Resident Experience Lead

Athena Care Homes (UK) Ltd; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive induction and ongoing?

Learning & Development Team

Employee Assistance Helpline

Blue Light Card

Refer a Friend scheme

Employee of the Month recognition

VIP – Value in People – Awards

Length of service recognition

Job summary

Avocet Court in Ipswich is recruiting a Resident Experience Lead to design and deliver a meaningful, person-centred life for residents. You’ll lead the Lifestyles/Resident Experience team and partner with every department to weave engagement into daily life.

You'll plan a varied calendar of activities, events and community connections, build strong relationships with residents and families, and develop the home’s volunteer programme to extend opportunities beyond the calendar.

Qualifications

• Creative, organised and inspiring leadership for Resident Experience.
• Experience leading others would be beneficial.
• A relevant qualification or training in health and social care, dementia care, activities and wellbeing, community engagement, hospitality or related field would be highly desirable.
• Experience of leading others and working with people living with dementia would also be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead and embed Athena's Connected Living model across Avocet Court, inspiring colleagues to contribute to the resident experience.
• Plan and coordinate a varied programme of meaningful activities and engagement shaped around residents' individual interests, abilities, life histories and preferences.
• Create opportunities for residents to engage in meaningful ways, including individual, small-group, group, spontaneous and everyday experiences.
• Plan memorable events, celebrations, outings and external experiences, involving residents in deciding what they would like to do and where they would like to go.
• Build strong relationships with residents and families, ensuring individual interests, routines, occupations and life experiences help shape everyday life within the home.
• Develop connections with local schools, community groups, charities, businesses, faith groups and other organisations, helping residents remain active members of their community.
• Developing and overseeing the home's volunteer programme, creating meaningful opportunities for volunteers to contribute their skills, interests and time.
• Leading and supporting the Resident Experience/Lifestyles team, monitoring engagement and feedback, and continually looking for opportunities to develop and improve the resident experience.

Job description

Lead the experiences. Build connections. Make every day meaningful at Avocet Court

We're looking for a creative, organised and inspiring Resident Experience Lead to join the team at Avocet Court.

At Athena Care Homes, resident experience is about much more than organising activities. It's about understanding the people who live with us – their interests, relationships, routines, life experiences and ambitions – and creating opportunities for them to live a meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.

As our Resident Experience Lead, you'll lead that approach across Avocet Court. You'll bring our Connected Living model to life, working with every department to make meaningful engagement part of everyday life while leading an engaging programme of activities, events, outings, volunteering and community connections shaped around what matters to our residents.

The Essentials

• Location: Avocet Court, Ipswich, Suffolk
• Hours: 37.5 hours per week
• Salary: £15.50 per hour
• Working pattern: Monday to Sunday
• Reporting to: Home Manager

Some flexibility will be required to support occasional resident events and experiences during evenings and weekends.

About Avocet Court

At Avocet Court, you'll have the opportunity to shape a resident experience with community connection and individual choice at its heart.

The home has already developed local relationships, bringing residents together through shared interests, experiences and connections. Avocet Court supports up to 115 residents and holds 2-Gold Stars for NADCAS dementia accreditation.

As Resident Experience Lead, you'll build on these foundations while taking our approach further – getting to know what matters to every resident, creating opportunities for individual and shared experiences, developing new community partnerships and inspiring colleagues across the home to recognise the part they can play.

About The Role

As Resident Experience Lead, you'll lead and develop the resident experience at Avocet Court, ensuring every resident has opportunities for meaningful engagement, connection, choice and purpose.

You’ll lead the Lifestyles/Resident Experience team where applicable, but your influence will extend across the whole home. A key part of the role is helping Heads of Department and colleagues understand that meaningful engagement is everyone's responsibility – something that happens throughout everyday life, not just during planned activities.

Your Day Might Include

• Leading and embedding Athena's Connected Living model throughout Avocet Court, inspiring colleagues across every department to contribute to the resident experience
• Planning and coordinating a varied programme of meaningful activities and engagement shaped around residents' individual interests, abilities, life histories and preferences
• Creating opportunities for every resident to engage in ways that are meaningful to them, including individual, small-group, group, spontaneous and everyday experiences
• Planning memorable events, celebrations, outings and external experiences, involving residents in deciding what they would like to do and where they would like to go
• Building strong relationships with residents and families, ensuring individual interests, routines, occupations and life experiences help shape everyday life within the home
• Developing connections with local schools, community groups, charities, businesses, faith groups and other organisations, helping residents remain active members of their community
• Developing and overseeing the home's volunteer programme, creating meaningful opportunities for volunteers to contribute their skills, interests and time
• Leading and supporting the Resident Experience/Lifestyles team, monitoring engagement and feedback, and continually looking for opportunities to develop and improve the resident experience

About You

We're looking for someone who combines creativity, organisation and people leadership with a genuine curiosity about what matters to others.

You might already work within Lifestyles, Activities or Resident Experience in a care environment, but we'd also welcome relevant experience from community engagement, hospitality or another person-centred environment. What matters is your ability to build relationships, organise engaging experiences and inspire other people to get involved. The JD specifically allows for this broader range of backgrounds rather than requiring previous care-home experience.

You'll Be Someone Who

• Has experience planning and coordinating activities, events, outings or engagement programmes within a care, health, community, hospitality or other person-centred environment
• Is highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities, turning creative ideas into well-planned and meaningful experiences
• Builds positive relationships with residents, families, colleagues, volunteers, community groups and external partners
• Understands person-centred care and how meaningful activity, occupation and engagement can support wellbeing, independence, purpose and belonging
• Is a positive and motivating leader who can influence others, encourage collaboration and help colleagues recognise their role in the resident experience
• Is warm, approachable, inclusive and proactive, with the creativity and enthusiasm to develop experiences around each resident's individual interests, choices and abilities

A relevant qualification or training in health and social care, dementia care, activities and wellbeing, community engagement, hospitality or a related field would be highly desirable. Experience of leading others and working with people living with dementia would also be beneficial.

Resident Experience At Athena – Meaningful Living, Connected Communities

At Athena Care Homes, meaningful engagement is everyone’s responsibility. Through our Connected Living model, you’ll inspire colleagues to look beyond the activities calendar and create everyday opportunities that help residents maintain their interests, relationships, independence and sense of purpose.

You’ll also strengthen Avocet Court’s connections with the wider community, building partnerships with local groups, schools, charities, businesses and other organisations. From individual experiences and lifelong hobbies to volunteering and intergenerational connections, you’ll help create opportunities that keep residents connected, valued and involved in the life of their home and community.

Our values

• Delivering authentic care – taking time to understand what matters to each resident and creating experiences around the individual.
• Making moments together – turning everyday opportunities, resident wishes and creative ideas into meaningful experiences.
• Being there for one another – inspiring colleagues, families, volunteers and community partners to work together to enrich residents' lives.
• Celebrating every individual – recognising that meaningful engagement looks different for everyone and ensuring each resident has opportunities for choice, purpose and belonging.

Why join Athena?

We invest in our people and want every colleague to feel supported to develop, contribute ideas and progress.

As Part Of Our Team, You'll Benefit From

• Comprehensive induction and ongoing support for development and progression
• Support from our in-house Learning & Development Team
• Employee Assistance Helpline for emotional wellbeing support
• Blue Light Card
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Employee of the Month recognition
• Athena's annual VIP – Value in People – Awards
• Length of service recognition

Turn What Matters To Someone Into Experiences That Matter.

A great resident experience isn't measured by how many activities appear on a calendar. It's found in residents having choice over how they spend their day, continuing the interests and routines that matter to them, building relationships, trying something new and remaining connected to the community around them.

As Resident Experience Lead, you'll have the opportunity to make that philosophy part of everyday life at Avocet Court – leading your team, inspiring colleagues across the home and turning residents' ideas, interests and wishes into meaningful experiences. If you're ready to bring your creativity, leadership and organisation to a role where you can make a genuine difference,.

Lead the experience. Create the connections. Make every day meaningful.