Consultation is open on a proposal to develop a new qualification in assessing for wheelchairs and seating.  

The initiative was spearheaded by the Wheelchair Alliance whose Special Innovation Group  https://www.wheelchair-alliance.co.uk/blog/new-innovation-group-aims-to-improve-wheelchair-provision-for-users-across-england  identified the need for training to improve standards in assessing and prescribing wheelchairs.  

The Wheelchair Alliance champions national accountability for wheelchair users, their families and carers. They work hard to ensure that the right voices are heard and that change is positive and lasting.  

For statutory wheelchair services, the goal is to ensure that the most suitable product is specified for users. For the wider private market, the training will provide retailers and others with access to a national standard qualification ensuring improved quality in practice. 

We propose to develop a new qualification, based on the trusted assessor concept, providing the skills needed to assess and prescribe seating and wheelchairs for older and disabled people.  The course will be suitable for both regulated healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists needing a refresher and others that may be in a prime position to support recommendation or prescription in non-complex cases for seating and wheelchair provision such as independent commercial operators.  

Providing a competency framework and national qualification will not only align skill levels across the sector, but will enable an increase in appropriately trained prescribers, supporting more people to access correct seating and wheelchairs and enabling independence.  

Alignment with the Trusted Assessor model will ensure that a range of roles can be qualified to handle simple assessment cases and know when to refer more complex cases to a regulated HCPC prescriber. This maximises the range of roles involved and speeds up access to the right wheelchairs, reducing waiting times and increasing independence for users. 

This project has the unique opportunity through Wheelchair Alliance to ensure that user input is included from the start so that we can be confident that the content covers what matters to wheelchair users. The overarching goal is to ensure that prescriptions for wheelchairs and seating are optimised regardless of who undertakes the assessment. 

Consultation has started and organisations should get in touch with either TACT or Wheelchair Alliance to input into the development. Pilot courses are targeted to run in April / May 2025.  

To find out more about the programme and get involved in the consultation phase contact one of the project coordinators: 

Janet Seward 
Programme Manager, TACT 
janet@trustedassessing.com 

Karen Pearce 
Director and Project Manager 
Wheelchair Alliance 
karen.pearce@wheelchair-alliance.co.uk  

About TACT  

TACT’s Trainers are Occupational Therapists who have been chosen for their experience in the field of assessing for independent living equipment and their ability to deliver high quality training. 

All materials are written in collaboration with industry experts and regular reviews are held of the content to ensure consistency across trainers and accuracy of information. Learners are on-boarded and supported by a learning management system but also offered personal individual support. 

TACT has a track record in creating course content and national qualifications in this area. Examples of this are the joint project with BHTA to create a qualification for retailers of independent living equipment launched in February 2024 https://tact.18a.co/bhta-launches-trusted-assessor-course-for-retailers/ and the development of the national qualifications in Trusted Assessor at levels three and four – the latter was developed in coordination with Foundations, the national body for Disabled Facilities Grants.  

Courses are available UK-wide in both face-to-face, eLearning and blended formats accredited by OCN London.