Leisure and Lifestyle Manager

Yarram & District Health Service; Yarram; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Diverse service

Salary packaging up to $9,000 per year

Meals/Entertainment benefit up to $2,h

Free onsite gymnasium

Brand new onsite Cafe

Professional development opportunities

Beautiful location in Yarram

Job summary

Yarram & District Health Service in Yarram, VIC, seeks a visionary Leisure and Lifestyle Manager to lead a creative team delivering person-centred experiences that enhance quality of life for residents and clients. You will champion resident choice, measurable outcomes and new ways of working within aged care and community programs.

You will co-design lifestyle plans, partner with families and staff, and drive innovative, inclusive activities across days, evenings and weekends as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership of leisure, lifestyle, wellbeing, recreation, diversional therapy or a related service, ideally in aged care, health or community settings.
• Relevant qualification in leisure and health, diversional therapy, recreation, allied health or a related discipline; equivalent substantial experience may be considered where permitted by role requirements.
• Evidence of designing innovative, person-centred programs and translating ideas into sustainable operational improvements.
• Ability to lead people, manage resources, resolve problems and build community partnerships.
• Strong understanding of dementia-inclusive practice, cultural safety, consumer dignity, choice and safeguarding.
• Excellent communication, planning, documentation and digital skills, with a commitment to measuring outcomes.
• Appointment is subject to satisfactory role-appropriate police, worker-screening, qualification, immunisation and other checks required by law and YDHS policy.

Responsibilities

• Strategic lifestyle leadership aligned with YDHS priorities.
• Develop and deliver an ambitious leisure and lifestyle strategy.
• Lead a shift to meaningful, inclusive experiences across the week.
• Pilot new initiatives, evaluate impact and scale what works.
• Co-design individual lifestyle plans reflecting life history and interests.
• Ensure equitable access for residents with dementia, disability or complex care needs.
• Support dignity of risk, autonomy and participation with safeguards.
• Lead, coach and develop the lifestyle team; manage rosters and resources.
• Work with nursing and allied health teams to integrate lifestyle into care.
• Build partnerships with schools, clubs, artists and volunteers.
• Maintain lifestyle assessments, care-plan contributions and outcome documentation.
• Demonstrate compliance with Aged Care Act requirements and quality standards.
• Identify, elevate and manage risks and incidents through governance pathways.
• Prepare concise reports on participation and goal attainment.
• Documented resident involvement and improvement in meaningful participation.

Skills

Leisure leadership

People leadership

Communication skills

Digital skills

Education

Leisure and health related qualification

Job description

Yarram & District Health Service – Yarram VIC

This is a leadership opportunity to redefine what meaningful living looks like for residents and clients of YDHS. The Leisure and Lifestyle Manager will lead a creative, capable and accountable team to deliver personalised experiences that build purpose, independence, connection, joy and quality of life, not simply a calendar of activities.

The role spans residential aged care and relevant community programs, working in partnership with residents, clients, families, clinical teams and the wider Yarram community. The successful applicant will champion resident choice, measurable outcomes and new ways of working.

Responsibilities

Strategic lifestyle leadership

Develop and deliver an ambitious, evidence-informed leisure and lifestyle strategy aligned with YDHS priorities and resident and client aspirations.

Lead a shift from task-based group activities to individually meaningful, inclusive and choice-led experiences across the week, including evenings and weekends where appropriate.

Pilot new initiatives, evaluate impact and scale what works; incorporate intergenerational activities, local partnerships, technology, arts, movement and connection to country and community.

Resident and Client experience

Co-design individual lifestyle plans with residents and clients, families and care teams, reflecting life history, identity, interests, cultural needs, strengths and changing abilities.

Ensure equitable access for people living with dementia, disability, sensory impairment, social isolation or complex care needs, including meaningful one-to-one engagement.

Support dignity of risk, informed choice, autonomy and participation, with appropriate clinical consultation and safeguards.

Seek regular feedback and use it to visibly improve services.

People and operational management

Lead, coach, roster and develop the lifestyle team; set clear expectations for initiative, professionalism, collaboration and person-centred practice.

Manage resources, budgets, equipment, volunteers and program schedules within approved delegations.

Work with nursing, allied health, community care, hospitality and other teams to integrate lifestyle into everyday care and service delivery.

Build productive partnerships with schools, clubs, artists, community groups and volunteers, subject to YDHS policies and screening requirements.

Quality, safety and assurance

Maintain accurate lifestyle assessments, care-plan contributions, activity records, consent and outcome documentation.

Demonstrate compliance with applicable Aged Care Act requirements, strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, privacy, safeguarding, infection prevention, occupational health and safety and YDHS policies.

Identify, elevate and manage risks, incidents, complaints and restrictive-practice concerns through appropriate clinical and governance pathways.

Prepare concise reports on participation, resident-reported experience, individual goal attainment, inclusion, improvement actions and resource use.

Measures of success

Documented resident and client involvement in designing their lifestyle goals and experiences.

Improvement in meaningful participation, particularly for people at risk of isolation.

Positive resident, client and family feedback supported by evidence of changes made.

A confident, engaged team with clear capability development and effective cross-service collaboration.

Delivery of innovative programs within budget, with documented quality and safety compliance.

What we are looking for

Demonstrated leadership of leisure, lifestyle, wellbeing, recreation, diversional therapy or a related service, ideally in aged care, health or community settings.

Relevant qualification in leisure and health, diversional therapy, recreation, allied health or a related discipline; equivalent substantial experience may be considered where permitted by role requirements.

Evidence of designing innovative, person-centred programs and translating ideas into sustainable operational improvements.

Ability to lead people, manage resources, resolve problems and build community partnerships.

Strong understanding of dementia-inclusive practice, cultural safety, consumer dignity, choice and safeguarding.

Excellent communication, planning, documentation and digital skills, with a commitment to measuring outcomes.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory role-appropriate police, worker-screening, qualification, immunisation and other checks required by law and YDHS policy.

The employee must comply with YDHS policies, professional boundaries, confidentiality requirements, workplace health and safety obligations and lawful reasonable directions.

The position description may be reviewed as service needs and regulatory requirements evolve.

What’s on offer

• Diverse service.
• Salary packaging up to $9,000 per annum.
• Meals/Entertainment benefit up to $2,650 per annum.
• Free access to a brand-new state of the art, onsite gymnasium.
• Brand new onsite Cafe.
• Experienced and friendly team to offer support at all times.
• Access to continuing professional development to improve skills and knowledge.
• Beautiful location - Yarram is a major hub for surrounding areas.

About us

The Yarram and District Health Service (YDHS) is based in Yarram, 220 kilometers southeast of Melbourne on the South Gippsland Highway in rural Victoria. Yarram is 73 kilometers southwest of Sale and 62 kilometers southeast of Traralgon.

We provide our community with Acute Inpatient services, Dialysis, Urgent Care, Aged Care, Respite Care, Primary Health, Community Services, and an Integrated Health Care Centre. Our consumers and community are at the core of every decision we make. YDHS is committed to the Child Safe Standards.

YDHS want to attract and retain the best staff to provide an exceptional service to our community. We promote and develop opportunities for people to contribute to and encourage innovation, leadership, and collaboration. We are committed to making YDHS a Centre of Excellence in everything we do.

Before commencement, the successful applicant will:

Provide an original National Police Record Check – no older than twelve (12) months, an Employee Working with Children Check, be willing to apply for and pass a NDIS Workers Screening Check, a current season influenza vaccine (if applicable to work area), unless a valid medical exemption applies and complete a Pre-existing injury declaration form.

Diversity and inclusion

We embrace workforce diversity and actively encourage applications from across our community including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with linguistically diverse backgrounds, people of all genders and gender identities and people with disabilities.