The Move Well resources are free manual handling training resources for support workers, developed to reduce musculoskeletal injuries across New Zealand’s health and disability sector. Funded by the Workforce Futures Fund, Tahua Rāngaimahi Anamata, and designed by MySkill and Inspire Group alongside support workers and sector leaders, the resources reflect real experience from the frontline. The outcome is straightforward: fewer injuries, fewer days off work, and better job satisfaction for kaimahi. This is a funded initiative built for the workforce, not a commercial product.
Move Well is a ready-to-use library of manual handling training resources that organisations can use individually or as a complete support worker course programme. It’s built around three core elements: an awareness drive, a leadership focus, and practical skills training for kaimahi.
Resources can be downloaded and added straight into an existing LMS, or if your organisation doesn’t have one, MySkill can help you get set up. It’s a flexible system rather than a single training module, designed to fit providers of different sizes and different training approaches. The sections below break down each part of the offer in more detail.
The initiative has three elements to reduce injuries:
All Move Well resources are free and available now for download. Add them directly into your organisation’s own LMS or get in touch with MySkill if you don’t have one set up. If you download any resources, please email [email protected]. This helps us gather feedback and keep improving the programme for the sector. Getting started is simple: download what you need or reach out for support.
A Governance and Implementation Pack to support the use of the Move Well resources, plus nine standalone communication campaigns designed to drive engagement in the learning.
Five eLearning modules and a coaching guide designed to upskill your leadership team.
Seven eLearning modules with video content, alongside four lesson plans for group and one-on-one workshops, designed to upskill support workers.
The awareness drive includes a Governance and Implementation Pack, plus nine standalone communication campaigns designed to build engagement with manual handling training across a workforce. Think of this as the foundation layer: getting buy-in and visibility before training rolls out, rather than treating training as a one-off event.
Organisations can use these ready-made campaigns to communicate the importance of safe movement without creating materials from scratch. Reducing injury starts with culture and communication, not just skills, and this element is designed to build that groundwork first.
This element includes five eLearning modules and a coaching guide designed to upskill leadership teams within support worker organisations. Leaders play a critical role in reinforcing safe manual handling practices day to day, coaching kaimahi and embedding good habits on the ground.
It’s a distinct layer from the frontline training content, since leadership development is about sustaining change over time, not just delivering it once. These resources are aimed squarely at managers and team leaders working across health and disability services.
This is the core of the Move Well support worker course, and includes seven eLearning modules with video content, alongside four lesson plans designed for group workshops or one-on-one coaching sessions. The content is built to develop practical, everyday manual handling skills, helping support workers move safely, protect their own wellbeing, and support the people in their care with confidence.
It’s flexible by design: organisations can run this support worker course as self-paced eLearning, structured group workshops, or individual coaching, depending on what suits their team. The goal throughout is reducing musculoskeletal injury while improving quality of care and job satisfaction.
Musculoskeletal injuries are common among support workers because of the physical nature of the role: lifting, transferring, repositioning, and supporting clients throughout the day. When injuries happen, the impact flows on, time off work reduces capacity within teams and can affect the consistency and quality of care provided to clients.
Manual handling training should be seen as a preventative investment rather than a compliance box-tick. It protects kaimahi wellbeing while supporting continuity of service for the people they care for. At its heart, this is about the everyday reality of a physically demanding job, and giving support workers the tools to do it safely.
Move Well’s manual handling training and support worker course resources are designed for organisations across the health and disability sector, including:
The resources suit a range of organisation sizes and setups, whether you have an existing LMS (Learning Management system) or not. Because Move Well was designed alongside support workers and sector leaders, it reflects the real needs and experiences of the people delivering care, not a generic corporate training template.
Manual handling training teaches safe techniques for lifting, transferring, repositioning, and supporting people or loads, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injury. For support workers, this means safer daily movement for both themselves and the people in their care.
It covers awareness, leadership coaching, and seven eLearning modules with practical skills for kaimahi, including video content and lesson plans for workshops or one-on-one sessions.
It can be run as self-paced eLearning, group workshops, or one-on-one coaching, and added directly into your organisation’s existing LMS.
Yes. All resources are free, funded through the Workforce Futures Fund – Tahua Rāngaimahi Anamata.
MySkill and Inspire Group, developed alongside support workers and sector leaders.
Yes. Resources can be added to an existing LMS, or MySkill can help organisations that don’t have one.
Download the resources and email [email protected] for support.
