Putting people first: The benefits of training your team in single-handed/proportionate care
One-to-one moving and handling of people, when used appropriately, can revolutionise care - offering greater dignity and independence to those being cared for and easing pressure on staff and the healthcare system.
What is single-handed care?
Single-handed care is a new approach to moving and handling and is sometimes also known as “proportionate” or “optimised” care. It is based on providing dignified, personalised and efficient moving and handling of someone in care by one carer, rather than the traditional two (‘double-handed’ care), and can be applied across multiple healthcare and social care settings.
In October 2024, Care England, which represents independent providers of adult social care in England, released a report in partnership with care provider, Nightingale Hammerson, and training organisation, A1 Risk Solutions, which examines the potential benefits that this approach can offer.
According to the report, entitled Are two people always required for moving and handling?, the majority of social care providers mistakenly believe that it is unlawful to provide moving and handling care activities with less than two carers and have therefore applied a standard policy that requires two staff to move a person at any time.
However, this is not always the case, with single-handed care meeting the requirements of both the Care Act 2014 and health and safety legislation by ensuring the correct training, systems, equipment, processes and risk assessments are in place.
What are the benefits to those being cared for?
Meeting the needs of the people who are being moved/handled by carers is central to the single-handed care approach. By enabling more personalised care, those being cared for are given much greater privacy, dignity, independence and control over their day-to-day lives.
Research published in 2017 found that single-handed care was more flexible and responsive to their needs and that they enjoyed the one-to-one relationship with their carer, while the Are two people always required for moving and handling? report found that it resulted in a greater sense of inclusivity and social connection.
By enabling individuals to do as much for themselves as possible, proportionate single-handed care also helps to reduces the likelihood of people becoming deconditioned and being readmitted to hospital or admitted to long-term care.
What are the benefits for staff and care organisations?
In addition to improving the wellbeing of those being cared for, single-handed care “can save significant time, especially with proper training and support”, according to the Care England report. This enables staff and organisations alike to use their resources more efficiently, reducing pressure and increasing much needed capacity.
The 2017 research argues that the traditional two-handed care policy “encourages unnecessary caution and over provision in the workplace that has huge cost implications against a backdrop of persistent pressure to reduce the burden of cost of social care. A dwindling carer workforce only serves to exacerbate this situation.”
According to Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive: Care England: "Single-Handed Care has the potential to reshape the care industry by introducing a forward-thinking, efficient model that benefits both caregivers and those receiving support, leading to better experiences and long-term improvements across the board. When used appropriately, it can significantly enhance the privacy, wellbeing, independence, and dignity of service users and has the potential to reduce care waiting times, minimise hospital admissions and durations, and support individuals in remaining within their own homes. This pioneering approach also enables care teams to manage their workloads more efficiently and fosters more meaningful and personalised engagement with service users."
Nuno Santos Lopes, Director of Research, Innovation And Community Engagement, Reach by Nightingale Hammerson, says: “Many care homes have a policy-led approach to moving and handling, requiring two carers to transfer a resident using equipment. This can lead to unnecessary delays in, for example, mobilising a person from a wheelchair to the toilet, resulting in considerable discomfort and distress. It’s time to change our approach to be person-centred and not policy-centred.
“We need to think about the person who, instead of waiting for a second carer to arrive, could have been assisted straight away one-to-one with a trained carer. A single-handed care approach is not suitable for everyone but should be used for those who would benefit from it. Proportionate single-handed care can offer more dignity for residents and a more efficient use of staff time.”
Training staff in single-handed care
The RoSPA Level 2 Award in Proportionate/Single-Handed Care Practice represents the first time that the principles of single-handed care have been formalised into an Ofqual-regulated qualification
It has been expertly developed in partnership with key stakeholders including Skills for Care, Care England, and clinicians and technical specialists from NHS Trusts, hospices and health and social care providers.
This new qualification is based on current best practice, aligns with regulatory standards, and shaped by those who understand the real-world challenges of the sector — ensuring it meets the evolving needs of care professionals and the people they support.
Find out more at: https://www.rospa.com/health-and-safety-qualifications/health-and-safety-qualification-courses/rospa-level-2-proportionatesingle-handed-care-practice