Diversional/Activity Therapist

SeeMe Hired Ltd; Belfast City; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Part time

Job summary

Burnview Healthcare, a family-run group of care homes in Northern Ireland, is recruiting a part-time Diversional/Activity Therapist (24-30 hours per week) to design, deliver and evaluate activities supporting residents' physical, mental, emotional and social well-being in a person-centred environment.

Key duties include planning weekly schedules, leading group and individual activities, engaging residents and coordinating with the Home Manager.

Qualifications

• Right to live and work in the UK
• NVQ Level 2/3 in Health & Social Care
• Experience planning and delivering recreational activities
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Responsibilities

• Activity Planning & Delivery: Develop weekly/monthly activity schedules with physical, cognitive, emotional and social engagement.
• Resident Engagement: Build relationships with residents to plan activities and encourage participation.
• Team Collaboration: Work with Home Manager, care staff, nurses, therapists, volunteers and families.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Maintain records and adjust plans based on progress and feedback.
• Community Involvement: Link with local groups and organise events when possible.

Skills

Establishing Rapport With Clients

Identify & Anticipate Needs

Listening to Patients

Support Difficult Patients

Education

NVQ Level 2/3 in Health & Social Care

Job description

Diversional/Activity Therapist

Burnview Healthcare is a group of family run care homes which specialises in Dementia, Nursing, Residential, and Day care. Our emphasis is on creating a caring and secure environment where our residents know that they are ‘Living Amongst Friends.

Working as part of a team all our employees play a vital role in ensuring our residents are well cared for whilst promoting a positive and enjoyable working environment. In return, we offer our employees competitive rates of pay, full training both online and in person, and access to our Employee Assistance Programme.

We are currently recruiting for a part time Diversional/Activity Therapist (24-30 hours per week)to design, deliver and evaluate a variety of recreational and therapeutic activities that support residents' physical, mental, emotional and social well being in a person centred, inclusive environment.

Our Activity Therapists organise social events throughout the year and are involved in fundraising activities as needed.

About the role

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Activity Planning & Delivery:

• Develop weekly/monthly activity schedules that include physical, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement.
• Organize and lead individual and group activities such as arts and crafts, music therapy, games, physical exercise, reminiscence sessions, gardening, and outings.
• Adapt activities to meet the needs of residents with dementia, reduced mobility, sensory impairments, or mental health conditions.

Resident Engagement:

• Build relationships with residents to understand their hobbies and interests to plan into the Activity Programme.
• Encourage participation and engagement, ensuring that all residents have access to suitable activities.

Team Collaboration:

Work closely with the Home Manager when contacting external entertainers and organising events.

Work alongside care staff, nurses, therapists, volunteers, and family members to support residents' holistic care.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Maintain accurate records of resident participation, progress, and feedback.
• Regularly review and evaluate the effectiveness of activities and adjust plans accordingly.

Community Involvement

• Develop links with local groups, volunteers, and performers to enhance the range and quality of activities available.
• Organize intergenerational or multicultural events where appropriate.

An Enhanced Access NI check will be required for this position. If successful please be advised that we have a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders which is available from our HR Team. Having a criminal record will not necessarily affect you from working with Burnview Group and will be reviewed in line with our policy.

In line with the Access NI Code of Practice we have a policy on the secure handling, storage and disclosure of Access NI information and both the Code of Practice and this policy are available from our HR Team on request.

About the company

Burnview Healthcare specialises in Dementia, Nursing, Residential and Day care with homes in four locations in Northern Ireland. As family run care homes our emphasis is on creating a caring and secure environment where all our residents know that they are ‘Living Amongst Friends’.

Required Criteria

• Right to live and work in the UK
• NVQ Level 2/3 in Health & Social Care
• Experience planning and delivering recreational activities
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Desired Criteria

• Relevant Vocational Qualification (achieved/working towards)
• Experience working with older adults or people with dementia

Skills you’ll need

• Establishing Rapport With Clients
• Ability to Identify and Anticipate needs
• Listening to patients
• Ability to Support Difficult Patients