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ESCAPE-pain facilitator training

for knee, hip and back pain

The ESCAPE-pain programme is a 6 week (12 session) rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain, that integrates educational self-management and coping strategies with an exercise regimen individualised for each participant. It helps people understand their condition, teaches them simple things they can help themselves with, and takes them through a progressive exercise programme so they learn how to cope with pain better. The flexibility of ESCAPE-pain means it can be delivered in a variety of locations and by a range of professionals. The programmes have been successfully delivered in outpatient physiotherapy departments, leisure centres and local community settings by physiotherapists, osteopaths and exercise professionals.

The ESCAPE-pain programme supports people living with chronic hip and knee pain or non-specific low back pain:

  • ESCAPE-pain for knees and hips
  • ESCAPE-pain for backs

Eligibility to deliver ESCAPE-pain programmes:

To deliver ESCAPE-pain, providers must meet the prerequisites outlined below—expand each title to see the requirements based on professional background.

Clinicians

  • Basic clinical knowledge of osteoarthritis and low back pain and their management are required, including familiarity with delivering education and exercise to patients.

Clinical Support Staff

  • ESCAPE-pain training is appropriate for band 3 or band 4 clinical support staff. Depending on their level of experience they may feel comfortable to deliver the whole programme or they may only feel comfortable to supervise the exercise component, this decision should be made jointly by senior staff and the support worker.
  • Best practice: Clinical support staff (all bands) who undertake ESCAPE-pain training should be supported by a physiotherapist who has also completed the training and can be accessed for ongoing support.
  • To deliver the course independently the clinical support staff member will require a basic knowledge and understanding of OA and/or LBP (depending on which course(s) they are to deliver). It is the organisation’s responsibility to ensure that staff delivering the programme are doing so within their scope of practice.

If you are working outside of the NHS or would like more information on the benefits of engaging clinical support staff in ESCAPE-pain delivery, eligibility requirements, and best practice/support required, please view this decision tool.

Exercise professionals

  • Level 2/3 gym instructor/ personal trainer or equivalent (demonstrating underpinning anatomy and physiology knowledge).
  • Level 3 exercise referral OR a level 4 qualification.
  • At least 150 hours previous experience of working with specialist populations (e.g. exercise referral, cardiac, back care, falls etc.)

All criteria above should be met in order to fulfill the facilitator requirements. View this decision flow chart tool to help determine exercise professional eligibility to deliver ESCAPE-pain.  

Access to training and delivery materials

To access the full set of ESCAPE‑pain training resources—manual, delivery guides and supporting materials for knee, hip and back programmes—please submit your contact details and accept the terms & conditions in the form below. Once completed, you can use these materials for self‑led or in‑house training; best practice is to review them thoroughly, familiarise yourself with the evidence base and, where possible, observe an established class. If you prefer standardised or CPD‑accredited training, email hin.southlondon@nhs.net to discuss forthcoming options.

ESCAPE-pain: facilitator feedback

Over 2,500 facilitators have been trained to deliver the ESCAPE-pain programmes, demonstrating a strong commitment to increasing access to the ESAPE-pain programme for participants across the UK. Watch the videos below, to see what facilitators have said about the programme:

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