Programme
- DAY ONE
-
- 08.55
-
Registration
- 09.00
-
Welcome, introduction and course outline
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- 09.10
-
Occupational health scope, context and key concepts
Dr John Ballard, Occupational Health [at Work]
- Defining OH – impact of work on health, and of health on work
- Scale and causes of occupational ill health
- Work-related or work-caused?
- What makes healthy work?
- OH and the socio-economic determinants of health
- OH models of delivery
- OH roles and qualifications
- Accredited OH services (SEQOHS)
- Wellbeing and OH
- Evidence-based practice
- Workers’ health information
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team
- 10.55
-
Break
- 11.15
-
Key concepts in OH
Dr John Ballard, Occupational Health [at Work]
- Fitness for work
- pre-employment/pre-placement
- ongoing fitness to work
- statutory/regulatory considerations
- Disability at work – definitions, prevalence, employment and the role of OH
- Sickness absence, return to work and the biopsychosocial model
- Fitness for work
- 12.00
-
Occupational health vs clinical care
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- Similarities and differences
- Site visits – understanding the workplace, job roles and hazards
- Working with others: safety officers, HR, line managers, TU representatives (staff council, where relevant), board/senior management
- Relationship with other healthcare professionals – GPs and specialists
- 12.30
-
Q&A
- 12.45
-
Lunch
- 13.35
-
The OH consultation
Susan Gee, Yorkshire Water
- The referral process
- Consent – for the referral and for the release of the report to managers
- Consultation method – face to face or remote
- Managing the time and presence of others
- Shared decision-making in OH
- Using the biopsychosocial approach and the ‘flags’ model in practice
- Providing the right advice to managers and HR
- 14.25
-
The OH report
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- Purpose of the report
- Fact vs opinion; function not diagnosis
- Release of report to management
- Disputes
- What if OH advice conflicts that of the GP?
- 14.55
-
Break
- 15.15
-
OH legal (and ethical) issues – part 1
Prof Diana Kloss, barrister
- Duty of care
- Consent
- Confidentiality
- Data protection
- Disability discrimination and duty to make reasonable adjustments
- Knowledge of disability
- OH reports as evidence to an employment tribunal
(This session is based on UK law)
- 16.20
-
Wellbeing and health promotion
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- Why promoting general health is an important workplace issue
- What works at work
- Is there a business case?
- 16.50
-
Q&A
- 17.05
-
End of day
- DAY 2
-
- 08.55
-
Registration
- 09.00
-
Introduction to day 2
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- 9.05
-
OH legal issues – part 2
Prof Diana Kloss, barrister
- Health and safety legislation
- ‘So far as is reasonably practicable’/‘As low as reasonably practicable’
- Risk assessment
- Health surveillance
- RIDDOR
- Prescribed occupational diseases
- Personal injury and negligence
(This session is based on UK law)
- 9.45
-
Fitness for Work and managing disability
Dr Simon Sheard, Health Partners Group
- Assessing fitness for work
- at pre-employment
- management referral
- Assessing impact of disability on work
- Impact of work on disability
- safety considerations
- whose decision?
- Advising on disclosure to management
- Reasonable adjustments in practice
- Assessing fitness for work
- 10.55
-
Break
- 11.15
-
Sickness absence – part 1: Assessing and understanding the case
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- Simple or complex?
- Exploring beliefs and expectations about illness and return to work
- Addressing barriers and facilitators to recovery
- Guidance on likely return-to-work times
- 11.45
-
Sickness absence – part 2: Return to work and job retention
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- Language – adjustments versus modifications
- Managing expectations
- The Fit Note
- Graded returns
- The return-to-work plan
- Review
- 12.15
-
Q&A on morning sessions
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- 12.25
-
Lunch
- 13.15
-
Work-related ill health overview
Dr Simon Sheard, Health Partners Group
- New or longstanding cases (incidence versus prevalence)
- Impact on work and impact of work:
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Stress and burnout
- Other common mental health disorders
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Hand–arm vibration syndrome
- Occupational and work-related asthma
- Occupational skin disease
- 13.45
-
Prevention and management in practice
Dr Simon Sheard, Health Partners Group
- Risk assessment in practice
- The COSHH regulations
- Health surveillance
- The hierarchy of control
- Workplace exposure limits
- Noise and vibration
- Eyesight
- Shiftwork/nightwork
- Stress and the HSE’s Management Standards
- When is immunisation appropriate in OH?
- Driving and work
- 14.45
-
Break
- 15.05
-
Good occupational health practice
Dr Simon Sheard, Health Partners Group
- Clinical supervision
- Ethical guidance
- Continuing professional development/career-long learning
- Indemnity insurance
- How to avoid complaints
- Peer support and networking
- When to refer on
- Where to get further support, information and education
- OH professional bodies
- Careers in OH
- 15.50
-
Managing cases in practice
Sandra Winters, Independent specialist (OH) practitioner
- A look at case studies examples to discuss how best to manage cases in practice
- 16.30
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Optional end of course quiz
- 16.45
-
Chair’s round up of course and Q&A
- 17.05
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End of course
Benefits of attending
How will attending this course benefit you and your organisation?
The Foundation Course in Occupational Health is designed to fast-track your knowledge and understanding of occupational health.
Starting from first principles, it brings together important concepts including developing your legal and ethical knowledge, and taking an evidence-based approach to the OH management of fitness for work, sickness absence and disability.
It will give you tips for getting the most out of OH consultations, and gives you the essential building blocks to best manage cases in practice, and write OH reports. It also gives you advice on best practice in the profession, and on how to be an effective OH team member.
It will also be valuable for those planning further study in the field.
Who should attend:
The course is designed for OH nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals who:
- are new to OH, or who would like to learn more about it
- or have less than two years’ experience, but have not had formal training
If the course is of interest, and your job role is not listed above, please email info@atworkpartnership.co.uk to enquire.
Course format and teaching
This is a virtual course on Zoom over two full days. Most of the teaching is lecture based, but there is also plenty of interactive learning, from group work to optional multiple-choice questions to enhance the learning on the course.
About our expert tutors
Sandra Winters is an independent specialist OH practitioner, and was previously head of health and wellbeing for NHS England. She is a nurse consultant in OH, and specialises in the strategic development of workplace health and wellbeing.
Dr John Ballard has been researching and writing on OH and disability issues for over 30 years. He edits the Occupational Health [at Work] journal from The At Work Partnership.
Prof Diana Kloss is a barrister, former employment judge and honorary senior lecturer in OH Law at the University of Manchester. She is an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, an ACAS arbitrator, and in 2009, was awarded an MBE
Dr Simon Sheard is medical director at Health Partners Group. He is an experienced occupational physician having spent over 20 years in the Royal Navy and more than 25 years in the “outsourced” OH service environment.
Susan Gee is head of occupational health & wellbeing at Yorkshire Water. She was previously at Bradford Metropolitan District Council and a visiting lecturer in sickness absence management at Leeds Becket University.
