Author: Association of Animal Osteopaths

Just to let you know.

News of the RMPR project has now been uploaded under the Member’s News section of the website.

We’ll keep you posted of progress.

Society of Osteopaths in Animal Practice.

We’ve started getting calls from members who are concerned about insurance companies restricting access to animal osteopathy. This has come about because the larger more affluent animal organisations have been able to market themselves to insurance companies, based on their skill set, qualifications and best practice methods. As a result, insurance companies are starting to favour those who stand together as professionals and guarantee a standard of care.

We are truly focused on improving the future of osteopathy for animals and the profession as a whole. We want to stand side by side with other statutory regulated professionals and have an equal presence in the marketplace.

We want to fight on your behalf to lift the profile of the profession and to communicate our benefits to insurance agencies and veterinary organisations, so this situation doesn’t spread.

Our aim is to target the insurance companies over the coming months, to inform them of our standards and our best practice methods. This will benefit you and all who practice AO. 

If you want to be recognised as a professional, we need to create a society for animal osteopathy that stands out from the crowd. Please help your profession by actively spreading the word of SOAP, so we achieve the strength we need to drive the profession forward.

Together we can lead the change

Note: If you have experienced a situation with an insurance agency, please send a brief outline to: animalosteopaths@gmail.com. We want to understand the extent of the problem. 

After last year’s successful event, we’re returning to MARES in Amersham, Bucks on Saturday 13th June. The programme is in currently being prepared but as soon as speakers have been confirmed we will let you know what exciting things we have in store. Watch this space for further announcements…

Note to our northerly members: Further to some requests last year, we did consider using Moreton Morrell, but because so few of the committee are based north of Watford, practicalities dictated a more southerly location on this occasion. However if members have suitable premises or can suggest a location near, where they could act as a local SOAP co-ordinator, we’d be very happy to have the AGM elsewhere next year. We are keen to grow our membership in the north, so please let us know if you would like to help your profession over the coming year.

Horses Inside Out 2015 Conference

Training, Therapy and Performance

Saturday 28^th February / Sunday 1^st March 2015

Ettington Chase Hotel CV37 7NZ

Moreton Morrell College CV35 9BP Warwickshire

Saturday 28th February 2015 – Timetable

0800 – 0845	Registration	Coffee and Pastries
0850 – 0900	Gillian Higgins	Welcome
0900 – 0930	Gillian Higgins	Introduction to Training and Therapy for Performance
0930 – 1045	Dr Kathryn Nankervis	Exercise for the purpose of Rehabilitation
1045 – 1100	Dr Kathryn Nankervis	Questions and Discussion
1100 – 1140	Break	Tea, Coffee and Biscuits
1140 – 1225	Colin Roberts	Why are there so many bleeding race horses!? Anatomical limitations of the Respiratory and Cardiovascular systems.
1225 – 1245	Colin Roberts	Questions and Discussion
1245 – 1400	Lunch	Dining Hall
1400 – 1445	Colin Roberts	The Use of Drugs in Competition Horses
1445 – 1500	Colin Roberts	Questions and Discussion
1500 – 1540	Break	Tea, Coffee and Biscuits
1540 – 1630	David Marlin	The Science of Training for Health and Performance
1630 – 1645	David Newbound	Changing the Rider to Improve the Horse
1645 – 1725	All Speakers	Panel Session
1725 – 1730	Gillian Higgins	Summary and Close
1730	Bar Open
1930	Dinner	After Dinner Speaker: Sylvia Loch

Full Details from www.HorsesInsideOut.com

Sunday 1^st March 2015 – Timetable

0800 – 0850	Registration	Coffee and Pastries
0850 – 0900	Gillian Higgins	Welcome
0900 – 1000	Christopher Bartle	Polework Training for Improved Performance
1000 – 1100	Christopher Bartle	Jumping Training for Improved Performance
1100 – 1140	Break	Tea, Coffee and Biscuits
1140 – 1245	Lee Clark	Taping for Humans and Horses
1245 – 1400	Lunch	Dining Hall
1400 -1500	Adam Kemp	Dressage Training
1500 – 1540	Break	Tea, Coffee and Biscuits
1540 – 1645	Adam Kemp	Dressage Performance
1645 – 1700	Gillian Higgins	Summary and Close

• Tea, coffee and lunch is included.
• Trade and presentation stands.
• Scientific poster presentation area.
• Bar open following the conference on Saturday from 5pm onwards.
• The Saturday conference dinner will be held at the Ettington Chase Hotel.
• Certificates of participation will be issued.

Full Details from www.HorsesInsideOut.com

 

 

 

SOAP would like to wish all its members and followers a bright and prosperous new year. The profession is entering a phase of great change and with your help, we will continue to work tirelessly to support you. Please know that every day, a member of the SOAP team is fighting on your behalf to maintain the profession and move it from strength to strength. It’s no mean feat for a voluntary group, so any support is welcomed. If you feel that you could spare some time for the profession this year, please let us know. The more of us that worked together the better. This is not a solo performance.

With thanks to all.

Dustie Houchin (Chair)

Communicating with SOAP

SOAP is a voluntary specialist interest group that endorses best practice methods in animal osteopathy and request law-abiding practice as per The Veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966 from all full members.

If you are a member of SOAP and wish to communicate with us, here are three methods you can use.

Ways to communicate with SOAP

1. Blog contact
2. Email
3. Internal Complaints Procedure

1. Blog

The SOAP website is set up with blog options, so you can go into the members section at any time and enter a question or query on the blog – under the section that is relevant to your comment. We would like to remind members that anything you post is placed in the public domain, so we suggest you avoid anything of a personal nature or comments that you aren’t happy for the world to read. General questions or comments, or sharing of education information are perfect for these methods.

2. Email

You are welcome to email us (mailto:soap.secretary@gmail.com) if you have a suggestion or request that is inappropriate for the public domain i.e. the blog. We are happy to hear any ideas you may have for SOAP or concerns about the profession at large. We also welcome correspondence from experienced members who wish to join the SOAP team on an active basis.

3. Internal Complaint Procedure

Although we do our best to support our members, there maybe times when we fail to meet your expectations or you may hear something about another member that you wish to report to us on a more formal scale. If you wish to file a formal complaint about SOAP or a SOAP member, please send your complaint to the SOAP Secretary at secretary.soap@gmail.com

Our Internal Complaints Procedure process:

1. We will acknowledge your complaint by email (or letter if requested) as soon as we receive it.
2. Your complaint will be brought to the attention of the SOAP committee at the earliest opportunity.
3. The committee’s feedback and (if appropriate) plan of action will be shared with you by email (or letter if requested).
4. SOAP will action the points included in this communication and/or may ask you for more information.
5. Once all the necessary information has been collated and any necessary actions implemented, you will be asked to confirm that you are happy with the outcome of the process or whether you wish to take further action.

 Please note:

SOAP is not a legal or regulatory entity and as such, is only be able to assist in communications between you and the aforementioned individual. If your complaint has been raised against a SOAP member and includes concerns about malpractice or poor professional conduct you may need to consider a more formal approach as outlined in our External Complaints Procedure. This can be found in the Terms & Conditions section (under the Membership tab).

Could we urge all members to read the news section of the website this month, as there is important news, pertaining to the future of osteopathy and your support would be welcomed.

With thanks

Nadine Hobson

Yesterday, Nadine, Tony and myself spoke at the iO conference in Runnymede, Berks. The talk covered various facets of animal osteopathy, from the current political arena, to research, into clinical practice. The talk was well received and a number of delegates came to speak with us afterwards.

During the day we had some great conversations, including a discussion with a member of the iO, which will hopefully lead to a regular animal column in the iO journal. We also made contact with an osteopath in France, who is interested in hearing from members who have written research papers in the field of AO. This is very exciting for those of you who are currently writing your undergraduate dissertations in this area.

The overriding feeling at the conference, was of change. Change for the greater good of the profession. This rings true also within animal osteopathy, where the political and educational environment is progressing by the day.

SOAP is committed to helping the profession through this time of change, but in order to do the job properly, we need your help. At present, our team works on a voluntary basis, but in order to stand tall, next to the other mainstream manual therapies, we must be progressive and visible. Whether that be at conferences or educational events. All this takes time and money, even though our committee give their time for free.

Please remember that your subscriptions are vitally important to the future your profession.

If you feel passionately about your profession, please help us by keeping your subs up to date and where possible, making additional donations. Every penny takes us a step closer to the unified profession we all need. 

With thanks

Dustie Houchin (Chair of SOAP)

A client is seeking an animal osteopath in the Manchester area. If you treat in this region, please drop me an email: animalosteopaths@gmail.com and I will connect you.

With thanks,

Dustie Houchin

I have been asked to locate an Osteopath in the Southampton region to treat a Toy Poodle with previous suspected disc herniation (5/12).  If you treat in this region please email soap memberships@gmail.com for further details. – Thank you.

Elea