Activities Co-ordinator

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic Activities Co-ordinator for Weston General Hospital to deliver meaningful activities for inpatients, with a focus on older patients and those with dementia or delirium. This 12-month, charity-funded role operates core daytime hours, Monday to Friday, with no evenings or weekends required.

The post is non-clinical, Band 3, and candidates should bring creativity, compassion and strong communication skills to expand activites across wards and

Qualifications

• Experience delivering social and recreational activities to groups and individuals.
• Excellent communication and compassionate approach.
• Ability to plan and adapt activities for older patients, including those with dementia or delirium.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver meaningful activities across inpatient wards.
• Support patients to engage in art, music, games, reminiscence therapy and gentle activities.
• Collaborate with nursing and therapy teams to identify engagement opportunities.
• Maintain records of patient engagement and gather feedback to support service improvement.

Skills

Communication skills

Creative mindset

Teamwork

IT literacy

Education

Level 3 qualification

Qualifications in exercise or therapies

Job description

Are you dynamic, creative, caring and passionate about making a positive difference to patient care and experience?

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Activities Co-ordinator to join our team at Weston General Hospital, supporting patients across our inpatient wards.

This is a 12-month fixed-term position, kindly funded by the League of Friends, our hospital charity, to expand the meaningful activities and engagement opportunities available to patients during their hospital stay.

You will work alongside our existing Activities Co-ordinator and closely with nursing and therapy teams to provide meaningful, therapeutic and recreational activities, particularly for older patients and those living with dementia, delirium or other complex needs.

We are looking for someone with excellent communication skills, a compassionate approach and a creative mindset, who can bring new ideas and enthusiasm to improving the daily experiences of our patients.

Working Pattern: This charity-funded position is for core daytime hours, Monday to Friday only. There is no requirement to work evenings, nights, weekends or bank holidays, and no unsocial hours.

Visa Sponsorship: Please note that this is a non-clinical Band 3 position which is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. The Trust is therefore unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for this vacancy. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship for this role.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will:

Plan and deliver meaningful individual and group activities, including arts and crafts, music, games, reminiscence therapy and gentle physical activities.

Support patients with dementia, delirium and other complex physical or mental health needs, adapting activities to individual abilities and preferences.

Work closely with nursing, therapy and wider multidisciplinary teams to identify patients who would benefit from additional engagement and support.

Encourage activities that promote independence, mobility, emotional wellbeing and reduce deconditioning during hospital stays.

Support positive mealtime experiences and nutritional engagement alongside nursing staff, within the boundaries of the role.

Provide companionship, reassurance and meaningful distraction to reduce isolation and improve patient experience.

Liaise with patients and families to understand personal interests and preferences, including completing 'This is Me' documentation.

Organise group activities and social opportunities to create a positive and stimulating ward environment.

Work alongside the existing Activities Co-ordinator to develop and expand activities across inpatient wards.

Maintain records of patient engagement and gather feedback to support service improvement.

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retaina workforce whichrepresentsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualification to level 3 or equivalent experience in relevant subject.
• Qualifications in exercise, complementary therapies etc.

Experience

• Experience delivering social and recreational activities to groups and individuals
• Experience working effectively as part of a team
• Experience working with people with cognitive, physical or learning disabilities
• Previous NHS experience

Skills and Abilities

• Understanding of the needs of older patients, including those living with dementia or experiencing delirium
• Practical or creative activity skills, e.g. arts, crafts, music, cookery or horticulture
• Effective verbal and written communication and basic IT
• Ability to maintain clear electronic activity records
• Good organisation, time management and prioritisation skills
• Ability to work independently, use initiative and adapt to changing patient needs

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.