The British Red Cross: Train the Trainer; Moving and Handling

Previously, the service relied on external trainers for moving and handling training, which caused delays for new starters and impacted service delivery.

There was a clear need for a more responsive and sustainable approach to ensure all staff received timely and effective training. This was crucial for maintaining both safety and consistency in service provision.

Project description

In 2024, the “Train the Trainer” project was launched to establish internal capacity for moving and handling training within the service.
The training programme was sourced externally from Edge Services, a reputable training provider. Through this programme, selected staff completed extensive training to become certified in-house trainers.

Once trained, these in-house trainers began delivering tailored training sessions to colleagues across the service, ensuring that all staff were equipped with up-to-date moving and handling knowledge and skills.

All new equipment introduced into the community is reviewed and assessed by the community therapy team, with the in-house trainer subsequently providing targeted training on safe and appropriate use.

Hurdles

Initial challenges included:

• recruiting suitable staff to take on the trainer role.
• ensuring that those selected had protected time to complete training and deliver sessions without impacting service provision.

How these were overcome

These challenges were resolved through:

• strong management support for the initiative.
• clear scheduling and advance planning to protect trainer availability.
• close collaboration between managers, trainers, and the therapy team to ensure seamless implementation.

Resources required

• initial external trainer certification through Edge Services
• ongoing time allocation for trainers to deliver and update sessions
• support from the therapy team for equipment assessment and clinical oversight.

Timescale

The project was implemented progressively over several months in 2024, ensuring minimal disruption to service delivery while embedding the new internal training structure.

The service no longer depends on external trainers, resulting in faster and more flexible training delivery.

New starters now receive moving and handling training promptly as part of their induction.

Staff confidence, competence, and safety have improved across all service areas.

The approach is sustainable, adaptable, and responsive to new equipment, procedures, or identified learning needs.

Additional Reflections and Key Learning

1. Impact on service delivery

The Programme has led to a measurable increase in service delivery capacity, with more staff now qualified and confident to deliver services safely.

Although it is a new concept and numerical data is still being collected, there is already evidence of;

• improved consistency and quality in moving and handling practice.
• greater responsiveness when new staff join or equipment changes occur.

2. Link to single handed care

The model supports the principles of single handed care by enabling staff to assess and adjust care requirements more accurately.

It helps determine appropriate care levels — for example, reducing from QDS x2 to QDS x1 where safe and appropriate — through joint working with occupational therapists following the patient’s journey from hospital to community.

Similarly, it allows for reassessment and adjustment where needs have increased, ensuring care remains proportionate and safe.

3. Practical element of the training

The practical component focuses on upskilling staff in safe moving and handling techniques.

Staff gain hands-on experience with equipment used in the field, learning how to handle patients safely and confidently while preventing injury or unsafe practices.

4. Selection of trainers

The registered manager and service coordinators were selected as in-house trainers.

This decision ensured that those leading the training are individuals who can:
•    observe staff working in the community.
•    identify training needs in real time.
•    provide refresher or corrective training as required.

5. Training delivery and frequency

The training delivered covers both theoretical and practical components of moving and handling.

Key details include:

• full-day sessions delivered face-to-face
• staff grouped across different days to minimise service disruption
• annual refreshers for all staff
• new starters receive training as part of their induction
• additional refresher sessions are provided when incidents or unsafe practices are identified.

This approach ensures that competence and safety are continually reinforced throughout the workforce.

6. Oversight and evaluation

Training completion and compliance are tracked through a Training Matrix, ensuring accurate monitoring of:

• attendance
• competency
• refresher due dates.

This systematic approach allows the service to evaluate performance, identify trends, and plan future training needs proactively.

7. Training format and future management

Training is delivered face-to-face, supporting interactive, hands-on learning.

Going forward, the model will continue as a blended, ongoing programme, with:

• regular updates to content based on new equipment or policy changes.
• continuous competency assessment through observation and feedback
• annual review of training quality and outcomes.

Moving and Handling Training Provider, Edge Services, 

British Red Cross

For further information, contact the team via the Red Cross website.