Sport and Exercise Technician

NHS; Dartford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Dartford is seeking a dedicated Sport and Exercise Technician to help shape an innovative service for women in mental health. The ideal candidate will possess a BTEC diploma in sports and fitness, experience in fitness settings, and have the skills to educate and promote healthier lifestyles. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team and have the opportunity for ongoing professional development. Salary is between £28,860 and £31,671 per year, inclusive of high cost area allowance.

Benefits

High Cost Area Supplement

Ongoing professional development

In-service training

Qualifications

• At least 2 years' experience of working within a fitness setting.
• Able to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Good organizational skills.
• Basic IT skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide and promote sport and exercise to service users.
• Educate clients on healthier lifestyles and health promotion activities.
• Plan and communicate effectively with the multidisciplinary team.

Skills

Experience in fitness setting

Teamwork

Organizational skills

Basic IT skills

Mental health experience

Education

BTEC extended diploma in Sports and Fitness or equivalent

Driving Licence

Job description

Are you a dedicated and compassionate Sport and Exercise Technician? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?

We're creating Kent and Medway's first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking a talented Sport and Exercise Technicianto help us deliver this vital service.

Please note that the start date for this post will be March 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

Sports and Exercise Technicians are recognised as essential, core and supportive members of the multi-disciplinary team. You will be part of the sport tech team, which is within the physiotherapy service.

We are looking for an individual who is motivated to take part in service development projects. We offer regular supervision, Personal Development Plans, in-service training and support for Continual Professional Development activities.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.

All positions also benefit from a High Cost Area allowance.

Main duties of the job

• To provide and promote sport and exercise to service users in an acute mental health inpatient setting, through individual sessions and group settings
• To educate & motivate service users to adopt healthier lifestyles and provide a range of health promotion activities, including the importance of regular exercise, healthy eating, weight management and smoking cessation
• To work and plan alongside other members of the immediate team and wider MDT, communicating effectively about service users and service changes/developments

About us

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area Supplement: 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1303 per year and a maximum payment of £2198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly). The salary listed is inclusive of the High-Cost Area Allowance.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role

Person Specification

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• At least 2 years' experience of working within a fitness setting
• Able to work autonomously and as a member of a team
• Ability to be well organised
• Basic IT skills
• Experience of working in a mental health setting

Qualifications

• BTEC extended diploma/ Level 3 National Diploma in Sports and Fitness/ Personal Training or Equivalent Experience
• Driving Licence

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.

£28,860 to £31,671 a yearP.A. inclusive of HCA (pro rata for Part time staff)