ESCAPE-pain: rehabilitation for chronic joint pain

ESCAPE-pain helps people understand their condition, teaches them simple things they can help themselves with, and takes them through a progressive exercise programme so they learn how to cope with pain better.

The ESCAPE-pain model was designed and developed by Professor Mike Hurley (St. George’s University of London) with the support of an Arthritis Research UK Fellowship. It is an innovative approach to help people understand and manage their knee or hip pain through education and exercise, teaching people how to self-manage, control their symptoms and alter the course of their condition.

The programme

ESCAPE-pain is one of the seven programmes which has been selected for national adoption and spread across the AHSN Network during 2018-2020.

We are inviting partner organisations to apply to join our ESCAPE-pain programme. The programme will provide training and capability development, as well as networking opportunities for ESCAPE-pain facilitators across our region.

Training

To deliver ESCAPE-pain, facilitators must attend a one day facilitator training course. The course covers the principles of self-management, motivational interviewing and group facilitation techniques. After completing a training course, facilitators will also receive a set of resources to support the delivery of classes.

We will fully-fund up to 30 facilitators to complete this course. In the case of multiple submissions per borough, we will restrict funding for training to a maximum of two facilitators per borough.

The ESCAPE-pain training has been approved by the Register for Exercise Professionals (REPs) and we can now offer our trained facilitators seven CPD points if they are registered with REPs.

End of year celebration event

Each facilitator will also be invited to the end of year celebratory event, this will allow all of our delivery partners to come together and celebrate the delivery of ESCAPE-pain across our geography.

Commitment

Participant: Each successful applicant will be expected to have sufficient time and resources available to attend the one of the facilitator training days and actively participate in the CoP and the programme.

Organisation: Each facilitator will be expected to deliver ESCAPE-pain to at least one cohort (with a minimum of 10 participants completing the rehab) before 30 March 2020 and commit to include ESCAPE-pain as part of their ongoing offer to the population they serve.

Who can apply

We are inviting applications from qualified professionals across acute, community and public health settings within our region. Qualification requirements for ESCAPE-pain facilitators are as follows:

Clinical staff:

• Physiotherapist (or other relevant clinical qualification – suitability to be assessed on a case by case basis to ensure appropriate clinical knowledge and experience of prescribing exercise to patients)
• Basic clinical knowledge of osteoarthritis and its management are required, including familiarity with delivering education and exercise to patients
• At least two years post graduate experience

Non-clinical staff:

• Level 2/3 underpinning anatomy and physiology (essential)
• Level 3 Exercise Referral qualification OR level 4 qualification (essential)
• At least 150 hours previous experience of working with specialist populations e.g.
• Exercise referral, cardiac, back care, falls etc. (essential)
• Physiotherapy Assistants (under the supervision of a qualified Physiotherapist)
• One or more REPS Level 4 Qualifications (desirable)
• Introduction to MI/Understanding Behaviour Change (desirable)

Please note each application must be supported by an executive sponsor.

How to apply

To apply, please complete an application form and email it to escapepain@uclpartners.com. Read our Notes for Applicants.

As part of the application process we will need to collect and store some personal data about applicants. Read our privacy policy here.