Band 6 Manual Handling Practitioner within the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is responsible for providing specialist advice and training on manual handling and small equipment provision to ensure the safety of both patients and staff. This role involves developing and delivering evidence-based training programmes, conducting risk assessments, and promoting a positive health and safety culture throughout the Trust.
Key Responsibilities:
Specialist Advice: Offer evidence-based guidance on patient and manual handling to staff at all levels, ensuring patient safety by recommending appropriate equipment and techniques.
Risk Assessment: Conduct proactive and reactive manual handling and health and safety risk assessments, including incident reporting and recommending corrective actions.
Training Development and Delivery: Design, implement, and evaluate manual handling training programmes tailored to various staff groups. This includes induction sessions, mandatory updates, and specialized training for specific scenarios such as spinal injuries and bariatric handling.
Policy Implementation: Ensure compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations and other relevant legislation, integrating best practices into daily operations.
Collaboration: Work closely with the Health and Safety team to foster a culture that prioritizes health and safety, supporting the development and implementation of related policies and procedures.
Specialist Advice: Offer evidence-based guidance on patient and manual handling to staff at all levels, ensuring patient safety by recommending appropriate equipment and techniques.
Risk Assessment: Conduct proactive and reactive manual handling and health and safety risk assessments, including incident reporting and recommending corrective actions.
Training Development and Delivery: Design, implement, and evaluate manual handling training programmes tailored to various staff groups. This includes induction sessions, mandatory updates, and specialized training for specific scenarios such as spinal injuries and bariatric handling.
Policy Implementation: Ensure compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations and other relevant legislation, integrating best practices into daily operations.
Collaboration: Work closely with the Health and Safety team to foster a culture that prioritizes health and safety, supporting the development and implementation of related policies and procedures.
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Training and Education
To be responsible for leading manual handling training initiatives, ensuring colleagues are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform manual handling tasks safely and effectively.
To deliver engaging and informative training, bespoke sessions, conduct a training needs analysis, and provide ongoing support to staff to minimise the risk of injuries related to manual handling of patients and loads.
To develop, deliver and evaluate practical and theoretical training in manual handling to ensure the Trust meets its statutory obligations under the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (and any other relevant legislation).
To design training programmes to meet the needs of the workforce adhering to current best practice and evidence base including small equipment provision
To deliver theory and practical training programmes for all aspects of manual handling operations, which meet the employer’s statutory obligations, and which reflects the level of understanding and learning needs within all staff groups across the Trust.
Keep current and accurate up to date training records of all training and assessment criteria delivered for review by external auditors if required.
Explore innovative approaches to meet diverse learning needs of all staff groups to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.,
Ensure that all course participants are risk assessed in relation to injuries/conditions and comply with the trust’s uniform policy to prevent injury to themselves and others.
Plan, design and deliver a robust evidence-based training programme including writing courses, materials, presentations, lesson plans. Ensure evaluations on course delivery are collected and audited to enhance training effectiveness and learner experience. and collected and audited.
Triangulate training feedback, organisational compliance and data from incidents to inform and develop bespoke training opportunities.
Clinical
Oversee and ensure Trust regulatory and good practice compliance so far as is reasonably practicable.
To assist and support managers and staff in risk identification, risk assessment and risk reduction.
To assist in the provision of proactive and reactive advice and recommendations to managers and staff to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury.
Represent the Trust in regional and national networks and meetings for Moving and Handling clinical practice, Health & Safety related to manual handling and national standards re National Back Exchange advice.
Provide specialist advice on moving and handling of people and loads based upon expert knowledge and current evidence based best practice.
Ensure information and practice is evidence based, in line with legislation, CQC, NHSLA and provide regular reports to assurance groups within the Trust regarding Trust compliance.
Professional
To actively promote a healthy workplace by educating staff and implementing change to minimise the risk of injury from Manual Handling of loads and people, static postures and repetitive activities.
Interpret data gained through quality assurance processes, for example evaluations and recommending appropriate changes to ensure fitness for purpose.
Lead in the development, implementation and maintenance of safer handling policy, SOPs, guidelines and competencies, ensuring we are working within the framework of the national back exchange, meeting legislative requirements reporting back to Moving and Handling Lead as appropriate, and proactively embed these into practice.
Lead on specific manual handling related projects and audits, as appropriate.
Ensure that standards of record keeping within the team meet the required standards to mitigate manual handling risks to the Trust working collaboratively with relevant departments.
To promote and develop a safety culture, delivering training aimed at reducing musculoskeletal injuries within the Trust.
To assist in the management and further develop the Trust’s manual handling systems and processes in order that the highest standards are maintained.
The post holder will be expected to organise his/her workload with minimal supervision.
To advise the Trust Board, Committees, managers and staff on relevant training legislation and best practice.
Analyse statistical data, interpret and produce regular training reports on departmental activity.
To support, assist and advise managers to complete departmental manual handling risk assessments and develop safe systems of work specific to their speciality.
To assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures in accordance with manual handling & DSE legislation, codes of practice and Trust standards.
To assume responsibility for personal professional development and to be aware of all current best practice and guidance within nursing, physiotherapy Occupational Therapy, inanimate load handling pertinent to the post.
Escalate any concerns and issues in relation to manual handling & DSE to the Trust Manual Handling Lead
Assist in the development and implementation of an action plan to bring about a measurable reduction in both the number of incidents and time lost from work due to manual handling related injuries.
Attend and participate in key meetings such as the Health & Safety Committee, Manual Handling Working Group.
Implement a robust auditing system to maintain all manual handling equipment in accordance with manufacturers and departmental guidelines, identifying the need for replacements and sourcing equipment as required in line with procurement policies and procedures.
