Activities Co-ordinator

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual to join the Hopewood team as their new Activity Co-Ordinator to work across The Lookout Adolescent Unit. The successful candidate will work primarily on Pegasus Ward, Specialist Eating Disorder Unit but provide consistent, timetabled support to both Hercules Ward (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit) and Phoenix Ward (General Adolescent Unit)

The role will involve working with patients directly and with the ward therapy and nursing teams to plan and facilitate daily individual and group activity programmes, which provide therapeutic and meaningful social and physical activities, enhancing patient's quality of life and supporting their physical and psychological well-being.

Activities would generally be ward based however there is opportunity to organise and facilitate activities off the ward with patients. The time of work would be varied across a 7 day rota and include weekends and occasional bank holidays.

The role will involve working with young people with mental health issues, which will require you to be creative in your approach, dynamic in understanding and assessing risk and developing ideas in engaging young people in activity and making these activities meaningful.

You will need to be able to work under your own initiative with guidance from the Ward Manager, Occupational Therapist, Nursing, and wider Therapy team.

Job description

Under the supervision and guidance of the Ward Manager and input from the Occupational Therapist, the post holder will be expected to assist in the delivery of therapeutic interventions within the service.

To motivate and engage patients in a wide range of individual and group activities.

A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa. Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oNVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent level of knowledge and experience

Skills

Essential

• oWillingness to undertake training as appropriate to role and service
• oAbility to use own initiative and work both independently and as part of a team.
• oGood written and verbal communication skills
• o Good IT Skills
• o Good interpersonal skills including managing challenging behaviour
• o Group work skills
• o Self-motivated and able to motivate others
• o Excellent time manager skills

Knowledge

Essential

• oBasic awareness of mental health illnesses.
• oUnderstanding of Safeguarding

Training

Essential

• oWillingness to undertake new clinical practices, education and training that will enhance service delivery

Physical requirements Essential criteria

Essential

• oHas the physical ability to perform the range of duties described in the job description and undertake training as relevant to role including the management of violence and aggresson.

Contractual Requirements Essential criteria

Essential

• oAbility to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service (including unsocial hours and bank holidays)

Values and Behaviours Essential criteria

Essential

• oAll colleagues are expected to demonstrate at interview that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork

Experience

Essential

• Providing activities and adapting to meet different needs
• Experience and knowledge of working with children and young people
• Experience of working in a health or social care setting
• Previous experience of faciilitating groups

About the employer

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment