EDGE summer newsletter 17

EDGE services
Summer 2017
NEWS
LETTER
General Election 2017 – Social Care
Shortly after our last newsletter,
the Prime Minister, Theresa May,
announced a snap election which
took place, after many twists
and turns, on the 8th June. Even
discounting the result, it was an
election of many surprises; not
least the important role that the
contentious issue of social care and
its funding came to play in what was
dubbed the Brexit election.
Social care defines most of the care
received by people with dementia.
The consequences of dementia’s
symptoms often make even the
easiest tasks, for instance eating
or personal hygiene a challenge.
Support – social care – in the home
play a vital part in helping individuals
lead a fulfilling life. Individuals with
property worth in excess of £23,250
can pay costs into the hundreds of
thousands for their social care. It
has been estimated that it could take
over 100 years of savings to meet
the typical dementia care bill!
Training Courses
across the UK:
• People Handling
• Children Handling
• Inanimate Object
Handling
• Understanding and
Managing Behaviour
that Challenges
• Health, Safety
and General Risk
Assessment
All three of the leading parties sought
to address the issue – how can
the nation fund its increasing care
commitments – in their manifestos. In
the short term, the Liberal Democrats
planned to raise a penny on all
rates of income tax, earmarking the
money raised (around £6 billion) to
be shared between social care and
the NHS. For the longer term, the Lib
Dem manifesto promised to “finish
the job of implementing a cap on the
cost of social care,” accusing the
Government of having abandoned
the issue.
Labour’s stated aim was to “seek
consensus on a cross-party basis
about how it should be funded, with
options including wealth taxes, an
employer care contribution or a new
social care levy”. The manifesto also
stated that a Labour Government
would introduce a cap on the amount
an individual would have to pay
towards their own care.
The issue of social care funding,
however, was thrust to the forefront of
the election campaign courtesy of the
Conservative party’s approach which
contained no such commitment.
Whilst the stated aim to increase the
means-tested threshold to more than
four times the current amount was
welcomed in some quarters the idea
of a cap went unmentioned. People
would continue to live in their houses
but their property’s value would
now form part of the means-testing
computations. After an individual’s
death their property would be sold to
effectively pay the state back.
The fact that this policy would
disproportionately affect individuals
with dementia led quickly to it being
dubbed the ‘dementia tax’ and, as
Theresa May sought to back away
from the controversy – saying there
would, after all, be a cap and that this
was not a change from the published
policy – her campaign, it is widely
felt, was caused damage from which,
the results suggest, it never fully
recovered.
There was a clear divide between
those parties who proposed meeting
social care costs from taxation
spread across the population and
the Tory policy which aimed to raise
funds only from those who drew on
those funds – people, of course, who
had presumably spent their whole
lives paying taxes.
Of course, as all we all woke up
on the 9th June to find that no
party had achieved a majority in
the House of Commons it became
increasingly unlikely that any of the
proposed solutions to the social
care conundrum were going to be
implemented – at least not in their
advertised form. At the time of going
to press the Tory Government is
seeking a deal with the Democratic
Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
but it remains to be seen how ‘strong
and stable’ such a deal might prove.
It seems improbable – considering
its unpopularity during the election
campaign – that the Tories would
have implemented the social the
policy from their manifesto (with
its later amendments) even if
they had won a large majority. In
the Queen’s speech delivered to
both Houses of Parliament on the
21st June, the Government’s only
commitments regarding social care
were to ‘improve’ and ‘bring forward
proposals for consultation.’ Despite
all the sound and fury, it seems we
will have to wait a little longer for a
resolution to this pressing issue.
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

2 Summer 2017 Newsletter
Editor’s column
Welcome to EDGE Services’ summer, 2017
newsletter!
Welcome New Trainer: Carly Power
Like all of us at EDGE, you are possibly still
reeling from the frenetic General Election
campaign and its unexpected result. We take a
look at the different parties’ thoughts on social
care on this issue’s front page. The uncertainty
arising from a hung parliament has done no
favours to the care sector as reiterated in our
piece on cuts to funding on page 10.
Elsewhere we provide our usual look at pertinent
court cases and the judgements arising. From
Finland, however, we bring news of an exciting
scheme in which the young and the old have been
brought together in shared communities to the
benefit of all.
I hope you find something of interest in this
quarter’s newsletter and wish you a warm and
happy summer!
Best wishes,
Kate Lovett.
Carly is the latest addition to the EDGE training team,
joining us in July.
A skilled trainer, Carly has over 13 years experience
working as an Occupational Therapist and has worked
with both children and adults across NHS, Social
Services and Education settings. Carly’s background is
in medicine, surgery, trauma, orthopaedics, stroke rehab
and social care.
Also a specialist in paediatrics Carly brings a wealth
of new experience to the EDGE team and we’re really
looking forward to working with her.
Full Time and/or Part Time Moving and
Handling (People) Trainer Required
EDGE is looking to recruit an additional moving and
handling trainer to expand our existing team.
We are looking for a highly-motivated, professional
person who has the ability to inspire and encourage
delegates from all grades of the care sector. The
successful applicant will have good organisational skills
and flexibility. As we run courses throughout the United
Kingdom, the successful candidates will be happy to
travel, preferably be able to drive and have their own car.
All applicants for this role must hold an appropriate
professional qualification: a registered nurse, an
occupational therapist or physiotherapist and previous
teaching/training experience is essential. Ideally,
candidates will have an additional qualification pertaining
to their speciality subject, however, appropriate training
will be made available for the right candidate.
For further details, please visit www.edgeservices.co.uk
or send your CV and covering letter, stating preferred
salary rates, to us via e-mail: enquiries@edgeservices.
co.uk or by post: 13 Museum Street, York, YO1 7DT
EDGE services

Summer 2017 Newsletter 3
Care Home Directors Convicted Over
‘Horrific’ Learning Disability Regime
Thirteen directors, managers and carers from a Devon
based care home group have been convicted over a
regime at residential homes in which adults with learning
disabilities were imprisoned in isolation rooms.
Vulnerable residents of the homes were held in the bare
seclusion rooms for hours and sometimes overnight, on
occasions wetting or soiling themselves because there
were no bathroom facilities.
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap and Vivien
Cooper, chief executive of the Challenging Behaviour
Foundation, said “horrific” accounts of people with a
learning disability being abused by those who were being
paid to support them had emerged.
They issued a joint statement saying: “The evidence has
been chilling. [The company] claimed to provide specialist
care for people with a learning disability, at a cost of up to
£4,000 per week per person.
“Staff were paid to care for people with a learning
disability but instead of doing so imprisoned them
repeatedly for long periods, often in cold rooms with no
sanitation.
“Despite several warning signs, it took far too long for
the abusive practices at the care homes to be exposed.
Poor commissioning by a number of local authorities and
weak inspection allowed an abusive culture to develop
and sustain itself with devastating consequences for
individuals and their families.
“These trials have brought into sharp focus the
unacceptable attitudes and lack of respect for people with
a learning disability that exists in society.”
During the trial, Bristol crown court was told that in
addition to sending residents to the isolation rooms,
they were sometimes allegedly denied food, drink, fun
activities and visits. Once allowed out of the isolation
rooms they were ordered to carry out tasks in order to
“test their compliance”.
Andrew Langdon, the prosecuting QC, claimed residents
were sent to the rooms at the care homes, both isolated
former farmhouses, for “trivial reasons”. These included,
but were not limited to, staring at a staff member, facial
twitches, asking questions repeatedly or missing a hair
appointment.
A man who can only be identified as AC said of his
experiences in the isolation room that “It was a room that
was disgusting and cold. At night the door was locked. It
had a CCTV camera, a smoke detector and a punctured
mattress – it was an airbed but it had a puncture in.
“It was cold, damp. If you wanted to go to the toilet,
there was no toilet in there. There was a window but it
was locked. No curtains. They made the room as bad as
possible and as uncomfortable as possible.” AC, who has
epilepsy, added: “It made me feel terrible in a way ... an
animal, basically.”
An investigation was launched when AC reported
managers to the watchdog, the Care Quality Commission
(CQC), in July 2011. The homes were later shut down.
The company founder, a well-known figure in mental
health who helped formulate national policy on caring for
people with learning disabilities in the community, told the
court he did not know residents were being locked up.
He was convicted of a health and safety offence, fined
£12,500 and ordered to pay costs of £105,000.
Another company director, was jailed for 28 months
for conspiracy to falsely imprison, and perverting the
course of justice. Another eleven members of the Atlas
management team and staff were given suspended
jail terms or other non-custodial sentences for various
offences.
DCS Sheon Sturland of Devon and Cornwall police said:
“This case has been very complex and in many ways is
the first of its kind in this country, dealing with not just
those workers directly involved with victims, but all the
way up to owners, directors and senior managers, who
allowed a culture of abuse to exist.”
Huw Rogers of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The
directors and managers created a culture of abuse –
unlawfully detaining residents in very poor conditions for
long periods of time.
“This case has been groundbreaking in that the directors
and managers of the homes and not just the staff that
implemented their policies have been held to account.”
Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at
the Care Quality Commission, admitted it should have
acted more quickly when concerns were raised about the
homes.
She said: “[The company] and a large number of their
staff utterly failed in their duty to look after the people in
their care. No one should be subject to the degrading
abuse people experienced and I am glad that the
perpetrators have been recognised for the criminals they
are.
“When the CQC inspected ... in October 2011, inspectors
were so concerned by the treatment they discovered
that they quickly extended the inspection to all 15 of the
services. We found serious concerns in most of their care
homes, including the routine use of excessive restrictive
practices, which is why we took action which led to the
closure of all of these services in 2012.
“When these abusive practices were discovered, the
CQC took decisive action but we should have responded
more quickly to the concerns raised. Since then we have
overhauled our regulatory approach.”
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

4 Summer 2017 Newsletter
Care Homes Rent
Out Rooms to
Young People
In return for cheap rent, Finnish 18 – 25 year olds are
spending five hours a week befriending older people in a
state run care home and helping provide a range of social
activities.
Coordinated by the Helsinki council’s youth department, ‘A
Home that Fits’ is a pilot scheme that forms part of a cityfunded
initiative which aims to ease youth homelessness
in Finland’s capital at the same time as relieving the social
isolation felt by some of the city’s care home residents.
very simple model that would be easy to spread to other
countries.”
Kristiina Stenman, one of Rudolf’s social workers
explains that while the care home is bright and
thoughtfully decorated with plants and colourful wall
hangings, it is also old and in need of renovation.
“The young people are given rooms which aren’t
really suitable for the elderly residents any more”. For
example, Eljaala lives right by a flight of stairs, where it
would be difficult to safely manoeuvre a wheelchair.
In the UK, where a combination of high rents, low
wages and cuts to benefits has seen a huge rise in
youth homelessness, there has been some criticism of
schemes that offer cheap rents in an elderly person’s
house. Cash-strapped young people who have signed
up to provide companionship and help around the house
report that in some home sharing schemes they have
been pressurised to do the sort of social care they are
Since the pilot began in 2015 three apartments have
been made available to 18- to 25-year-olds at Rudolf
Care Home in Helsinki. A fourth apartment is being made
available in the autumn. Six young people have benefited
so far, including students, a pastry chef and a nursery
school teacher. Each has faced their own set of housing
difficulties.
18 year old Serafina Eljaala has lived at Rudolf for almost
six months. The scheme provided her with an escape from
a troubled family life.
Miki Mielonen, project manager for the youth department
of Helsinki city council and founder of ‘Homes that Fit’ says
that affordable housing is hard to find for young people and
homelessness among under-25s in Finland is a growing
concern.
He explains that “Official figures suggest there are about
700 homeless people under 25 in Helsinki but the reality is
at least three times bigger [because] youth homelessness
is more of a hidden problem.” Some of the people the
scheme has housed so far had no permanent address and
were sofa-surfing at friends’ houses, while at least one was
facing a life on the streets.
“More and more young people are moving to the capital
region; Helsinki is growing by about 8,000 citizens every
year and just building new apartments does not solve
the issue,” he adds. The scheme was first advertised on
Facebook and Mielonen had emails from more than 300
young people within a matter of weeks.
Rent at Rudolf Care Home is €290 (just over £250) per
month for a small studio apartment with a balcony; less
than half of the current rate in Helsinki, where, according
to Mielonen even the most basic accommodation can
command €600 (£530). “The youngsters have brought an
energy and positive spirit into the place with them. It is a
neither paid nor qualified to carry out for their elderly
hosts. At Rudolf Care Home, and under this model,
Mielonen says that this scenario is avoided.
“The young people do not take on staff-type roles
because there are plenty of staff for that – they are just
supposed to be good neighbours to the seniors. We think
it is very important to keep these roles strictly separate
and [for that reason] we don’t choose young people who
are studying or working in the social welfare field.”
With the help of some initial funding from the European
Social Fund, four other Finnish cities have launched their
own versions of the ‘Home that Fits’ model and a number
of others are expected to follow suit. The scheme has
also attracted international interest as cities across the
world grapple with their own housing problems. Mielonen
has recently been invited to showcase the project at
an age services conference in Australia, and interested
parties from Belfast and Pennsylvania are due to visit
over the summer.
The success of the project has silenced some sceptics.
We can only wait and see if the new UK government
sees the merit in trialling such a project.
EDGE services

Dementia Awareness
Week – Alzheimer’s
Society
Dementia Awareness week took place from 14 – 20
May 2017. Run by the Alzheimer’s Society, the week
saw thousands of events taking place across England,
Wales and Northern Ireland. Many of these events
saw people raising and donating money to fight the
condition, others ran with the intentions of spreading
awareness online and through social media.
One of the awareness projects involved a group of
seven-year-olds from a primary school in York who
took part in a new dementia film, showing that children
can often face the same challenges as people with
dementia, but they have the advantage of having
“their Mum to keep them right”. The film was produced
by dementia expert Ian Donaghy and proved such
a success that it was shown in all the York cinemas
during Dementia Awareness Week, as well as on
BBC Look North. You can view it on youtube.com/
watch?v=KWGr0UpIaJc
The Alzheimer’s Society called the week a huge
success and thanked everyone who helped and
supported them in raising vital funds to take on
dementia and reach so many people across the UK.
Summer 2017 Newsletter 5
Carers Week
Carers Week is an event which is supported by Age
UK, Carers Trust, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer
Support, Motor Neurone Disease Association, the MS
Society and Which? Elderly Care and which, this year
took place 12 – 18 June 2017.
The aim of this annual campaign to raise awareness
of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and
recognise the contribution they make to families and
communities throughout the UK.
Around 6.5 million people (1 in 8 of the adult population)
undertake a caring role for a friend or family member in
the UK. This figure is expected to reach 9 million in the
next 20 years. And not all carers are adults with many
children caring for unwell parents. Careers are estimated
to save the UK Government around £132 billion every
year.
The focus this year was on building carer friendly
communities which support carers to look after their
loved ones well, while recognising that they are
individuals with needs of their own.
The week saw more than a thousand events taking place
in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in
the form of; open mornings, informal training sessions,
awards ceremonies and socialising events
Forthcoming
Conferences and
Events
25 - 27 September 2017
National Back Exchange Conference and
Exhibition, Hinkley.
www.nationalbackexchange.org
27 - 28 September 2017
Disabled Living Foundation - Moving and
Handling People (North), Newcastle.
www.movingandhandlingpeople.co.uk
16 November 2017
Care England Conference and Exhibition,
London.
http://www.careengland.org.uk
18 November 2017
Scottish Care Annual Care Home Conference,
Awards and Exhibition, Glasgow.
www.scottishcare.org
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

6 Summer 2017 Newsletter
People Handling and
Risk Assessment
Key Trainer’s Certificate
EDGE Services
learning hours
Equivalent to
30
Our flagship course has established
EDGE as one of the leading providers of
training to the healthcare and social care
sectors.
Course Overview
This four day course will provide
delegates with the knowledge, skills and
confidence to train others in the
moving and handling of people and in
the conducting of manual handling risk
assessments.
Who Will Benefit?
This course is for delegates with a
responsibility for health & safety and
welfare of carers and clients with
regards to the moving and handling of
people.
Assessment and Certification
Course assessment comprises:
• a one hour ’open-book’ test to
determine delegates’ theoretical
understanding of the course content;
• delivery of a group mini-training
session in order to assess teaching
skills, organisation, and delivery of
appropriate course content;
• a practical skills assessment, which
takes place continuously throughout
the course.
Course Aims and Intended Learning
Outcomes
By the end of the course delegates shall:
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of
legislation and professional guidance
which affects them, their job, their
employers and employees;
• briefly understand the workings of the
spine and how to reduce the risks of
spinal injury;
• demonstrate an appreciation of the
principles of biomechanics;
• demonstrate an appreciation of
ergonomics;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of
risk assessment;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of
‘controversial techniques’;
• demonstrate a sound knowledge of
up-to-date practical skills in moving
handling clients in a care setting;
• demonstrate the skills and confidence
to convey manual handling knowledge
and skills to others.
Upon successful completion of the
course, delegates will receive a certificate
of achievement from EDGE Services,
which is valid for two years.
Public Training Courses
£750+VAT per delegate -
all locations apart from London
£880+VAT per delegate - London
Forthcoming public events in London,
York, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff,
Brighton, Warwickshire and Exeter.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specific
requirements.
£3,900 +VAT for up to ten delegates.
Go to our website or telephone EDGE
Services for further details.
Course Accreditations:
Forthcoming Public Training Dates Include:
11 - 14 July 2017, York
25 - 28 July 2017, Oxfordshire (Banbury)
1 - 4 August 2017, London
29 August - 1 Sept 2017, Glasgow
5 - 8 September 2017, Manchester
12 - 15 September 2017, Exeter
12 - 15 September 2017, Peterborough
19 - 22 September 2017, Cardiff
26 - 29 September 2017, York
10 - 13 October 2017, London
10 - 13 October 2017, Birmingham
17 -20 October 2017, Edinburgh
EDGE services
31 Oct - 3 Nov 2017, Warwick
7 - 10 November 2017, York
14 - 17 November 2017, Glasgow
21 - 24 November 2017, London
5 - 8 December 2017, Brighton
18 - 21 December 2017, Manchester
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
Course Materials Comprise of:
• A 210 page professionally bound,
full colour course text book.
• A delegate CD ROM containing all
notes, handouts, delegate quizzes
etc that you would need to deliver
your own training courses as well
as an hour long DVD of practical
skills taught.
• A 27 page full colour ‘Ideas’ book
with training tips.
All the above and more are
included in the course price.

Summer 2017 Newsletter 7
People Handling and
Risk Assessment Key Trainer’s
Certificate (Refresher/Update)
EDGE Services
Equivalent to
14 learning hours
Public Training Courses
£470+VAT per delegate -
all locations apart from London
£520+VAT per delegate - London
Forthcoming public events in London,
York, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff,
Brighton, Warwickshire and Exeter.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specific
requirements.
£1,950 +VAT for up to ten delegates.
Go to our website or telephone EDGE
Services for further details.
Course Accreditations:
Our flagship course has established
EDGE as one of the leading providers of
training to the healthcare and social care
sectors.
Course Overview
In order that trainers keep abreast
of new legislation and developments
in manual handling, EDGE Services
recommend a two day ‘Refresher’ course
at least every two years. This course will
further advance delegates’ professional
development and manual handling skills,
and provide the opportunity to trade
experience with others.
Who Will Benefit?
This course is designed for those who
have previously attended the EDGE
Services ‘People Handling & Risk
Assessment Key Trainer’s Certificate’ or
simliar course. Delegates not previously
trained by EDGE Services will be
required to provide proof of their original
qualification.
Assessment and Certification
Course assessment comprises:
• a practical skills assessment, which
takes place continuously throughout
the course;
• informal Q&A throughout the duration
of the course.
Course Aims and Intended Learning
Outcomes
By the end of the course delegates shall:
• have been reminded of, and made
aware of any relevant changes to,
legislation and professional guidance
which affects them, their job, their
employers and employees;
• have been reminded of the principles
of biomechanics and how they can be
applied to the efficient movement of
clients;
• have been reminded of ergonomics as
a means for the reduction of manual
handling injury;
• have been reminded of the importance
of risk assessment;
• have been reminded of the commonly
known ‘controversial techniques’ and
why some manouevres have been
classified as such;
• have had the opportunity to practise
up-to-date manual handling techniques
and to review new handling aids;
• have had the opportunity to assess
practical moves using current
assessment tools.
Upon successful completion of the
course, delegates will receive a
certificate of achievement from EDGE
Services, which is valid for two years.
Forthcoming Public Training Dates Include:
Course Materials Comprise of:
• A 234 page professionally bound,
full colour course text book.
• A delegate CD ROM containing all
notes, handouts, delegate quizzes
etc that you would need to deliver
your own training courses as well
as an hour long DVD of practcial
skills taught.
6 & 7 July 2017, York
13 & 14 July 2017, London
1 & 2 August 2017, London
3 & 4 August 2017, York
5 & 6 September 2017, Glasgow
7 & 8 September 2017, Warwick
18 & 19 September 2017, York
21 & 22 September 2017, Exeter
26 & 27 September 2017, London
28 & 29 Sept 2017, Birmingham
3 & 4 October 2017, Edinburgh
5 & 6 October 2017, Manchester
17 & 18 October 2017, Cardiff
24 & 25 October 2017, York
26 & 27 October 2017, Glasgow
9 & 10 November 2017, London
20 & 21 November 2017, Warwick
20 & 21 Nov 2017, Peterborough
9 & 10 November 2017, London
20 & 21 November 2017, Warwick
20 & 21 Nov 2017, Peterborough
5 & 6 December 2017, Brighton
12 & 13 December 2017, Glasgow
18 & 19 December 2017, Manchester
19 & 20 December 2017, London
20 & 21 December 2017, York
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
All the above and more are
included in the course price.
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

8 Summer 2017 Newsletter
Children Handling and Risk
Assessment
Children Handling and Risk
Assessment (Refresher/Update)
KEY TRAINER’S
CERTIFICATE
Public Training Courses
KEY TRAINER’S
CERTIFICATE
Public Training Courses
This four day course
will provide you with the
knowledge, skills and
confi dence to train others
in the moving and handling
of children/young adults
and how to conduct manual
handling risk assessments.
£750+VAT per delegate
31 Oct - 3 Nov 2017, Birmingham
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specifi c
requirements.
This two day Refresher/
Update course will further
advance your professional
development and manual
handling skills, and provide
you with a valuable opportunity
to trade experience with
others.
£470+VAT per delegate
19 - 20 October 2017, Birmingham
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specifi c
requirements.
£3,900 +VAT for up to ten delegates.
£1,950+VAT for up to ten delegates.
Go to our website or telephone
EDGE Services for further details.
Go to our website or telephone
EDGE Services for further details.
EDGE Services
Equivalent to
30 learning hours
Course Accreditations:
EDGE Services
Equivalent to
14 learning hours
Course Accreditations:
For more details please
visit our website www.
edgeservices.co.uk/courses
For more details please
visit our website www.
edgeservices.co.uk/courses
Understanding and Managing
Behaviour that Challenges
KEY TRAINER’S
CERTIFICATE
This four day course
will provide you with the
knowledge, skills and
confi dence to train others in
de-escalation and breakaway
techniques, which can be
adopted to deal with individuals
exhibiting challenging
behaviour.
Public Training Courses
£750+VAT per delegate
18 - 21 July 2017, Birmingham
14 - 17 November 2017, Glasgow
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specifi c
requirements.
£3,900 +VAT for up to ten delegates.
Understanding and Managing
Behaviour that Challenges (Refresher/
Update)
KEY TRAINER’S
CERTIFICATE
This one day Refresher/Update
course will further advance
your professional development,
de-escalation and breakaway
skills and provide you with a
valuable opportunity to trade
experiences with others.
Public Training Courses
£285+VAT per delegate
17 July 2017, Birmingham
13 November 2017, Glasgow
Dates for 2018 courses will be
published on our website from
October 2017.
In-House Training Courses
We can tailor-make this course to
suit your organisation’s specifi c
requirements.
£975 +VAT for up to ten delegates.
EDGE Services
Go to our website or telephone
EDGE Services for further details.
EDGE Services
Go to our website or telephone
EDGE Services for further details.
Equivalent to
30 learning hours
Course Accreditations:
learning hours
Equivalent to
7
Course Accreditations:
For more details please
visit our website www.
edgeservices.co.uk/courses
For more details please
visit our website www.
edgeservices.co.uk/courses
EDGE services

Archers’ actress is awarded a CBE for
raising awareness of dementia
June Spencer, who raised the profile of dementia on the
long-running radio show The Archers, has been awarded a
CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
June, who is both the longest serving member of the cast,
and the only surviving initial cast member, has done a great
deal to highlight the issues of people with dementia and
their carers through her character Peggy Woolley’s storyline
in the radio soap. Experts have praised her Alzheimer’s
storyline, in which she struggled to come to terms with her
husband Jack’s dementia. They believe it has helped to
change public attitudes and her issues have resonated with
millions of listeners, which has helped to bring the disease
into the spotlight.
June herself has been a supporter of the charity Alzheimer’s
Research UK since 2005, helping fundraising campaigns for
the charity and raising thousands for research.
Tim Parry, director of communications at Alzheimer’s
Research UK, called her “a trail-blazer in raising awareness
about dementia, recreating her experiences of caring
for someone with dementia on one of the most public of
platforms on The Archers. Her commitment to portraying
the daily challenges of caring for someone with dementia
galvanised public support for the condition at a time when it
was only starting to come out of the shadows.”
Summer 2017 Newsletter 9
EDGE services
Why Not Try These To Enhance
Manual Handling Training?
We have just launched two new professionally produced training
booklets to enhance your own training to your staff. Both
booklets cover the theory only of manual handling training and
work either as self-directed learning (via a workbook) or face to
face training (via a theory book) that you can give to your own
staff as part of your training programme for them.
Cost: £48 for 20*
For more information go to:
www.edgeservices.co.uk/products
*introductory offer
until 31st July, 2017
EDGE services
01904 677853
enquiries@edgeservices.co.uk
edgeservices.co.uk
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

10 Summer 2017 Newsletter
More Cuts in
Social Care
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
(ADASS) have warned that despite the additional £1bn
promised social care in the recent Budget and a 5%
increase in spending on last year, the sector would still be
left having to make savings in the region of £824m in the
next financial year.
Care Home Group fined
after death of Elderly
Resident
On 7 June 2017 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
fined a care home company almost half a million pounds
after an elderly resident fell from her first floor window and
died.
In the proceedings Guildford Crown Court heard that the
87-year-old was staying at the nursing home in Surrey. In
the early hours of 3 October 2013, the woman fell about
four metres through her window.
She was reported missing at 1am and found two hours
later. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found
that the window restrictor in place, which normally prevents
the window from opening fully, was easily overridden and
therefore not fit for purpose.
The Essex based company, pleaded guilty to breaching
Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The company was fined £450,000 and ordered to pay
costs of £14,762.44.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Rebekah Dunn
said: “It was clear from our investigation that the window
restrictor was simply not doing the job of preventing the
window from opening. It is alarming, and tragic, that an
87-year-old woman with dementia was able to defeat it.
ADASS said that they anticipate that around £20.8bn
would be spent on care but that with steadily rising
demand the sector is still underfunded and further cuts
were unavoidable.
Having consulted around 150 council care chiefs
regarding their future financial plans, it was found that
although improvements to efficiency would help meet
some of the shortfall, service users – both in care of in
their own homes – should anticipate the services they
require to be rationed further.
Over 1m people rely on council care services, two-thirds
of them older people.
ADASS said the cuts will impact the more than a million
people – two-thirds of whom are elderly – who depend
on care services provided by their local council. Cuts are
likely to mean that visits are shorter, options are fewer
and some people will be denied assistance altogether. In
addition, some charges are likely to rise. It is also unlikely
that companies who operate care homes and services
will escape the impact of cuts.
Over £6bn of savings have been made to social care
since the coalition came to power in 2010. Nearly threequarters
of directors of adult social services surveyed
said they expected the situation to get worse in the next
twelve months.
ADASS president Margaret Wilcox said the system
remained on a “cliff edge” and “The need for a long-term
solution has never been more urgent or vital.”
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which
rely on care services to get the frail out of hospital,
predicted a “very difficult” winter.
“[The company] therefore failed to ensure the woman’s
safety, which is particularly important given its unique
position of trust. All windows that are large enough for
people through should be restrained sufficiently to prevent
such falls. The 100mm benchmark should only be allowed
to disengage using a special tool or key.”
EDGE services

Summer 2017 Newsletter 11
Need to know
Change Management
There is often a need for the
delegates that EDGE Services
train on courses such as safer
moving and handling or better
management of behaviour that
challenges to return to their
workplace and effect changes. In
many circumstances, these ‘Key
Trainers’ take the lead to manage
these changes to improve the
quality of care delivered. Indeed,
there are very few working
environments where change
management is not important and
the care sector is no exception to
this.
If you find yourself responsible for
change management in a work
setting you may be interested
to know that there are generally
agreed to be five key principles to
this process:
1. Different people react
differently to change.
The below diagram represents a
spectrum of change.
Different people have different
preferences for where they are
comfortable on the spectrum.
Some people like to be at the
‘Stability’ end of the spectrum
they like things to be as they
have always been. Others like
to be at the ‘Change’ end liking
something different and new.
Problems arise when people find
themselves in a different situation
to their preference. In these
circumstances individual staff can
experience high levels of stress
and dissatisfaction, resistance
and distrust, and in some extreme
cases a loss of rational judgement.
2. Everyone has fundamental
needs that have to be met.
A famous psychologist called Will
Schutz identified three basic needs
that people have in interpersonal
relations. These are the need for
control, the need for inclusion and
the need for affection or openness
and they are all of fundamental
importance in people’s reaction to
change. In any change process,
there is always some degree of need
over one’s environment/destiny,
some degree of need to be included
in the process of change that is
taking place and some degree of
need for friendship/appreciation/
social interaction. If a change
programme fails to meet these needs
in staff then it is likely to encounter a
range of negative responses.
3. Change often involves a loss
and people go through the ‘loss
curve’.
The relevance of the ‘loss curve’
in change management is widely
recognised. There can be an initial
period when the change does not
sink in. Many staff may convince
themselves that the change is not
going to happen. When the change
does occur, staff may hit a low ebb
possibly feeling agitated that they
were not ready. This is particularly
so if the change is sudden or
unexpected of course. There is
then a period of adjustment to the
new situation - though this can be
uncomfortable for some and, in
reality, can take a while to bed in.
4. Expectations need to be
managed realistically.
The relationship between
expectations and reality in change
management is very important.
Change managers need to ensure
they do not worsen a situation by
making promises that cannot or
will not be met. For instance, do
not promise lots of new handling
equipment if this is unlikely to
happen. Don’t promise an updated
policy/procedure or a complete
overhaul of risk assessments
by the end of the month if the
process is likely to take six months
as staff may become negative
and possibly even hostile in this
situation.
5. Fears have to be dealt with.
In times of significant change
people often fear the worst. Try to
alleviate this by helping people to
recognise that change provides
opportunities and the reason for
change is often a positive one for
example to improve client care or
to reduce staff injuries.
Thank them for their involvement
in the change process. Reassure
them that the short-term changes
are for the long-term better.
STABILITY …..........................................................................……………………….....……………………CHANGE
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853

Visit Our Website...
To learn more about EDGE Services
why not visit our website, where you
can book a place on one of our public
courses or keep updated with industry
news.
You can also:
• fi nd out about some of our clients and
read what they have to say about
EDGE training on our testimonials
page.
• browse some of the questions our
trainers regularly get asked on the
useful ‘Frequently Asked Questions’
(FAQ) tab.
• order the range of professional
and invaluable products available
to delegates who have completed
EDGE people handling, children
handling and understanding
challenging behaviour training
courses.
www.edgeservices.co.uk
EDGE services
Post-Training Support
Post-Training
Support
Service:
www.edgeservices.co.uk
01904 677853
When you undertake an EDGE Services’ course
you learn a great deal in a short period of time.
We understand however that, very often, the real
learning begins when you return to work and start
delivering your training.
PTS - Postcard paul.indd 1 30/11/07 16:41:08
Out invaluable Post-Training Support Service gives
you the reassurance of knowing that, when the
unexpected happens, one of our Senior Trainer’s will
talk you through the situation or problem and offer
clear guidance and advice.
Valid for the duration of your training certifi cate
EDGE teach you the subject then we support you in
practice. Call us today on 01904 677853 – we are
waiting for your call!
Become part of the EDGE community
www.twitter.com/edgehandling
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If you are not already aware,
EDGE is using both of these
popular social media outlets to
extend the reach of our invaluable
Post-Training Support Service.
Our pages are updated each
week with care industry news,
useful updates and dates for
your diary and both provide an
opportunity for you to have your
say.
We also use the pages to answer
or highlight questions that the
EDGE training team frequently get
asked about moving and handling
and understanding behaviour that
challenges.
Please like or follow us.
Tel: 01904 677853
Email: enquiries@edgeservices.co.uk
Web: www.edgeservices.co.uk
EDGE services