University of Salford : Moving and Handling Competency Passport

Webb, J; Harrison, D

University of Salford : Moving and Handling Competency Passport

Webb, J; Harrison, D

Authors

J Webb

D Harrison

Abstract

This competency Passport toolkit has been developed alongside a 3-year longitudinal study exploring the impact of an innovative change to the delivery of the moving and handling training with undergraduate Occupational therapy students at the University of Salford.
Students are engaged in a competency evaluation approach to the development of moving and handling skill development combined with access to the online multimedia risk assessment and moving and handling system developed by A1 Risk Solutions. The system gives the students access to videos and safe systems of work for a multitude of moving and handling tasks and techniques with a range of equipment from a variety of different companies. Students are engaged in a 40-minute competency assessment every year which replaces the “traditional” mandatory moving and handling session. Each student is asked to demonstrate 3 tasks from the toolkit and is given feedback on each task using the evaluation forms enclosed. This gives the student a score for each task but more importantly gives formative feedback on how to improve their performance, engaging them in a reflective process where they address these learning needs and document this as part of their moving and handling passport which they take onto placements and include in their continuing professional development portfolio.
Each evaluation form has been developed using a safe systems approach and data extracted from the 3-year longitudinal study has been analysed to identify the most common errors made in each task, linking this with associated risks for the handler and the individual being handled to result in the weightings associated with each stage of the task. Any errors associated with a higher level of risk have been allocated a higher weighting and will highlight specific areas for skill development.