Finding support for staff working with children and young people with temporary or permanent physical disabilities, including SEND, can be difficult.

We offer Moving and Handling Training designed for staff supporting young people and consultancy service to help you get it right.

So let’s work together. Let’s get it right!

Are you finding it challenging to find the proper training for your staff who assist a young person who needs moving and handling support?
Do you or your staff work with children and young people who have temporary or permanent physical disabilities, including those with special educational needs (SEND) or complex handling needs?
Do you wish for an experienced person to guide and advise you with Moving and Handling Plans and related paperwork?
Do your staff need training on the safe use of wheelchair and occupant restraint systems for minibuses?

We’re here, and we can help you out!

Meet Tania

Tania has years of experience in guiding, advising and educating organisations and people on the best practices when moving and handling the young people in their care. Tania is passionate about making a difference.

Tania believes that she can advise you and your staff on best practices when it comes to the management of your paperwork.

To her, it is about teaching staff the benefits of adopting a holistic lifestyle. When staff are well trained and allocate the appropriate time for tasks, life improves for both the staff and the young person whilst balancing therapeutic progress and safety.

She understands that young people who have complex handling needs can present various challenges, and she is passionate about working with teams to guide staff on how to help these young people.

And guess what? She does this with the assistance of training dolls Sam and Ben.

“If you change how, you do one thing in your life: as a result of attending my Moving and Handling theory course, I am happy and have done
my job. I have guided, advised and educated you.”

Tania Hemstock

Meet Sam and Ben

Sam has been everywhere with me as my moving and handling doll for many years. He has been on many adventures, and we have many pictures of his adventures.

Have you seen him on LinkedIn?

Ben has now joined Sam. You can tell them apart as Ben is taller. They are already up to mischief, but their main job is to support me when teaching moving and handling transfers to staff.

The children love them as they can help a young person to relax, and adults love to cuddle them.

Check out what Sam and Ben have been up to recently here:

If you have started to think about how you go about your everyday tasks as a result of attending my course, I am happy as I have planted
a thought that can grow into action.”

Tania Hemstock

This is what some of Tania’s previous clients have to say:

“I will think more about Manual Handling before I do it. The course flowed well.”
The Mary Hare School, Newbury
“The format and pace were spot-on. I liked the games. I am more aware of the basics of manual handling.”
St Martin’s Cof E School, West Drayton
“Tania is passionate and knows her subject.”

The Piggott School, Wargrave Berkshire

This is what some of Tania’s previous clients have to say:

Find out more about our courses here:

Frequently Asked Questions

While we understand that every child has unique challenges and requires different methods, some frequent questions arise.
Please have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions here:

People Moving & Handling, or simply Moving & Handling, are terms commonly used to refer to the Manual Handling of people. It allows us to differentiate it from the traditional usage of the term Manual Handling, which usually refers to the physical manipulation of inanimate objects and loads.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 define manual handling as:

‘…any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force.’

Under the Manual Handling Regulations, if your workplace requires manual handling activities, everyone must receive proper training and understand the associated risks.

What do the Manual Handling Operations Regulations require?

 The Regulations require employers to:

 ■ avoid the need for hazardous manual handling, ‘so far as is reasonably practicable;

 ■ assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that can’t be avoided;

■ reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling, ‘so far as is reasonably practicable.

“Reasonably practicable” means balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the real risk in terms of money, time or trouble.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l23.pdf

The Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Great Britain, 1974) requires
organisations to support the implementation of safe systems of work with provision
of suitable, sufficient and relevant information, instruction, training and
Supervision.

Even in simple handling, there is a risk of staff developing
long term cumulative strain injuries due to repetitive handling and static postures
(HSE, 2007). Training in basic handling skills provides staff with practical hands-on techniques essential for the workplace while advising delegates on the importance of understanding good posture, including the causes and prevention of injury.

 Quote: National Back Exchange Standards in Manual handling 2010

The theory course is relevant for everyone in the company, not just the staff who work directly with the clients. It is roughly 4 hours in duration.

That is because every staff member should be aware of correct Moving and Handling techniques. When staff attend a course, you educate or remind them to adopt good working practices throughout their lives, not just in the work setting. With this training, staff are less likely to be off ill with an injury. You can also inform the staff of the relevant Legislation that governs staff in the workplace.

My typical moving and handling theory course includes:

  • Overview of the current Legislation, Health & Safety at work Act 1974, Manual Handling Operation Regulations 1992, LOLER, PUWER.
  • To understand the duties of the Employers and Employees under this Legislation.
  • Benefits of safer moving and handling.
  • Principles of manual handling and load management.
  • Understand the structure and main functions of the spine.
  • To recognise the leading cause of back pain, covering spinal awareness and musculoskeletal injuries.
  • Assessing children/young people handling needs.
  • Having a general knowledge of the risk assessment process when moving and handling people.
  • Foundation of a smooth moving and handling technique.

My practical courses are always tailored to your requirements. They may, for instance, include hoisting, standing transfers, and the use of various aids as appropriate to your setting.

I will discuss the training requirements with you as well as your team and, where necessary, speak to the therapists who may be involved with the young person to understand their medical condition and abilities.

This course is for all staff required to assist in the safe moving and handling of children/young people, carers, health care professionals, and educational staff.

The frequency of training updates and refresher training depends on the risk assessment of the work handling activities. In situations where handling is repetitive, awkward, heavy and unpredictable, or where there are regular work-related injuries, activities should be subject to regular review and annual training.

The National Back Exchange (NBE) recommends annual training for those whose work involves handling people.

Where an organisation sets itself a review date, an early review may be required if circumstances alter, for example:

Additional training may be necessary if conditions change or after an organisation’s incident where someone was injured, staff/client or a near-miss. The company would refresh the employees’ training and review the safe work systems to reduce the risk of this occurring again.

When a new piece of equipment arrives, staff must undertake training no matter how soon it is to their training. You must re-train the staff on how to use the new piece of equipment – regardless of how different it is and amend the safe systems of work protocols. Make available the Instructions for Use manual for all equipment.

Where there is a legislation change or a  notification from the Medical Health Regulations Authority (MHRA) that requires you to change how you do something, the company must inform all relevant employees of how the change might impact what they’ve learnt in training and amendment the written safe systems of work cascading the information to the relevant staff

My recommendation is to print relevant manuals and have them locally available since they are frequently online; staff may be less likely to refer to them if they have to hunt for them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency

All the courses I offer are usually in-house courses. Where there is no suitable room available, we can discuss options.

Yes. Absolutely. I appreciate the diverse requirements of organisations that work with young people and how training has to fit in. Hence, I can offer to train delegates at client premises after work or at weekends when required.

I do not offer minibus driver training so that people can gain their D1/HGV licence.

I can train staff and transport providers to safely use wheelchair and occupant restraint systems, including school-run transport contractors. I can review staff competencies on the safe use of wheelchair restraint systems, train staff on the safe use of some of the Crelling Harness and assist the council with licensing inspections to check that providers are correctly using the correct wheelchair tie-downs.

PATS training is due to be offered shortly.

Seatbelts & Harnesses for Children & Adults with Special Needs – Crelling Harnesses Ltd

Get in Touch

We can help you in any organisation, from mainstream schools to specialist schools to respite centres and families employing carers.
If you have any questions at all about how we can help you, please reach out to us here: