FEATURE
Training - from left , RAH Group ’ s Phil Essex , Ruth Hewitt , Craig Haley and Bethany Patchett with Roary the Lion and Paul Shepherd from the MFC Foundation .
“ However , we want to take that a stage further and help people to find ways of assisting with some of the difficulties that individuals with dementia may face .
“ There is a big practical element to the one-day course . Take staff at Middlesbrough FC as an example – stewards and others will be coming into everyday contact with individuals with dementia . Staff may struggle in some of the situations they face and may not know how to respond effectively .
“ This may create further difficulties and cause possible distress for an individual with dementia . We aim to give staff practical skills , allowing them to communicate more effectively . These are just some of the elements that we are trying to develop through this course for the MFC Foundation .”
Craig , a former manager of non-league Thornaby , said : “ My passion led us down the football route , but what we have realised is that this opens up to society as a whole , that more and more awareness of how to deal with dementia is needed .”
Kirkleatham-based RAH Group is a bronze friendship partner of MFC Foundation and EDGE Services is a gold partner , displaying a clear bond to ensure that the relationship continues to blossom away from the pitch .
EDGE Services , based in Walmgate , York , operates throughout the UK and is further expanding to Teesside , having
built up a strong reputation for delivering people handling courses . It was already one of the leading training providers in the country before RAH Group acquired it in September 2021 .
EDGE Services operations manager Ruth Hewitt said : “ We provide training for the care sector in 11 public venues across the country . We also train in-house , travelling to a client ’ s work base and training their staff there .
“ I have been at EDGE Services for 20 years . We are one of the largest providers for this type of training in the UK . We had paused training during lockdown but continued supporting clients throughout that time .
“ Our senior trainer , Sharon Zens , recently spoke at the Scottish Manual Handling Forum in Glasgow regarding how we supported clients and how the industry continued to work safely through the pandemic .”
EDGE Services – the Manual Handling Training Company – provides many courses , its main one being the People Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer ’ s Certificate . It has worked with a long list of clients , including BUPA Healthcare and various councils and health authorities .
As the course is a Key Trainer certificate , this enables delegates to be trained by EDGE Services and then return to their workplace to train others .
Ruth added : “ We also provide refresher / update courses and advanced manual handling workshops , as well as children handling specific training .”
EDGE Services , led by the RAH Group for the last 12 months , is going from strength to strength and building on more than two decades of success under the guidance of its previous owners , Kate and Andy Lovett .
Craig , who had long had a passionate desire to go into a business that effects positive change in others , and regularly discussed plans with his late father before he lost his battle with cancer , acquired EDGE Services when there were initial plans in place to reach new heights . And after just one year , he ’ s excited about the future . He said : “ When we acquired the business , there were elements already starting to expand . We actioned it and believed in our team to create the quality you are now starting to see .
“ Now we are working effectively with dementia and wellbeing , and it was born out of a very sound business idea in both sporting and business sectors . It has tied in nicely with RAH Group reaching the first year as parent owner of EDGE Services .
“ Phil has designed the ‘ Working Effectively with Dementia Workshop ’, which is assured by RoSPA Qualifications , and we are looking forward to presenting it for the MFC Foundation in October , just after our official birthday .”
For further information on RAH Group and EDGE Services , visit edgeservices . co . uk and rahgroup . co . uk
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