Job summary

An opportunity has arisen to recruit a Sports and Exercise Technician who has a keen interest and enthusiasm in Sports and Exercise within the well-established Physiotherapy team . We are keen to recruit an individual who has a wide knowledge of health and wellbeing related to sports and exercise.

Littlebrook Hospital is an acute inpatient mental health hospital which provides care to adults with mental health conditions.

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 that is motivated in taking part in service development projects.

We offer regular supervision, Personal Development Plans, in-service training and support for Continual Professional Development activities.

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 setting.

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

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We are rated Good overall by the CQC.

Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.

We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Our strategy

Our mission is what we set out to do every day We deliver brilliant care through brilliant people

Our vision is where we want to be in the future To provide outstanding care and to work in partnership to deliver this in the right place, for every service user, every time.

Check out our recruitment videos Recruitment - YouTube

Date posted

09 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year per annum plus HCAS %

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-AC0692

Job locations

Littlebrook Hospital

Bow Arrow Lane

Stone

DA2 6PB

Job description

Job responsibilities

To deliver exercise/fitness programs and group sessions within an acute inpatient setting to aid improvement and support physical and mental health.

To continually review and evaluate service users progress,treatment plans and risk assessments as the patients condition changes, making suitable alterations to their sports and exerciseprogrammes.

To identify conditions that may limit or compromise participation.

To induct service users in the safe use of the gym equipment.

To be able to manage own caseload appropriately and usingevidence-based intervention strategies.

To understand consent and gain consent from service user for intervention.

To recognise when service users have achieved their goals and to set, review and re-design programs collaboratively with theservice user.

To ensure accurate and reliable documentation of patient records are maintained in accordance with local and Trust standards.

To ensure the Fitness to Exercise form (FtE) is completed for each service user who wishes to engage in sports and exercise individual and/or group sessions during their inpatient admissionand prior to participation in gym-based exercise. To discussconcerns around any identified medical contra-indications tosports and exercise with the ward-based medical team.

To have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skillsincluding motivational skills.

To be familiar with the service users medication and the possible side effects when planning and/or designing sports and exercise sessions.

To use outcome measure to aid in the evaluation of sports andexercise interventions and service.

To support service users in engaging in community activities aspart of their discharge planning and social prescribing.

To contribute to the completion of patient care plans andassessments.

To seek handover information of service users on own caseloadand, to provide feedback of the service user progress to MDT or ward staff

To assess risk and manage it effectively within clinical settings,ensuring a safe environment in which to exercise

To be able to manage challenging behaviour and set clear boundaries within a sport/exercise setting.

To work with patients, carers, relatives and friends who often havedistressing or challenging social/clinical experiences/behaviours.

To work within scope of practice and adhere to current clinical guidelines where appropriate.

Ongoing referral to appropriate services including healthprofessionals such as physiotherapy.

To have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills

To induct patients to the safe use of the sports and exerciseequipment including gym equipment on site.

To work flexibly adjusting priorities according to the needs of the service

Please see job description for full details.