Ward based Recreation Coordinator

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Therapeutic Activity Planning and Delivery

As a key aspect of your role, you will lead the design and implementation of a diverse programme of therapeutic and recreational activities that are engaging, inclusive, and tailored to the individual needs of service usersparticularly during evenings and weekends. You will also play a pivotal role in coaching ward-based staff to deliver these activities as part of a sustainable and recovery-focused model of care.

i. Programme Development

You will collaborate with ward teams to develop and maintain a weekly activity timetable that balances structure with flexibility. The programme will be responsive to the cognitive, physical, and emotional needs of service users and aligned with their personal recovery goals. Activities will be varied and meaningful, promoting participation and wellbeing.

ii. Group Facilitation

You will lead and co-facilitate a range of group sessions, including:

• Physical and emotional wellbeing(e.g., exercise, relaxation)
• Creative expression(e.g., music, art, games)
• Social inclusion and psychoeducation

You will also coach ward staff to confidently facilitate group activities, embedding therapeutic engagement into everyday practice.

iii. Individualised Support

Where group participation is not suitable, you will provide or support ward staff in delivering one-to-one interventions. These may include:

• Graded exposure to social or activity-based settings
• Motivational strategies to enhance engagement
• Coaching to develop independent living skills

iv. Evidence-Informed Practice

Under the supervision of registered clinicians, you will apply therapeutic approaches such as cognitive stimulation and sensory modulation to support recovery, enhance mood, reduce distress, and promote engagement in daily routines.

2. Partnership Working and Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Collaboration

You will serve as a vital link between service users and the wider multidisciplinary team, ensuring that therapeutic and recreational activities are meaningfully integrated into individual care plans and contribute to holistic recovery.

i. Clinical Integration

You will work in close partnership with occupational therapists, nurses, psychologists, and other MDT members to ensure that all therapeutic activities align with care plan objectives, support recovery goals, and reflect current risk management strategies.

ii. Contribution to Clinical Reviews

Where appropriate, you will actively participate in ward rounds and planning meetings, providing updates on service user engagement, progress, and outcomes. Your input will help identify strengths, highlight areas requiring additional support, and inform future care planning.

iii. Sharing Best Practice

You will contribute to the development and implementation of consistent standards for activity delivery across the service. By sharing learning, resources, and successful approaches between wards, you will help raise the overall quality and impact of therapeutic and recreational interventions.

3. Service User Engagement and Co-Production

You will foster a culture of inclusion by empowering service users to shape their own care and the service environment.

• Empowerment and Voice: Encourage service users to take part in planning their own activities and to share feedback, ideas, and preferences through community meetings, surveys, and informal dialogue.
• Co-Production: Where possible, involve service users in co-designing activity sessions, planning group routines, and evaluating outcomes. This can support confidence, ownership, and recovery through active participation.
• Promoting Recovery Values: You will focus on helping individuals build meaningful routines, develop skills, and achieve goals that support personal identity, autonomy, and dignityespecially for those with long-term conditions or histories of social exclusion.

4. Clinical Governance, Risk, and Record Keeping

Your role supports safety, accountability, and the ongoing quality assurance of care delivered through therapeutic engagement.

• Accurate Documentation: You will keep detailed records of all activities, including attendance, engagement levels, outcomes, and any concerns or incidents, contributing to care documentation and CQC compliance.
• Risk Awareness: You will remain vigilant to service user behaviours and emotional states during activities, identifying early signs of distress or risk and reporting them in accordance with local safeguarding and incident reporting protocols.
• Policy Compliance: Your practice must adhere to all relevant Trust policies and procedures, including those related to infection prevention and control, GDPR, confidentiality, lone working, and manual handling.
• Environmental Safety: You will conduct routine environmental checks, raise concerns, and contribute to creating a clean, calm, and psychologically safe ward environment that is conducive to recovery.

5. Professional Development and Supervision

As a Recreations Coordinator, your development is essential to maintaining high standards of practice and advancing therapeutic care.

• Supervision and Reflection: Participate in regular line management and clinical supervision, using these sessions to reflect on your practice, address challenges, and build confidence in your role.
• Mentoring Others: You will support the onboarding of new colleagues and agency staff by sharing knowledge about the structuring of activities, modelling best practice, and helping them settle into the running of activities.
• Ongoing Learning: You are expected to take part in both mandatory and optional training to develop new skills in areas such as trauma-informed care, sensory integration, de-escalation techniques, activity planning, and mental health awareness.
• Personal Goal Setting: Work with your supervisor to set annual development objectives, ensuring they align with service priorities and your career aspirations.

Person Specification

Communication

Essential

• Can communicate at all levels
• Can communicate effectively in written and verbal english

Skills/ Experience/ Qualifications

Essential

• Knowledge and experience in delivering different activities including sports, creative and recreational activities
• Recent experience of working within a mental health setting

Desirable

• NVQ level 3 health and social care or equivalent
• Fitness instructor qualifications (level 2, 3 or 4)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kingfisher House

Kingsway hospital site

Derby

DE22 3LZ

Employer's website

http://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)