Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; Torquay; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare organization in Torquay is seeking a Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor to support patients transitioning from hospital to home after critical illness. The role involves developing personalized exercise programs, encouraging sustainable lifestyle changes, and working closely with healthcare teams to improve patient recovery outcomes. Applicants should have relevant qualifications in health or fitness and experience in rehabilitation settings. This position offers the opportunity to impact patient well-being positively.

Benefits

Carer-friendly employer policies

Investment in staff development

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Must have experience in supporting patients post critical illness.
• Ability to design personalized activity and exercise plans.
• Promote safe and effective exercise in a supervised environment.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate patient engagement in physical activity post critical illness.
• Develop personalized training programs based on patient needs.
• Support patients in making sustainable lifestyle changes.

Skills

Ability to support behavior change

Knowledge of physical activity benefits

Experience with post-illness rehabilitation

Strong communication skills

Education

Relevant qualification in health, fitness or rehabilitation

Job description

Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor – Post Intensive Care Rehabilitation

Torbay Hospital is seeking a Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor to facilitate patients post critical illness to engage in physical activity with a long‑term aim to support transition from hospital to home.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide access to local services which enable safe and effective exercise and/or activity in a supervised environment.
• Equip patients with the knowledge and skills to become more active despite post illness pain, global fatigue, reduced concentration and raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity.
• Encourage patients to make consistent exercise choices and promote long‑term behaviour change to enable meaningful and sustainable activity as a lifestyle choice alongside recovery post critical illness.
• Support physical activity to improve tolerance to engage in return‑to‑work strategies post critical illness.
• Contribute to biopsychosocial screening post step down from ICU and community outpatients.
• Identify and address barriers to physical activity, including motivational, fatigue, transport/accessibility, financial issues, or concerns about safety in the context of post ICU admission condition/health problem.
• Develop and supervise personalised physical activity and exercise training programmes, specifically targeting the management of global weakness, reduced VO₂, general fatigue, and muscle atrophy.
• Undertake fitness and physical performance assessments of patients post critical illness who have been medically screened to engage.
• Attend home visits as required to assist with assessment, goal setting and progress monitoring.
• Contribute to patients’ validation of their recovery experience post critical illness and signpost them to appropriate local programmes/services.
• Work with individuals on a one‑to‑one basis or in a small exercise group to support them and their families to improve health and wellbeing despite pain, fatigue and weight loss through positive lifestyle changes, using specific approaches and skills to support behaviour change and signpost to external services.
• Assess current and previous activity/exercise levels and clients’ willingness to change exercise and lifestyle habits, and evaluate current activity management patterns. Repeat health and fitness measures on completion of further treatment interventions.
• Work closely with the ICU Rehab MDT; conduct joint assessments as needed with the appropriate team member.
• Complete joint ward visits or home visits with MDT to assess individual functional needs.
• Attend and provide feedback on progress reports of patients’ needs/rehabilitation to MDT.
• Seek support for more complicated cases from MDT (encouraged).
• Provide 1:1 advice about physical activity to patients for whom a group Health and Wellbeing programme is appropriate, including addressing psychological and cognitive needs.
• Contribute to 1:1 follow‑up and/or group appointments for patients completing the Post ICU Health & Wellbeing Programme to enhance physical activity status and advise on maintaining activity levels.
• Collect and enter data of patient outcomes during and post ICU Health & Wellbeing exercise programme.
• Monitor patients’ discharge location and arrange appropriate follow‑up (home visit, telephone call, medical follow‑up clinics).
• Maintain spreadsheets recording patient contacts and outcomes on a regular weekly or daily basis.
• Signpost to existing community‑based exercise schemes as appropriate.

About the Organisation

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high‑quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere and pride ourselves on investing in our staff, developing potential career skills and valuing people.

If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer‑friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply promptly.
• Please read the job description carefully and tailor your application to reflect the requirements of the role.
• Applicants who identify in their application form as a part of the Armed Forces community will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the minimum essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification for the role. Step into Health guidance can be found on our NHS Employers website.
• Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly.
• Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band.
• If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
• It is your responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of appropriate references.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.