Moving and Handling Level 1

Course Description

Safe and effective moving and handling practices are essential for delivering quality care and protecting the health and wellbeing of both individuals receiving care and those providing it. Improper techniques can lead to serious musculoskeletal injuries, long-term staff absence, reduced care quality, and increased organisational risk.

Healthcare workers regularly move people, equipment, and loads in environments that are often unpredictable and time-pressured. This makes it vital that all staff understand the principles of safer moving and handling and their role in preventing injury.

This Level 1 course provides a foundation in identifying risk factors, applying ergonomic approaches, and following local policies and legal duties under UK Health & Safety legislation. It prepares staff to contribute to a safe workplace, reduces the likelihood of harm, and supports compliance with CQC standards and the Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF).

Course Benefits:

What you will Learn:

a) Identify common moving and handling risk factors, including those related to the task, individual, load, and environment (TILE).

b) Explain the responsibilities of employers and employees under relevant national Health & Safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and MHOR (1992).

c) Describe the principles of safer moving and handling and their impact on personal and patient safety.

d) Apply ergonomic principles to protect musculoskeletal health during manual handling tasks.

e) Identify and assess key factors before undertaking a moving and handling activity using a dynamic risk assessment approach.

f) Select and apply suitable risk control strategies and resources appropriate to their role, setting, and specific tasks.

g) Identify their own organisation’s local risk management processes to ensure alignment with safe systems of work.

h) Recognise the support and resources available internally (supervisors, policies, aids) to facilitate good manual handling practice.

i) Demonstrate the correct application of safer moving and handling techniques using the equipment and tools relevant to their role.

j) Apply role-specific safer handling strategies, especially for staff responsible for frequent or heavy load handling.