COURSE DATES for COURSES 1 of 2025 (Enroll Now) & Course 2 of 2024 (On-going)
COURSE COST and APPLICATION FORM – please scroll to the bottom of this page.
Why complete the Specialist Functional Rehabilitation & Exercise Training after Stroke (FRETS) Qualification Course?
1. BECOME A NEURO-INSTRUCTOR WHO CAN RETRAIN STROKE SURVIVORS VERY EFFECTIVELY
This specialist Qualification Course is only for professionals with significant experience already.
There are many hundreds of people in your
own area right now who need your help. Even if you are already an accomplished therapist or fitness trainer, you may have not specialised in training stroke survivors before. Or you may have, but you want to make a REALLY SIGNIFICANT difference within a clear safety parameter because you understand that they want much more than you currently can teach them with your armoury of skills.
They need you to teach them evidence-based and innovative self-management skills. You will learn about the principles of these on the Course from therapists who want you to extend the work they started with them to continue recovery paths towards autonomy and prevent declines. Stroke survivors want to do number of things, such as learn to get up and down off the floor, relearn balance and recover reach and grasp/release of the paretic (weak) upper limb. After discharge from hospitals, NHS therapists just don’t have the time or resources to perform as much work with each stroke survivor as they would like to. So these people need YOUR help in the community over the long term. Similarly, people who have had a stroke 5, 10, 15 years ago will also be needing your help.
2. BE FULLY INSURED
MANY THERAPISTS AND TRAINERS ARE ALREADY INSURED TO REHABILITATE STROKE SURVIVORS UNDER THEIR EXISTING SPECIALISM COVERS. For example, FitPro states: ‘The ARNI Institute Level 4 Functional Rehabilitation and Exercise Training after Stroke certificate is recognised for stroke patients. FitPro offers specialist populations additional activity specialist populations cover at £65 which runs in conjunction with our instructor public and teacher liability insurance at £55’.
We also work in collaboration with National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT): the UKs only truly nationwide personal trainer directory that checks trainers have correct qualifications and insurance. Joining plus specialist cover is £180. All NRPT trainers who complete the ARNI FRETS Qual are automatically insured to work with stroke survivors.
3. GAIN REFERRALS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Probably the most important part of the Qualification (and the original reason for its foundation) is that you now are able to effectively help the cohort you have trained to help. This is where the ARNI Institute comes in.
If you qualify successfully, you earn the right to join the ARNI Institute, meaning you can place ‘AAI’ after your name (Associate of the ARNI Institute) and carry your own ARNI Institute numbered card.
You will be able to take advantage of multiple referrals in your area per year to the ARNI Institute from physiotherapists, OT’s, stroke charities, consultants, councils, self-referrals and referrals from survivors’ families etc. The ARNI site also receives hundreds of hits per day due to its high spend on Google Ads. As a representative qualified AAI in your area, you will directly benefit from all of this.
For instructors, the matching service is done like this: we will either email you directly with details of the ‘matching request’ with a full information as possible, or make your details available to the patient/family/carers if you are the nearest Instructor, and they will contact you. Your exposure to stroke survivors and their requests will instantly be ramped up.
We receive at least 10 calls per day at ARNI Central, and the matching service is working extremely well. Email for details, particularly if we have recommended to you, whilst teaching you on the courses, that we would like you to go further with us. As well as taking care to fulfill the requirements of your PCT, we are always looking for excellent representatives of ARNI.
You are also able to take advantage of our continual free advanced CPD courses (worth thousands, over time) & receive ARNI newsletters, materials, publications etc.
THE ARNI INSTITUTE/MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY SPECIALIST FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATION & EXERCISE TRAINING (FRETS) QUALIFICATION
For a synopsis, please click this link stroke-education.org.uk/course/functional-rehabilitation-exercise-training-after-stroke-frets
FOR 2024 to 2025 ‘COST OF LIVING’ REDUCED COST, SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE.
1. Run continuously since 2007, the ARNI Functional Rehabilitation & Exercise Training After Stroke Qualification has been Accredited at Middlesex University’s Faculty of Science at Level 4 with 30 credits at BSc Level. The Course is endorsed with Quality Mark (No. 35) from the United Kingdom Forum for Stroke Training and Education. This CPD course is designed to enhance knowledge and skills in the area of stroke rehabilitation performed by for professional exercise trainers, many of whom will be already be training stroke survivors.
2. ARNI runs courses for Individual Applicants, Councils (eg. Blackburn and Darwen, Luton, Bedford etc), Charities (Stroke Association, Different Strokes, Headway, Connect etc).
3. The Director has produced a very comprehensive syllabus of reality task-related training techniques and physical coping strategies over a period of 4 years. The course manual is endorsed with the Quality Mark (No. 86) from the United Kingdom Forum for Stroke Training and Education. This is specifically for stroke survivors and as such, is the first of its kind. It can be used by some to supplement rehabilitation with a therapist or with a trainer. For many others, it can work as a (free) trainer itself, guiding survivors with 690 illustrations, how to recover better whatever time from stroke the survivor is. Published by Bagwyn Books, it is available for survivors at www.successfulstrokesurvivor.com and also published by Stroke Solutions Ltd. as a series of 5 ebooks on Amazon.
Neurological research experts and supporters (eg, the President of the World Council for Neurorehabilitation, Professor Michael Barnes, who wrote the Foreword for the ARNI Institute’s training manual) confirm to the Institute that indeed: physiotherapists, occupational therapists and personal trainers must be mobilised and facilitated to help at the end-of-line, where stroke services fall off… and that developing their understanding concerning the implications of stroke, and what they can do to help patients in the community, is essential.
4. If successful you will be awarded:
a) A triple-signed Certificate from the ARNI Institute, certifying advanced learning – and (only) with this, an invitation to apply for repeated referrals from ARNI.
b) You will have also earned a Certificate from Middlesex University for 30 academic credits at Higher Education Level 4.
These credits can be used in a number of ways:
• You may use the credits to demonstrate that you have the ability to reach a certain standard of achievement in learning. This may be useful when you are applying for work or training courses in the future.
• You may use the credits as a prerequisite qualification for an application to the MSc in Exercise for Special Populations and Healthy Ageing at Middlesex University.
c) You will have also earned a Certificate of 300 CPD points via the National CPD Service.
THE COURSE STRUCTURE
We run Courses of no more than 20 trainers and therapists per Cohort. For all applicants, teaching takes place the ARNI Lingfield Centre (4 days in 2 pairs, and 3 days via remote means for easy access).
There are 2 Courses per year. Just ring for details of how to register. Please make sure to contact the Director for full info about the next course.
Upon registration pre-course, you will be sent by post an ARNI folder which includes your Handbook, your Schedule with full minute by minute learning aims and outcomes, as well as numerous other materials, including a comprehensive evidence-base folder link by Drop-Box and an online login (anytime viewing) to all seven of the stroke rehab course videos produced by Dr Balchin.
DAY 1– ARNI STROKE REHABILITATION THEORY
Introducing the ARNI specialist training programme and the Stroke Care Pathway from the acute ward onwards. Providing an up-to-date research and practice evidence surrounding functional training after ABI/stroke and the critical role of neuroplasticity in stroke recovery. Examining the ARNI FTS Gateway technique approach for transfers to/from the floor and focusing on task practice, coping strategies and strength training. Examining considerations for professional practice: assessing functional and psychological limitations caused by ABI/Stroke and reviewing the possible choices for quality of life outcome measures: those typically used clinically and those which may be used in the community.
DAYS 2 & 3 (back to back) – ARNI PRACTICAL & THEORY AT ARNI LINGFIELD
During these 2 days, as much practical training takes place as possible. The training is taken directly from the course manuals compiled to cover rehabilitation of action control in the lower and upper body. You will do an upper limb assessment in pairs and learn how to make a task-training challenge board. Research Updates are interspersed throughout the schedule. All rehabilitation and exercise training is based around the important and annually updated EBRSR: Evidence-Based Review of Stroke Rehabilitation On courses, the Director is assisted in the area by his Instructors who travel to the area to help and to keep up with CPD. A stroke survivor or two is usually present t0 help answer questions and demonstration rehab strategies and technologies.
DAY 4 – ARNI STROKE REHABILITATION WORKSHOP AT THE INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGY, QUEEN SQUARE, UCL or VIA REMOTE (CHECK YOUR COURSE DETAIL)
A fortnight or so later, Instructors learn practical stroke rehabilitation theory from the clinicians at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCL, facilitated by long-term ARNI supporter, Professor Nick Ward. You will learn about stroke in much greater depth from experts (on rotation) from the research and practice from the Universities, Labs, Research Groups, Hospitals, Rehab Units, Charities and Associations. You will learn about brain structure, cortical remapping, treatment of brain damage, how the motor cortex (M1) controls voluntary action, somatosensation and how deficits affect perception and control of action.
You will learn about neuroimaging, diagnoses and management of acute stroke, restorative neurology, organisation of care, national standards and clinical protocols, the role of the neurophysiotherapist and occupational therapists, the neuropsychologist and the speech therapist, about swallowing problems, reasoning, planning and learning problems and how to help stroke survivors regain self confidence and self esteem.
Interventions such as robotics, virtual reality, BOTOX, FES etc are discussed, along with other training paradigms (eg. CIMT, bilateral training, mirror neuron work) and issues such as negating the use of AFOs and the role of products such as active orthotics (eg Saeboflex). On each course, a stroke survivor panel is present. Instructors are given further resources and web-links in preparation for assessment. 12 email updates are sent during the life span of the course to point you to Youtube videos we have made to help you, for instance, easily put together a CAHAI (Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Impairment) kit that you can use with stroke survivors.
Example Course Feedback Cohort 1 2013
Example Course Feedback Cohort 2 2016
Example Course Feedback Cohort 2 2018
Example Course Feedback Cohort 1 2023
Example Course Feedback Cohort 1 2024
For example: ARNI Institute Lecturers/Speakers include:
Senior Lecturer in Geriatrics & Stroke Consultant Physician, Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
Research Assistant & Speech Language Therapist, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL
Research Assistant & Speech and Language Therapist, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL
Associate Professor of Psychology Applied to Rehabilitation and Health, University of Exeter Medical School
Professor in Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL
Occupational Therapist & Lecturer at the University of Southampton
Director of the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging. Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Oxford
Professor of Rehabilitation Research at St George's University of London and Kingston University.
Professor in Neurorehabilitation & Programme MSc Lead Neurorehabilitation, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University
Senior Research Training Fellow, Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, UCL
Professor of Cognitive Neurology, Dept. Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology, UCL.
Associate Professor in Community Rehabilitation, Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing and Division of Primary Care, University of Nottingham.
Associate Professor in Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University.
Professor in Neurological Rehabilitation, Warwick Medical School, Warwick University.
Professor of Rehabilitation Technology & Executive Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University.
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience & Director of Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL
Senior Lecturer in Movement Science, Sheffield Hallam University
Research Fellow, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Science, UCL, London.
Consultant Stroke Physician, Clinical Director, Stroke Unit, Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Bedfordshire.
Speech and Language Therapist, Centre for Speech and Language Intervention Research, UCL
Cell Research, CCBB, Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital, Kings College, London.
Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience & Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, London.
Lecturer in Public Health and Health Services Research, Kings College Division of Health + Social Care Research Division, London.
SAMPLE THEORY DAYS ABOVE
DAY 5 – BASELINE ASSESSMENTS, GOAL SETTING & RECORD KEEPING (REMOTE)
Video of past baseline assessments and rehab training: learning how to use video effectively to produce working records which can be used to assist in proof for patient, families, external agencies and your own records re functional status of patients as you first encountered them. Make sense of all the different presentations they will see, and critically, how many of the ARNI techniques have evolved to tackle functional difficulties – and their varying degrees of successes. Appreciate via witnessing survivors and trainers in action how to ‘guide and guard, take a survivor to their current edges of capability safely and how to give them the confidence to expand their own boundaries, priorities and goals. Guidance for practical & theory assessments.
DAY 6 (BACK TO BACK WITH DAY 7) – FULL DAY SHADOWING AT ARNI LINGFIELD
This is an optional but advised, one-to-one intensive full-day conducted by Director (which you can assist with) for one survivor and their family for you to see how techniques work in practice. You get to understand how to manage degrees of functional recovery, how to understand multiple action control requirements and how the variables controlling these correspond to many other different factors, most particularly the evidence-base for stroke rehabilitation. Optional after this: you can also view training at Group classes as available, in order to examine differentiation of training.
DAY 7 – ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE AT ARNI LINGFIELD
The day after shadowing day, assessments of knowledge and skills take place at the ARNI centre in Lingfield. We have hundreds of ARNI stroke survivors available (we already have their GPs notes and are usually still actively training them) who are contacted to check if they would like to come along to help with your Assessment. You will be allocated one stroke survivor to train on a one to one basis.
a)
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b) You will then be allocated to a stroke survivor. Training skills are then assessed to according to Accreditation criteria, with guidance as sought. To give you an idea of what we expect: within each hour and a half class, each stroke survivor should have done something significant under the guidance of the Instructors that they had not been able to do post-stroke. See video below for example of sum-up from group.
Read some feedback from one of the stroke survivors (Anne) in 2009. And Anne-Marie in 2010.
c) You’ll are then do short a 2-part Stroke Knowledge test which requires answering short MCQs and written answers to demonstrate your understanding of the care pathway and current applications of interventions post-stroke.
There is then a case study, which you type, using their notes from the practical assessments you did on the Assessment day. You also, using the current stroke literature and evidence base, research a relevant (for the stroke survivor in question) physical issue and lastly indicate future rehabilitation & exercise training suggestions via a 3 week class-plan, which is then assessed.
HOW TO PAY:
USUAL COURSE COST : £899
2024/2025 COST OF LIVING ‘SAVER’: £699 to ARNI Charity.
Option 1: £699 pre-course
Option 2: £349.50 pre-course and other half before Day 7).
Option 3: Easy-Pay Paypal (£100 per month to ARNI Charity for 7 months) *
* For Easy-Pay Paypal option, just navigate to ‘SUPPORT US’ tab and type in £100. This will send £100 per month to the ARNI Charity. After 7 months, all you do after that is go to your paypal account and cancel your subscription. Or you can continue to kindly to send £5 or £10 a month to help us to support survivors!
HOW TO APPLY:
Click on the 2025 Application Form, complete and send it back to ARNI Institute.
FOR 2025 COHORT 1 COURSE DATES CLICK HERE