Activity Worker

The post holder will be participating in the provision of a range of therapeutic, creative, diversional and recreational activities that aim to minimise the disability arising from severe mental illness and offending behaviours, and to enable patients to make the most of their lives by accessing ordinary activities that are permissible in a secure environment.

The post holder will work with the ward allocated Occupational Therapist and service users to develop therapeutic activity programmes, which will include group and individual sessions for service users. The activity programme will be developed and implemented with the supervision of a registered Occupational Therapist and will complement the unit therapy programmes to support individuals to take an active part in their recovery. They will also embrace safe wards (a model seeking to enhance safety on wards through decreasing conflict and providing containment) and be supportive of restrictive practice (an intervention seeking to support teams in using the least restrictive methods of treatment).

The post will also provide opportunity to work alongside peer trainers (practitioners with lived experience of mental health) and service user peer advisors in the Forensic Recovery College.

The post holder will work across the inpatient wards and the Forensic Recovery College. They will liaise closely with ward and clinical teams and be clinically supervised by the Occupational Therapy Service.

To participate as a member of the Ruby ward team and occupational therapy department in the provision of a range of therapeutic and recreational to support the rehabilitation of service users experiencing mental illness and who have a history of offending. This programme will be developed and implemented with the supervision of a registered Occupational Therapist.

To provide a programme of recreational, vocational and educational activities within the service and the community.

To support the development of a balanced therapeutic ward-based programme.

To support access to and engagement in the forensic recovery college.

To facilitate recovery courses at the forensic recovery college.

To instruct and guide individuals and groups of service users in the use of therapeutic activity.

To work independently, facilitating group or individual work, planned with a registered Occupational Therapist.

**Agile and flexible working**:
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday, with 1 weekend every 4 weeks in the time frames from 9 to 18h, giving you the very best of good work life balance.

Shaftesbury Clinic is a Forensic in-patient service within South West London and St Georges NHS Trust providing specialised multi-disciplinary care to male and female offenders diagnosed with a mental health condition. We are looking for an enthusiastic, team worker and dynamic individual to join our well-established team within a Low and Medium Secure Service. This is a relatively new post for the service developed to support enhanced therapy programmes across 4 wards as well centrally in the Pan Clinic and to support the development of the Forensic Recovery College.You will be based within the occupational therapy department working with the Lead OT, ward OTs, other Activity Support Workers, peer support workers and other members of the MDT. We are a vibrant and welcoming team and our work is based a lot on teamwork and collaboration.

**About our location**:
Tooting (Wandsworth)

The Forensic Inpatient Service is comprised of both medium and low secure wards. The service provides treatment under the Mental Health Act for men and women with mental health problems who are considered to pose a significant risk of harm to themselves or others. The primary aim of the Forensic Inpatient service is to provide a safe and secure environment in which to support forensic patients to progress towards a more independent and meaningful life. Shaftesbury Clinic is based on the grounds of Springfield University hospital, also where the Trust Headquarters is based.

Clinical
- To provide a programme of recreational, vocational and educational activities within the service and the community
- To provide support and engage service users in therapeutic activities to promote recovery, independence and well-being
- To support access to and engagement in the forensic recovery college
- To facilitate recovery courses at the forensic recovery college alongside peer trainers and other team members
- To support the development of a balanced therapeutic ward based programme for service users at different stages of recovery
- To contribute to the “my shared pathway” process, monitoring service users progress, taking account service users goals and aspirations and adjusting interventions accordingly
- To work independently,