Moving and Handling Policy

Aim

It is the aim of Cavendish Homecare Professionals to ensure that all moving and handling activities are carried out in a safe and secure manner and according to up-to-date good practice guidelines.

Policy

Cavendish Homecare Professionals operates a ‘minimal handling policy’ whereby all hazardous moving and handling tasks should be avoided by staff wherever possible. Where moving and handling operations cannot be avoided, all tasks should be fully assessed using a moving and handling risk assessment. The assessment should be conducted by a member of staff who is trained and competent in conducting such an assessment. Where the risk is assessed as low or negligible then the operation may be conducted, but with suitable attention to any safeguards or techniques that will further reduce the risk. Where a more significant risk is identified and the operation is unavoidable, staff should take all possible steps to reduce the risk through the use of appropriate lifting or moving equipment, such as a hoist.

Whenever possible, the risk of injury from moving and handling should be reduced by implementing management solutions whereby job processes and tasks involving significant moving and handling are eliminated at the job design stage.

The organisation’s policy will, so far as is reasonably practicable, be to:

Arrange for lifting equipment to be provided that suits the needs of the client.
Provide the information, instruction, training and supervision required to ensure the health and safety at work of employees and others.
Control and maintain the place of work in a safe condition.
in the event of any accident or incident (such as a near miss) involving injury to anybody on work premises to make a full investigation and to comply with statutory requirements relating to the reporting of such incidents.

All assessments of moving and handling needs should consider the client’s dignity, independence and human rights, as well as their rehabilitation and developmental needs. These needs should be balanced against the need to protect them and staff from injury. All assessments should actively involve the client and, where appropriate, those acting on their behalf. A problem-solving approach should be adopted which considers the use of a variety of handling methods and equipment to reduce the risk of injury while at the same time the independence of the client is encouraged as far as is practicable.

Two people fully trained in safe handling techniques and the equipment to be used should always be involved in the provision of care when the need is identified from the manual handling risk assessment. The assessment should be written down and an individual handling plan produced which should be detailed in the client’s plan of care and in the daily care records for that client. The plan should be reviewed at appropriate intervals or when circumstances change. A copy of the client’s moving and handling assessment and handling plan should be available for all staff to refer to as well as to the client themselves. The manual ‘lifting’ of adult people should be avoided in all but exceptional or life-threatening situations. Hoists, sliding aids and other specialised equipment should be used whenever possible, though only after staff have been fully trained in the equipment’s use and the suitability of the equipment to the client, the task and space in which the equipment is to be used has been evaluated.

Management duties

Managers have a duty to:

Be aware of the moving and handling tasks that occur within their area of responsibility and perform and coordinate appropriate risk assessments and risk reduction/control actions.
Perform risk assessments of clients, producing moving and handling plans and amending the client’s plan of care as appropriate.
Supervise staff to ensure that safe working practices are being followed and that appropriate equipment is being used correctly and only by staff trained in its use.
Ensure that all moving and handling aids and equipment is fit for the purpose it is intended for and is appropriately selected, procured, maintained and serviced in accordance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – defective equipment should be taken out of use immediately and either repaired or replaced.
Maintain adequate staffing levels to meet all moving and handling requirements.
Ensure that staff wear appropriate clothing and footwear for moving and handling. They should ensure that all staff attend appropriate moving and handling training and that records are kept by the agency of who has attended.
Identify moving and handling requirements when new staff are being recruited and appropriate health screening is organised.
Ensure that appropriate records of accidents and sick leave related to moving and handling are kept and routinely investigated so that any trends can be identified.
Take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff from outside agencies have received appropriate training and information on how to perform safer moving and handling prior to commencement of duties on behalf of the agency.
Report accidents and injuries involving moving and handling as required under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
Ensure staff returning to work after a prolonged absence with a musculoskeletal injury or disorder caused by a moving and handling accident have an appropriate return to work plan and adequate support, which may include a review of their job role and duties.

Staff duties

Staff have a duty to:

Work within their own limitations at all times and not carry out any activity which they are not competent to perform. They should avoid hazardous moving and handling as far as is reasonably practical and, where hazardous moving and handling cannot be avoided, fully assess the risks before putting a plan into action which includes appropriate safeguards to reduce any risks to the lowest level possible.
Look out for and report any moving and handling hazards and cooperate with any subsequent moving and handling risk assessment.
Make full and proper use of equipment and systems of work laid down for their safety, adhering to manufacturers’ instructions and to safe working practices at all times. All staff have an obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and for the safety of other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Report any defective moving and handling equipment to Cavendish Homecare Professionals.
Dress appropriately and wear appropriate footwear and any personal protective equipment required for their safety.
Attend all moving and handling training including during induction for new staff, and annual updates for all staff.
Never, in any circumstances, move a client or an object where they believe that there is a significant risk of injury involved.

Date: January 2024

Version: 8 (Review)

Source: Expert Care Manager