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Welcome from new MTI Board member

Jennie Parke Matheson

Jennie Parke Matheson is the new MTI Board member for the practitioner council. Here she introduces herself and what she is working on for members at this time

Dear MTI Members.

I just want to say hello. Earle and Tim have both stepped down from the MTI Board and I have stepped up – and am now responsible for the practitioner members – which means you! You will find out who the rest of the team are at the AGM in May.

Now that I’ve joined the Board, there are two key things that I want to address and will be working on. Your concerns about CPD in the current climate and continuing to support you through the Covid crisis.

Re CPD, you really don’t need to worry. As you know it’s only 18 hours per year, with a huge variation of elements you can deploy. You may not be able to do actual hands-on classes, but there are masses of other things you can do. Jenny puts frequent updates in your newsletters about CPD. Do please read them. Don’t forget that in 2020 you will probably have watched the Healwell video, done a COSHH course and attended lots of webinars and podcasts about PPE and Covid. Now in 2021 there are new webinars about the vaccine. You each have a different year end depending on when you joined, so cutting across different times of activity – and you can roll excess hours over from previous years.

I will be working with your regional group teams to explore further how they can help with providing online CPD and we hope to generate some sessions from MTI Central too.

Re Covid, we know what a huge challenge this is for everyone, living and coping through this worrying time. In all honesty we have no idea when things will start to return to something like the normal we used to know. What we do know is it’s going to be a slow process and will inevitably incorporate new long-term behaviours. I sit on the board of the GCMT, and along with Earle, have been part of the crisis task force – unpicking and creating sense from the woolly and hazy government guidelines, generating support for you via the resource packs, frequent updates and Facebook sessions - plus lobbying for greater understanding of the specialised massage business, with the intention of getting the professional healthcare status we are due.

So our work will continue. Next up will be guidelines for working with people at various stages of receiving their vaccine jabs – if you’ve had a jab you will know what I mean - for when the lockdown relaxes, and we can get back to work.

If there is anything else you feel would be helpful – either collectively or personally - do please let me know via MTI.

Best wishes

Jennie Parke Matheson

Comments: 2 (Add)

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Jenny on behalf of MTI on February 12 2021 at 11:16

Thank you so much for your comment Summer, so happy to hear this blog has helped to reassure you.

Jenny on behalf of MTI

Summer Gold on February 12 2021 at 11:14

Thankyou Jennie, I haven't engaged with any of the covid recommendations on returning to work. This is my first point of entry reading your blog. I feel very reassured and encouraged to start moving towards CPD and preparing for the time when I can massage with confidence again.

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