Activities Co-Ordinator in Ashton-under-Lyne

This role will focus on coordinating a range of appropriate activities available for people living with a palliative diagnosis across Tameside and Glossop, and those close to them. Working closely across the clinical team, you will be responsible for group and individual activity planning that supports individuals to live well, maintain independence and get the right support at the right time.

Main Responsibilities

• Coordinate group activity across the Community Service department, liaising closely with team leads to understand the purpose of the group and needs of attendees.
• Ensure opportunities for in-patients and carers to take part in appropriate activities both on the in-patient unit and across Community Services.
• Work closely alongside the clinical team to ensure effective flow of patients and carers into the group offer.
• Coordinate activities, events and projects in line with the hospice calendar, including supporting Carers Week, Dying Matters events and Hospice Awareness Week.
• Liaise with external and volunteer group facilitators to support the coordination of a varied and appropriate group programme offer.
• Work alongside and provide support to volunteers to understand their role and responsibilities within each group, including reporting and recording of attendance, risk and activity, and escalation to the wider clinical team where required.
• Ensure teams have access to the right resources and information to ensure meaningful activity is available to patients and those close to them.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Utilise group planning, risk assessments and debrief templates to support the safe planning and delivery of our hospice group offer in collaboration with wider clinical teams.
• Support the clinical team with assessing individuals' suitability to access groups, including assessing any risk related to their safety in attendance at groups.
• Proactively gather service experience feedback, complete relevant outcome measures and support co-production projects to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of groups and influence the planning of future offers.
• Support the IPU team by providing resources and availability for a range of appropriate activities, including legacy and in-memory activities for their patients and carers to ensure their stay at the hospice remains person-centred and meaningful to them.
• Keep connected to the community to understand what groups are available through other organisations and support effective onward signposting.
• Elevate any concerns regarding patient or carer safety, wellbeing or medical nature effectively to a clinical member of staff or senior lead in a timely manner.

Administration Responsibilities

• Complete and maintain accurate record keeping of contact, in line with organisational policy, respecting confidentiality and safeguarding requirements, ensuring clear reporting and recording pathways are followed and that data and information is available to the service lead as required.
• Ensure up-to-date paperwork is available for all groups in the hospice.
• Ensure weekly, monthly and annual calendar of activities are up to date and liaise with the communications team to support effective sharing of this information both internally and externally.
• Liaise with the Volunteer Manager to support recruitment of group volunteers where appropriate.
• Assist in day-to-day business across community services, including responding to enquiries and phone calls and attending daily safety huddles.

Organisational Responsibilities

• Engage in a 1-1 and PDR process to understand your role within the team and to develop objectives which contribute to the wider service operational plan alongside your own professional development.
• Demonstrate and display hospice values throughout work: Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful and Excellent.
• Adhere to confidentiality and information sharing policy and procedures at all times, including declarations of conflict of interest.
• Ensure a safe environment at all times by adhering to health and safety standards, contributing to risk assessments, and reporting all identified hazards, incidents, near misses and concerns using the Vantage incident reporting system.
• Follow safeguarding reporting and recording processes to ensure the safety of patients, visitors, staff and volunteers.
• Adhere to mandatory training as specified by role and work within hospice guidance, policy and procedure.

Person Specification

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to confidently communicate at all levels and across environments.
• Evidence of good communication skills both written and verbal.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment.
• Ability to perform manual handling procedures.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to interpret service experience feedback to measure impact.

Experience

• Experience of working in a healthcare environment.
• Experience of planning and facilitating group and individual activities to a varied patient group.
• Experience of working in the community and/or connecting with groups across voluntary, charity or statutory sectors.
• Experience of working with individuals with a life-limiting diagnosis.
• Previous hospice experience in a paid or voluntary role.
• Experience of interdisciplinary team working within a healthcare environment.
• Experience of using computerised patient records.

Knowledge

• Understanding of needs of individuals living with a palliative diagnosis.
• Understanding of hospice service provision.
• Understanding of the needs of carers.
• Understanding of roles and responsibilities in safeguarding.
• Advance care planning and/or initiating conversations about death and dying.
• Understanding of grief and bereavement.
• Understanding of co-production in service design.

Other Requirements

• Committed to continual professional development.
• A flexible approach to working patterns.
• Good attendance and punctuality record.
• Reliable and trustworthy with a sound understanding of professional boundaries.
• Flexible, motivated and self-directed.
• Friendly and approachable nature.

Qualifications

• Good standard of education, including English and Maths, or equivalent experience.
• Relevant health and social care qualification (NVQ, BTEC, Care Cert).
• Group facilitator training.
• Counselling skills and/or communication training.

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.