Technical Instructor

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

**Job overview**:
Here at Hellesdon Hospital we have an exiting opportunity for you to join our team as a Technical Instructor. This is a role which service users consistently identify as having a positive impact upon their recovery and their experiences in mental health inpatient services.

We feel this is an excellent time to join us because in January 2025 we opened our brand new gym and outdoor sports facility

This post is specifically to work along side an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist and the wider MDT to deliver a wide range of 1-1 and group interventions to our patients. A minimum qualification of a Level 2 Gym Instructor would be required. You will support people currently on the ward to engage in conversations or engage practically to help them maintain or improve their physical health and their overall wellbeing.

**Main duties of the job**:
You will be based in the Therapy Team which work across all 5 acute wards and a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Hellesdon Hospital. In this role you will be required to be based across 2 wards across to support service users in undertaking physical activity, but will be expected to help cover for other wards during periods of leave for other Technical Instructors.

You will also be encouraged to facilitate time away from the unit with some individuals in order to access community resources and engage with nature.

A relevant qualification in Occupational Assistant therapies or a foundation degree is essential for this post, in addition to a level 2 Gym Instructor qualification.

You will be expected to observe and assess general behaviour, functional ability and response of patients during therapeutic activities.

Report patient observation and assessment to the appropriate clinical ward-based team.

Attend patient clinical meetings, as deemed appropriate by your Line Manager.

It is essential you can work as part of a team in order for us to provide evidence based interventions for the people we support.

You will require effective communications skills as you will be working with lot of individuals with complex mental health and physical health needs.

**Working for our organisation**:
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

**Why work for us?** We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

**Why Norfolk and Suffolk?**The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Benefits included with this role are:

- NHS pension
- a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
- career progression
- starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
- staff physio service
- NHS discounts and many more.

**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**:
We value life skills, lived experience and a commitment to work with us to meet the needs of the ward. We are keen to integrate individuals existing skills into the services we are able to provide, as well as supporting personal and professional development through additional training.

**Person specification**:

- **Qualifications**:

- **Essential criteria**:

- Foundation Degree or equivalent in sports and fitness training.

**Experience**:

- **Essential criteria**:

- Experience working with a wide range of mental health clients- **Skills**:

- **Essential criteria**:

- Ability to teach/transfer knowledge to a wide variety of people.
- PMA, Safeguarding and Suicide Training-
- **Desirable criteria**:

- Basic knowledge of computers- **Knowledge**:

- **Essential criteria**:

- An understanding of mental health problems- **Other**:

- **Essential criteria**:

- Flexible, adaptable to change.
- Common sense and initiative. YOUR APPLICATION

_ EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES _Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treati