This position is for days.

What you’ll do

Activities Coordinators, also known as activities workers, are in charge of organising social activities in a care home.

Activities coordinators may have to schedule group activities for quite a few people! Activities Coordinators will then help to run the activities and encourage residents to participate, help them take part and answer any questions or resolve any issues they might have.

This role also involves asking residents what new activities they would like to try, finding out about old hobbies they want to pick back up and tailoring activities to individual needs and requirements.

Activities coordinators support days out and trips, organise transport and ensure the correct procedures are followed for the trip.

Sometimes the Activities Coordinator will get involved in fund-raising for the home and getting involved with local businesses, due to their connection with the local community.

There are many reasons why being an Activities Coordinator is an incredibly important role. For one thing, without activities, residents will likely be bored, feel isolated or lonely and won’t be getting the exercise and socialising that they need to be happy and healthy.

Given that lots of older people struggle with mobility, or might have a certain health condition, making activities easily accessible for them can really boost confidence, too.

For those with dementia, special dementia-focused activities such as reminiscing sessions help to bring back fond memories, improve mood and reduce agitation or distress.

Being an activity coordinator today has a much higher focus on wellbeing, in addition to the activities themselves.

Looking at residents’ emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing is becoming more important in order to tailor activities that are meaningful to them and suit their personal preferences.

The role can enable residents to live their life to the fullest.

• Arts and crafts
• Reading and poetry
• Language classes
• Singing and music activities
• Chair-based exercise
• Yoga or Pilates
• Bingo
• Pub quizzes
• Movie nights
• Board game nights
• Trips to the theatre
• Excursions to nearby towns or places of interest

Who you are

Activities Coordinator can be an entry-level role, so a lot of the time you won’t need anything more than good literacy, numeracy and writing skills, strong communication skills, organisation and time management skills and a friendly, kind, patient and compassionate personality.

Some care homes may ask for formal qualifications such as GCSEs in Maths and English, or a social care qualification, such as a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care. Being able to think on your feet and act quickly is a must – activities won’t always go to plan and you’ll need a cool head to resolve problems quickly.

Having local knowledge is an advantage, as coordinators often organise events in the local community, arranging events with schools, churches, charities, local groups and family and friends.

Activities Coordinators need to be good listeners – if a resident has a particular desire to try a new activity, coordinators should do their best to make it happen. Similarly, if residents have feedback or a complaint about an activity, coordinators should take this on board and try to improve the experience for everyone the next time around.

Above all, if you want to be an Activities Coordinator, you’ll need to be creative, enthusiastic, optimistic and really care about people.

What we offer

• Employment Advice Program
• Personal and career development opportunities
• Workplace pension
• Free uniform

Skills/Qualifications:

• Able to follow instructions and procedures
• Able to work in a team but use their own initiative
• Communication skills, including listening
• Organisation skills
• Observational skills