Lead Fitness Instructor

Main area Lead Fitness Instructor Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 22 hours per week (Mon-Thurs) Job ref 373-SMH2457 Employer Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FoundationTrust Employer type NHS Site Old Chapel Gym, Countess of Chester Health Park, Town Chester Salary £27,485 - £30,162 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 11/12/2025 23:59 Interview date 12/01/2026 Lead Fitness Instructor Band 4 Job overview We have an exciting opportunity for a Lead Fitness Instructor to join our Fitness and Wellbeing team based at the Old Chapel Gym, on the Countess of Chester Health Park site.You will be passionate about improving the physical health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. You will be able to communicate with people from all walks of life and be able to motivate and empower others using a collaborative and supportive approach. You will be able to demonstrate excellent leadership and organisational skills and be committed to continuous service improvement and team working. This is a permanent part-time post for 22 hours per week over 4 days (Monday 9.30am‑3.30pm, Tues‑Thurs 10am‑4pm). Shortlisting for this vacancy is due to commence on 23rd December and the proposed interview date is 12th January. Main duties of the job This post holder will be coordinating and maintaining our well resourced gym, “The Old Chapel” including ensuring a safe and therapeutic environment for all gym users. The post holder will be leading the day to day running of the service, and overseeing Fitness Instructors and volunteers. The postholder will have an understanding of how to run safe and effective exercise sessions within a hospital environment, an awareness of risk factors and appropriate management within this setting and be able to advocate for the importance of how physical activity improves mental and physical health. You will be expected to lead on organising the scheduling of sessions and to liaise with management about service development needs. It would be desirable to have worked previously within a mental health setting. You will be closely supported by the Lead Occupational Therapist and also work alongside members of the hospital clinical team. Working for our organisation Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire. We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport. Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall. As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role. Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role. At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values. CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it. Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100. If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’ Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes. The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies. New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above. Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date. Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon Person specification Qualifications Level 3 Certificate in fitness instructing which includes gym qualification OR OCR Level 3 Certificate in teaching exercise and fitness, including gym qualification Eligible for registration with Register of Fitness professionals (REPS) First Aid Certificate Level 2 Certificate in fitness instructing with children Knowledge & Expertise Knowledge of human anatomy Physical exercise programmes Understanding the link between physical and mental health Understanding risks for people with learning disabilities, mental illness and dementia within a fitness setting Knowledge of health promotion and healthy lifestyle eg nutrition/diet, balanced lifestyle, stress management An awareness of bed based NHS services Experience Experience of delivering Exercise classes Experience of engaging individuals in physical exercise Experience in leading and/or managing others and/or a service Experience of delivering exercise sessions for vulnerable and/or disabled people Previous experience of working within mental health or learning disability services or dementia care Experience in health promotion, care or working with vulnerable people Employer certification / accreditation badges You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Name Maria Yuen Job title Lead Occupational Therapist Email address maria.yuen@nhs.net Telephone number 01244397288 Additional information If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or telephone 01244 393100. #J-18808-Ljbffr