Penny Townsend

MCSP HPC registered, NBE registered member

I trained as a physiotherapist quite a few years ago now and not long after chose to specialise in neuro-developmental paediatrics. In this role I worked in a variety of acute and community settings.

Then everything changed, I had the opportunity to become a manual handling adviser for children with a disability working for a local authority. Since this appointment in 2006 I have developed the authority’s manual handling policy for safer handling of children and developed training packages for the wide variety of settings within the children’s service.  I positively thrive on problem solving manual handling issues around children with profound complex needs using my paediatric physiotherapy knowledge and manual handling skills. I like to think this makes a difference to the children and staff.

I am currently the vice-chair of the Yorkshire group who are a very proactive and busy group, previous to this I was the public relations officer for the group. I enjoyed the PRO role even if I did have my arm twisted to join the committee! During my time as PRO I was inspired to write 2 articles on meeting complex needs for ‘The Column’. I have also peer reviewed ‘The Manual Handling of Children’ book written by Pat Alexander and Carole Johnson, and written a book review for it which appeared in ‘The Column’. I have also presented a workshop at the NBE conference in 2010.

I have always enjoyed being a paediatric physiotherapist but manual handling has become that and much more to me, it’s great when school staff say “that feels so much easier to move the children that way and it doesn’t hurt anymore”

I look forward to taking on my new role as secretary to continue to give something back to the back care world that has supported and encouraged me to try something different.