Job summary
This is a great opportunity to join the Activity Coordinator team on Shand Ward. You'll lead group sessions and one-to-one activities for patients recovering from stroke or experiencing cognitive impairments, helping to improve their wellbeing and functionality.
Working closely with our multi-disciplinary team--including nurses, care support workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and doctors--you'll help deliver a varied programme of activities tailored to individual needs. From sensory sessions to cognitive tasks and gentle movement groups, your creativity and empathy will help enrich the patient experience.
This full-time role (37.5 hours per week) is spread across five days, with occasional evening or weekend shifts to support patient needs.
You'll be working with patients identified by the ward and therapy teams as needing extra engagement or supervision, helping to create a more stimulating and supportive environment for their recovery.
Main duties of the job
Although we provide in house training for this role, we need each candidate to have acquired some skills and experience working with people with cognitive impairment. These essential skills can be found in the Personal Specification and Job Description attachment on NHS Jobs. However we have highlighted three of them below.
- Experience in health care as a Clinical Support Worker or Rehab Assistant, particularly with patients with stroke and cognition issues.
- Ability to manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
- Compassionate - exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with staff, patients, carers and relatives.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our valuesWe not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
- To promote person-centred care by ensuring safety of the patients.
- To provide cognitive stimulation through activities, social interaction and engagement to improve health and wellbeing.
- To provide instruction (verbal and non-verbal) to patients on a range of activities as part of the activities programme.
- To develop a rapport with patients to encourage and motivate them to participate in activities (either within a group or individually).
- To contribute to the development and implementation of a creative and innovative activities programme responsive to the varying needs of the patient group.
- To maintain and update an activity plan on the ward.
- To observe general behaviour, abilities and responses of patients and report them verbally to the multi-disciplinary team and record within the patient record.
- To provide support at mealtimes, encouraging oral intake and nutrition.
- To continue therapy goals set by therapists with the aim of improving functional outcomes.
- To support ward staff in managing stress related behaviours.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
- To promote person-centred care by ensuring safety of the patients.
- To provide cognitive stimulation through activities, social interaction and engagement to improve health and wellbeing.
- To provide instruction (verbal and non-verbal) to patients on a range of activities as part of the activities programme.
- To develop a rapport with patients to encourage and motivate them to participate in activities (either within a group or individually).
- To contribute to the development and implementation of a creative and innovative activities programme responsive to the varying needs of the patient group.
- To maintain and update an activity plan on the ward.
- To observe general behaviour, abilities and responses of patients and report them verbally to the multi-disciplinary team and record within the patient record.
- To provide support at mealtimes, encouraging oral intake and nutrition.
- To continue therapy goals set by therapists with the aim of improving functional outcomes.
- To support ward staff in managing stress related behaviours.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Work experience in health care as a clinical support worker or Rehab assistant, and having worked with client in the Healthcare setting, particularly with stroke needs, dementia or mental health difficulties.
Desirable
- Experience as an activity co-ordinator
- Experience of facilitating groups.
Knowledge
Essential
- High standard of written/computing communication skills with the ability to use email and internet.
Personal Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner
- Must be fluent and articulate in verbal and written communication.
- Ability to maintain records
- Ability to organise time and work effectively
- Good time-keeping
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education
- Adequate literacy skills
- Some IT skills
Desirable
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Work experience in health care as a clinical support worker or Rehab assistant, and having worked with client in the Healthcare setting, particularly with stroke needs, dementia or mental health difficulties.
Desirable
- Experience as an activity co-ordinator
- Experience of facilitating groups.
Knowledge
Essential
- High standard of written/computing communication skills with the ability to use email and internet.
Personal Skills
Essential
- Ability to manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner
- Must be fluent and articulate in verbal and written communication.
- Ability to maintain records
- Ability to organise time and work effectively
- Good time-keeping
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of general education
- Adequate literacy skills
- Some IT skills
Desirable
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
