fife.ac.uk or call 0344 2480115.