Past courses

If you are interested in any of the courses we have run in the past, please get in touch and we can discuss repeating the course with the relevant speaker.

• Safeguarding Children & Adults

  As independent practitioners we are expected, in accordance with the HPC standards, to "...retain [their] capacity to practise safely, effectively and legally within [their] evolving scope of practice’ (this definition is taken from the Allied Health Professions project, ‘Demonstrating competence through CPD’, 2002.) including mandatory key issues and core legislation. Hence we deemed this subject as of utmost importance for Independent Practitioners. The training was given by Matt Jackson of Trust Interventions, a specialist learning and development consultancy. Of the 5 people attending 3 felt the course content, relative to their expectations, was excellent and 2 good. 4 felt Matt to be an excellent speaker and 1 good. The course was held as a full morning, rather than the advertised split day - amalagmating both children and adults. This was necessary due to small delegate numbers. The learning outcomes have fulfilled the basic level of requirements for delegates to comply with their professional responsibilities. The Safeguarding Children session aimed to progress interagency working with a view to improving the outcomes for children in line with Working Together 2006. This is achieved by creating a shared understanding of inter-agency roles and responsibilities and identifying how personal responsibility can contribute to this. All delegates are now able to identify the clearly defined learning outcomes. The Safeguarding Adults Awareness session has been developed in accordance with ‘No Secrets’ (DoH, 2000), 5.2-5.3 and ‘Safeguarding Adults’ (ADASS, 2005). All delegates are now able to identify the clearly defined learning outcomes.

  8 July 2010, Thurmaston Medical Centre, Leicester

• Basic Life Support / Conflict Resolution & Lone Working

  We had a great practical training day: with 6 delegates attending. Matt is a very knowledgeable speaker who makes potentially dry topics stimulating and memorable. He runs Trust Interventions, a specialist learning and development consultancy. 4 of the delegates rated Matt as an excellent speaker and 2 as good. The delegates who attended either stayed the whole day or just came for the morning or afternoon thereby giving flexibility if both subjects not required. The Basic Life Support session in the morning was delivered in line with the Resuscitation Council UK guidance and was intended either as an update or for those who had never practised simulated Basic Life Support before. CPR/AED and accurate referral to emergency services skills were assessed and Matt provided delegates with a signed training record as evidence for their CPD portfolios. Overall this course addressed a balance of both theoretical and practical skills requirements with an opportunity to practise in a safe environment. In the afternoon the Conflict Resolution & Lone Working course was delivered in line with the NHS Business Services Authority Conflict Resolution National Syllabus and was intended either as an update or for those who had never attended such a course before. Overall it addressed a balance of both theoretical and practical skills requirements for conflict resolution but did not require delegates to undertake role play.

  17 June 2010, Thurmaston Medical Centre, Leicester

• Business Promotion: Social Communication Networks are the way forward

  This day was aimed at any independent practitioner who wanted to understand the nuances of social communication networks. The tag line for this event was: Rather than being baffled come and break down the barriers around social networking and embrace the technology that will give you the confidence to look more openly and creatively at ways of enhancing your day to day work and promote your name and therefore your business. Removing some of the mysteries was definitely achieved and by the end of the day I think we all went away with the confidence to continue to explore social media further! Discussion and practical advice on how to negotiate and join various social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and how to devise and set up our own blogs was carried out throughout the day - everyone with their laptops open afore them! Jon's name was in demand "How do I just ..." and necks were craned at our neighbours' screens "So how did you do that already?!" It is now understandable that such networking can put you in touch with a wealth of other professionals; give you the means to keep in contact with clients - especially those who may have social skills difficulties; improve links for supervision and mentoring and possibly even bring you potential clients. Although it was apparent that each delegate had a definite leaning towards one favoured 'tool'. We had a very interesting discussion about ethics which is a topic that TL will follow up in the Working Independently Within the Law course in September. Please see http://post.ly/iT2x for the thoughts that Jon blogged after the day and join in the ongoing discussions. It was great fun setting up our own blogs! Some folk have a better eye for colour and design! (I did decide not to stick with the turquoise background Lisa ... thankfully eh!!) There are no photos for the day ... due to reduced numbers, just 4 delegates, we held it at Trish's house and thus wanted to keep her privacy. Why ON EARTH didn't more people flock to this course? It was such a educative day. The highlights of the non-working part of the day were Trish's superb homemade cake and sitting outside eating strawberries! Delegate feedback rated: (only had 3 of 4 feedback forms back at present) - Jon was felt to be an excellent speaker by 2 delegates and by 1 as good - In relation to where the course held the situation was good for all, with the food rated as excellent by all 3 - the opportunity for networking was good for all. Many thanks Jon - it was a great day! If you want the opportunity to come on this stimulating and practical day in the future please get in touch - when we have enough folk we can arrange another day with Jon.

  4 June 2010, Leicestershire,

• Manual Handling Refresher Course

  This day was for all independent practitioners to come and update their knowledge on moving and handling both clients and equipment. It incorporated both theory and practical elements with the opportunity to update knowledge on high risk moves, care handling versus therapeutic handling and hands on practice with equipment used in most work settings. We had just 4 attendees but it gave them the opportunity for more interaction and 1:1 guidance during the afternoon practical session. The whole day had a very relaxed and informal air with all delegates happy to ask questions and get clarification throughout the day. We had a demonstration of the Roomer in the afternoon by Human Care (thanks to Richard for being available at the last minute!) which was attended by our delegates, clients and contractors - there was good feedback about this versatile ceiling tracking system. Unfortunately Lisclare could not attend as originally planned but they still very kindly sponsored the lunch. Delegate feedback rated: - Diana to be an excellent speaker by 3 delegates and by 1 as good - In relation to the Nottingham DLC the situation was excellent for 2 people and good for 2 - The comfort of the room as excellent for one, good by 2 and satisfactory by 1 - Opportunity for networking was excellent for 3 and good for 1. It is hoped that there will be enough demand for this course to be repeated. If venturing to another part of the country a venue with relevant equipment will be sought as it was advantageous to have everything pertinent on site.

  30 April 2010, Disabilities Living Centre, Nottingham

• ‘Can anybody hear me?’ Better listening in independent practice.

  Sadly we had to cancel this course due to extreme lack of numbers. Trish and I were very priviledged in being invited to the speaker's house so she could give us a condensed version of the day - we both gleaned new knowledge and the opportunity to hone some of our existing skills. We came away wishing others had been able to share the experience and hope that we will be able to offer this course to our fellow practitioners somewhen in the future. The precis for the course had been: The beauty of independent practice is having the time to spend with individual clients to be able to listen to them in depth. You might be the first person that really listens to the client, and doing so is invaluable when considering how best to help. But how able do you feel to encourage your clients to open up so that you can explore their needs fully? What are the important cues and signals to listen for? How can you respond to a client's tears so that they feel understood but are not left in pieces when you leave? This training day will help you to build on existing skills as well as developing new techniques for listening more effectively. It is a practical, enjoyable, inspiring and active day that aims to give you a variety of helpful listening skills to add to your toolbox. Stand out from the crowd and maximise your potential as an independent practitioner by learning to listen better. When Trish and I have the opportunity, hopefully during the summer period, we will try and share some of the things we learnt via our news page.

  25 March 2010, Fieldhead Hotel, Leicestershire

• How to Develop your Private Practice

  A practical exploration of how to develop a private practice, perfectly suited for those fresh out of the NHS, or for those wanting to give an established practice a boost. For many, knowing how to market and operate a successful practice is a mystery – this course will give ready-to-use tips and thought-provoking exercises to help you grow your client list. Looking at the programme will give you a flavour of the course - including: marketing, communicating your 'brand', provision of resource information and you will leave the day having compiled a new action plan and with a course booklet. Any questions delegates have for James will be given to him prior to the course so he can answer each specific one; which he is more than happy to throughout the day. He prefers to have no more than 20 people so he can focus on everyones requirements, including looking at websites and business cards to offer general advice. After the course he offers each delegate 1/2 hour free consultation. This course is to be run in the East Midlands area. We are waiting until the early bird date closes on 20 August to find out how many delegates we have prior to deciding which venue to use (they are all within a 5 mile radius of junction 24 of the M1). We are hoping to get the full 20 delegates, in which case we will be going with our prefered venue which is Thrumpton Hall www.thrumptonhall.com

  19 November 2009, Thrumpton Hall, Nottinghamshire

• Working Independently Within the Law 2009

  Documentation and litigation issues will be highlighted for those of you working independently and wishing to keep within the law. As Independent Therapists this is an exciting and essential course to improve our understanding of the Legal System, Negligence Liability, Consent to Treatment and how we Document and Keep Our Records. In our working practice we MUST ensure we have this knowledge. This is your opportunity to come and learn what you need to know about the Legal System – be informed not fearful.

  21 May 2009, Hilton Newbury North Hotel, Newbury, Berkshire

• Independent Practitioners Basic Life Skills & AED and Moving & Handling Update/Refresher Course

  The morning session of this course has been designed to enable delegates to acquire a general awareness and update on the topical areas of Basic Life Skills and AED. A variety of teaching methods will be used including group work, discussion, demonstration and practice of practical skills. The practical work will be customised to the work settings. Delegates will receive all relevant literature and handouts to support the course and can be used as reference for the future. The afternoon has been specifically designed for delegtes to update/refresh their manual handling skills. The training will be delivered in flexible manner to allow consideration of specific situations participants may find useful to explore and include: • A review of relevant legislation • Consideration of the therapist’s responsibilities in relation to manual handling risk assessment • A review of the key principles for safer manual handling • An update on handling techniques considered to be high risk and current professional guidance on use of these • Opportunities to practice a range of handling manoeuvres including weight bearing transfers, the use of low friction equipment and hoists

  12 February 2009, Handling Movement and Ergonomics Ltd, Ilkeston, Derbyshire

• Effective Networking Techniques and Managing Your Business

  This highly participative, fun and rewarding training day is aimed at all independent health practitioners either setting up or already managing their own business. In todays current work climate there is not only the need to be an excellent clinician but a competent and engaging business person. More practitioners are looking to work in the independent field - be one step ahead of the rest in building your profile and business. Sue Tonks will show you the humorous sides of networking; develop your skills in building relationships and how to ask the right questions. Plus she will help you solve the question “What do you do?” and show you how to follow up effectively after meeting people. With her special guest (who’s name will remain a secret!) she will help you to become a confident and effective networker. The day will also be geared to help give an insight into the difficulties faced when self-employed, information about pressures of expanding & growing a business & how to influence others to help you achieve your business objectives. This is a course not to be missed. Those of you who have already had the pleasure of hearing Sue present will know just how much she has to offer and how the information she gives stays with you and really works!

  20 November 2008, Thistle East Midlands Airport Hotel, Derbyshire

• CPD for Independent Practitioners

  This day is for all independent practitioners. The first HPC audits have begun for Chiropodists and Podiatrists. The next dates and professions are: "Aug ‘09 – Orthoptists; Aug ‘09 – Paramedics; Sept ‘09 - Clinical scientists, Prosthetists and Orthotists and Speech and Language Therapists; Oct ‘09 - Occupational Therapists; Nov ‘09 - Biomedical Scientists; Feb ‘10 – Radiographers; April ‘10 – Physiotherapists and May ‘10 - Art therapists and Dietitians. The evidence will have to show that the CPD an individual has undertaken has contributed to the quality of their practice and demonstrates that it benefited the service user. The standards apply not only to those in clinical practice, but also to those working in research, management or education." Source: HPC Introduce CPD requirements from July 2006 30/05/2006 www.hpc-uk.org. Are you ready to prove your competency? How can you best prove your competency? Come to this practical, informative day to ensure you are fully confident & prepared for the HPC process. It aims to answer questions about what is required when providing evidence & profiles for this process such as: “What are the HPC specifically looking for? Working independently is it more likely I’ll be audited? How do I demonstrate my clinical workload confidentially? What activities can I carry out? What should my portfolio consist of? Is my business development plan useful evidence?" At present we have a draft programme, which will be adapted, as we discover what delegates most want to gain from the course.

  23 October 2008, Thistle East Midlands Airport Hotel, Derbyshire

• Tax Can be Relaxing!

  This day was geared at independent practitioners who were both new to self-employment or who had been in business for a few years but still had queries and questions they haven’t dared ask their accountant! Even before launching into the world of self-employment, “What do I do about tax – I don’t know where to start” seems to be the statement which holds people back. This informative and reassuring training day answered everyones questions and much more besides. Michael imparted his knowledge in a humorous and thoroughly understandable manner. The feedback was such that, out of 8 questionnaires returned, 8 felt Michael had been an excellent speaker and 8 felt the course content, relative to their expectations, had been excellent. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to attend this course in the future.

  3 July 2008, Thistle East Midlands Airport Hotel, Derbyshire

• Working Independently within the Law June 2007

  Documentation and litigation issues will be highlighted for those of you working independently and wishing to keep within the law. This course will be repeated, Therapy Learning are in the process of planning this.

  21 June 2007, Hilton East Midlands Airport Hotel, Castle Donnington, Derby

What attendees have said

“Know TL and asked for this course. It was great! The afternoon was a little slow - could do with items a little quicker.”

“You are the best people the hotel has ever worked with”