Job summary
Are you a confident individual looking to share your creative skills?

Elmleigh Hospital are looking to recruit a passionate individual to join the teams to provide activities to our service users.

The hospital provides care and treatment to people who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis and require a short period of hospital care to support their recovery. We are looking for people who can think outside the box, work independently using their own initiative & have a real passion for engaging people in group or individual activities.

Successful candidates will have a proven track record of supporting people with mental health issues and may have lived experience themselves.

You will have access to dedicated Therapy spaces including sensory rooms, IT Hubs, and multi-functional activity rooms. There are garden spaces for you to deliver activities as well.

A background in the care sector or previous volunteering is beneficial. However, being able to create positive relationships with people & engage proactively in a caring environment is equally important.

Unsocial hours are worked to meet the needs of the ward, but we welcome and consider applications for flexible working.

Main duties of the job
Provision of activities as designed and requested by patients over seven day a week service provision. Working closely with AHP colleagues to coordinate a timetable of offer.

To help patients identify their own recovery goals and what is meaningful to them.

It is not essential to have a full UK driving licence as we like to encourage patients to access the community via public transport as they will require this skill when they move on.

Parts of your role will require working outside e.g. sport related activities, walks, as well as accessing the community to gather resources.

To adopt a pragmatic and non-judgemental approach.

To provide structured opportunities for people to relax and socialise.

Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities, and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.

To act in a manner to respect and accommodate the customs, individuality, values, sexuality and spiritual beliefs, supporting the individual to fulfil these.

About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence

Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone -- if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team -- detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

Qualifications
Essential

• Literacy and numeracy skills at GCSE level, or equivalent.
• Ability to attend and participate in all statutory training requirements.

Desirable

• Mental Health related qualification i.e. Certificate in Community Mental Health or equivalent
• NVQ 2 or 3 Health & Social Care.
• Completion of own wellness plan (there is no expectation for this to be shared).

Experience
Essential

• Experience of being in a supportive and enabling role.
• Understanding of the value of activities in improving health and wellbeing.

Desirable

• Having a lived experience of mental health services either as a patient or a carer.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting.
• Experience of working in a team.
• Lived experience of mental distress and recovery.
• Experience of training, teaching, coaching/mentoring others.

Additional Criteria
Essential

• Patients expect our staff to coproduce the activities they would find beneficial, that are responsive to their need.
• They expect staff to be able to accept, support and understand their difficulties who respond in a safe, professional, and compassionate manner.

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.