National Back Exchange – Standards in Manual Handling

By hsheard | Published: June 9, 2010 | Edit

Personal Care Consultants’ Risk Management Team are required to demonstrate that they keep abreast of their continuing professional development in terms of current manual handling policy and practice.  One of the ways of doing this is by attending the Local Back Exchange Support Meeting which is a forum for disseminating essential information relating to manual handling issues.  The meeting is usually held on the first Tuesday of the month and is attended by those with a pivotal role in manual handling within the statutory services and the private sector.  The meeting this month was held at our Chester Office.
The June meeting of the North West and North Wales local Back Exchange Group played host to Jacqui Hall (a member of the National Back Exchange Executive Committee).  Jacqui was visiting as part of her role as support for the local Back Exchange groups throughout the north, north west of England and also of North Wales.
Jacqui gave a presentation on the recent publication of the Standards in Manual Handling Third Edition which she produced in collaboration with Sue Ruszala and Pat Alexander (also of the National Back Exchange Executive Committee).
The NBE Standards aim to enable organisations to:

• Ensure compliance with the law
• Reduce risks to carers and clients from poor practices
• Provide protection for employers
• Meet best practice requirements
• Meet the trainer’s own professional requirements
• Promote national consistency
• Promote national recognition of the role to the BCA (Back Care Advisor)

The NBE Standards cover all areas of staff working in manual handling from New key Worker right through to Consultant Manual Handling Practitioner/Expert and provide guidance for organisation with regards to the person specification and evidence required to back up practice.
The NBE Standards use the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition (Drefus and Drefus 1977, Benner 1984).  This model proposes that in the acquisition and development of a skill a student passes through five levels of proficiency, novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert.  Those different levels reflect changes in three general aspects of skilled performance:

• A movement from reliance on abstract principles to use of past concrete experience as paradigms.
• A change in the learner’s perception of the demand situation in which the situation is seen less and less as a compilation of equally relevant bits, and more and more as a complete whole in which only certain parts are relevant.
• A passage from detached observation to involved performer.  The performer no longer stands outside the situation but is now engaged in it.

The NBE Standards also have some useful problem solving scenarios for discussion in training sessions with assessment considerations listed.
The NBE Standards in Manual Handling (third Edition) was published in January 2010.  For those people interested in acquiring the document should contact:

National Back Exchange

Linden Barns

Greens Norton Road

Towcester

Northamptonshire

NN12 8AW

Tel: 01327 358855

admin@nationalbackexchange.org
www.nationalbackexchange.org

Comments  

Jeff Berriman
Posted January 21, 2011 at 7:12 am
Hi, I am a trainer for the “All Wales Moving and Handling Passport” course and I have come across a local authority that has disagreed with some of my training methods. Currently I tell my students to use the command words ” Ready Steady + the action words” NOT 1-2-3 lift.

The Local authority has stated that my instructions are incorrect and that New practice dictates that we should go back to 1-2-3. Is this correct.  I would apprcciatte your comments.  Also , please send me details of how I can be a member of your organisation.

Best regards
Jeff Berriman 

Liz Hardy
Posted January 21, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Hi Jeff My understanding is that commands are to be unambiguous and that you give verbal instructions such as ready, steady sit / stand etc. I would be really surprised if they have gone back to 1,2,3 but I have not seen the HOP 6 yet. I will send your query around the our Back Exchange local group for you to get a more global feedback. I will share the response with you if you send me your e-mail address. If you want to join our Local Back Exchange meeting then just turn up. The next meeting is 1.00p.m.02.01.10 at Morfa Clwyd Business Centre, Rhyl. The annual cost of membership is £10.00 

Michael Betts
Posted March 25, 2011 at 12:45 pm
I was just “surfing” and saw this E-Mail and started laughing!! I even checked the date of the post just to make sure i had not flipped back to the 80’s!! It is still ” Ready Steady + the action words” and definitely NOT 1-2-3 lift so keep going just as you are. I have not picked up my copy of HOP6 yet either but I can pretty much guarantee that nothing has changed with regards to that.
Regards Mike Betts