About the course

Supported housing staff at any level are often confronted by the need to consider health and safety issues, whether in a hostel setting, a group home, or visiting a client in their own accommodation. This course will provide a basic introduction to food hygiene, pest control, safe handling of sharps and the control of infection in a supported housing context.

This course is for supported housing staff, including resettlement and outreach workers, who work directly with residents and visit them at home (e.g. hostel, group home, supported lodgings, own flat). The course is also suitable for domestic staff.

Course Content

• Have an appreciation of factors associated with good food hygiene practice within the domestic environment
• Have a basic understanding of the health risks associated with the most common pests together with domestic animals and pets
• Be familiar with the risks and safe handling of sharps, clinical waste and spillages
• Be able to identify and understand the reasons for, and control methods of, the most common pests, parasites and pathogens associated with supported housing
• Recognise and have a basic understanding of suitable control measures including use of gloves, vaccinations, and Risk assessment

Steve Pepper runs his own private training business specialising in Supported Housing, Health & Safety (including Food Hygiene) and staff development.

Steve is a graduate of the HCIMA and CIPD and a corporate member of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health.

Prior to his current role he spent a number of years as a training centre manager for a national registered charity delivering Apprenticeships, train to gain and working with people who faced significant disadvantages in life. He was also a Support and Resettlement Manager for ECHG in Leeds.

While working for Harrogate Health Care as a Training and Project Manager he gained invaluable experience as a control of infection rep and as taking the lead role on Pest Control Management for the Authority. He is an IRCA accredited ISO9000 series Auditor and has implemented a number of quality systems including PQASSO, ISO 9002, Customer First and various "In House" systems. Steve has recently undertaken a Diploma in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is working towards being accredited as an NLP Practitioner.