Ward Administrator and Activities Coordinator – Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability

Job Title: Band 3 Ward Administrator and Activities Coordinator

Department: Nursing Department

Salary range: £23,314 per Annum FTE

Responsible to: Ward Manager

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week

Location: Putney, Southwest London

Benefits:

• Generous Annual Leave Entitlement 
• Free parking
• Situated outside the ULEZ and Congestion Zones
• On-site accommodation provided at extremely reasonable rates
• Blue Light Card and Discounts
• On-site cafeteria
• RHN Wellbeing Programme and EAP Services
• RHN Volunteering Opportunities

Please note, to be eligible to apply for this role, you must have received both Covid-19 vaccinations, unless medically exempt, and have the Right to Work in the UK.

Summary Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability

We are seeking a charismatic and dynamic, ‘Ward Administrator and Activities Coordinator’ to join RHN in our Continuing Care service on one of our specialist wards. This is a brand new role with the opportunity for you to have a front-facing impact on our patients, residents, and visitors. Your key responsibility is to manage an array of administrative duties on the ward and coordinate activities for the residents which positively enriches their experience and wellbeing.

The RHN has a capacity of 230 patients and residents; 107 of these are cared for in the Continuing Care services in the specialist nursing home. Chatsworth ward is a 34 bedded unit based on the ground floor with disabled access directly to its own garden area and has a large day area and multiple small areas for other activities on the ward. We want the ward to be lively and homely for our residents, who generally tend to live here between 3 months and long-term.

This role is suitable for someone who is personable and relishes interaction with a wide range of people throughout the day - from staff and the wider multi-disciplinary team, to our patients and their families. As Ward Administrator and Activities Coordinator, you can expect to embrace this role and make it your own with ideas and initiatives that enhance patient-centred care.

Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) is one of the oldest independent hospitals and medical charities in the UK. We provide person-centred care that focuses on enhancing dignity, independence and quality of life for our patients and residents. Our services span the entire care pathway from post-acute rehabilitation services to end of life care, for people with complex Neuro-disability and their families, underpinned by a strong research and education programme. 

We are very pleased to have been given an overall rating of ‘Good’ by our regulator, the CQC, in 2021.

Main Objectives of the role

• Be the first point of contact and welcome at arrival on the ward.
• To work as a member of a team with support in planning, organising and providing a program of residential and/or community based social and leisure activities.
• Support residents to pursue social and leisure activities in line with their needs/wishes.
• Interact with relatives and or visitors either in person or by telephone.  Ensure they are aware of any future events, appointments, co-ordinate home visits, arrange family meetings as directed.
• Develop and maintain Ward notice boards.  Liaise with the Communications Team for support to ensure these Boards are kept up to date.
• Provision and co-ordination of administrative and clerical support to the ward, including assessment arrangements, appointment setting, diary maintenance and production of reports for the work area allocated. Work with the Admissions Office to ensure that patient admission documentation is available within the Ward prior to the admission of a patient.
• Work closely with the Leisure and Family Services Lead to ensure we are working with the same focus and in accordance with the Patient Strategy.
• Ensure key lifestyle hobbies and interests are embedded and celebrated on the ward such as resident, staff and family birthday parties, anniversaries and any National or Global event themes that we can adopt and celebrate on the ward.
• Maintain record keeping/ timetables of events for each resident to evidence the activities and events that take place on the wards.
• Be a link across all of Continuing Care Services by supporting other Ward Administrators and teams in celebrating events and inviting them to Chatsworth Ward events as a Service.

Key Responsibilities

1. Ensure that a variety of social and leisure activities are available daily to all residents of Chatsworth Ward. Accompany or co-ordinate escorts for residents, where appropriate, to off-site activities, which may take place outside of normal working hours.
2. Ensure that and social and leisure equipment on the ward is in good working order, that faulty items are taken out of service and sent for repair and that a suitable/timely replacement is provided.
3. Maintain a list of resident’s birthdays or special dates, arranging appropriate celebrations as required.
4. Be able to handle money for entertainment, materials and community visits and to account for how money is spent.
5. Maintain a full and accurate record of activities using the appropriate documentation.
6. Interact with relatives and or visitors either in person or by telephone.  Ensure they are aware of any future activities and events.
7. Undertake reasonable administrative tasks for the ward, to include but not exhaustively: filling, organisation of admissions and notes, menu ordering, assisting with ward audits and water flushing and support for IPC, Estates, Facilities and the ward team as needed.

Experience and Qualifications Required:

• A drive and enthusiasm for supporting young adults in pursuing activities that promote social integration and emotional wellbeing. 
• Educated to a standard which ensures excellent literacy and numeracy (GCSE/O Level Maths and English) 
• NVQ or equivalent experience in a related subject i.e. Health and social care.
• Willingness to undertake training as required.
• Experience in working with individuals with complex needs and supporting them to live full and active lives.
• Organised approach to work with high emphasis on detail and accuracy. Awareness of the issues of confidentiality.  
• Able to respond flexibly to changing situation, prioritise appropriately and deal calmly with unexpected events.  
• Innovative, able to work autonomously and take responsibility appropriately.  

RHN is proud to be a diverse and inclusive employer that respects and values the differences of our people to achieve their full potential.