BTEC Accreditation For RoSPA’s New Moving And Handling Trainers Courses

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is marking the start of 2012 by launching new Safer People and Manual Handling Trainers Courses with BTEC accreditation at Levels 4 and 3.

RoSPA is one of the longest-serving providers of both manual handling and safer people handling courses in the UK but this is the first time that BTEC accreditation has been gained. In fact, the new accreditations mean RoSPA’s Safer People Handling Trainers Course and Manual Handling Trainers Course are now the only ones of their kind in the country with a recognised levelled qualification equivalent to a Certificate of Higher Education or A-Level standard, respectively.

The Safer People Handling Trainers Course is for managers, supervisors and those responsible for educating others in the moving and handling of people within the health or social care sector and education sector. It will use a flexible approach suitable for all sectors that move or handle people and will teach how to “handle people with dignity”.

The Manual Handling Trainers Course is for those who train others in manual handling and covers the lifting of routine loads, awkward loads and team handling as well as the pushing and pulling of loads.

Both courses aim to help organisations reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders – the most commonly reported type of work-related ill health – which, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates, results in 11.6 million lost working days a year. The HSE has also said that the social care sector is one of the highest risk areas for back injuries. Around 50 per cent of reported accidents in the sector are incurred when helping to move patients of reduced mobility.

RoSPA’s new courses follow a blended learning approach. The Safer People Handling Trainers Course comprises two interactive distance learning units and then four days at a training centre, equipped to replicate hospital and care environments. The Manual Handling Trainers Course, meanwhile, comprises two interactive distance learning units and then two days at a specially-equipped training centre. Both courses also incorporate the use of a movement tracking device – a motion sensor worn on a belt – which monitors the wearer’s movement and posture and identifies actions such as stooping that are known to be risk factors in back injury. In-company training – at an organisation’s own premises – is also available.

The Safer People Handling Trainers Course will run in Birmingham, at RoSPA’s own training centre, on March 26 and April 16 and in Glasgow on May 21. The Manual Handling Trainers Course will run at RoSPA’s training centre in Birmingham on March 5 and April 23; in London on March 8; and in Glasgow on April 16.

Upon successful completion of the safer people handling training, delegates will be awarded a BTEC Level 4 qualification, while those completing the manual handling training will be awarded a BTEC Level 3 qualification.

Frances Richardson, RoSPA’s director of operations, said: “Musculoskeletal disorders can have painful and long-lasting consequences for victims and huge costs for employers. This is why RoSPA places such importance on the prevention of these injuries.

“RoSPA is immensely proud to have achieved the BTEC Level 4 and Level 3 accreditation for our Safer People Handling and Manual Handling Trainers Courses. We believe the courses represent the pinnacle in best practice for those who will pass on their skills to others.”