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What people do in their work

This section outlines the kind of responsibilities someone within this role category is likely to undertake as part of their role.

This role category supports individuals who draw on care and support to lead full, meaningful and healthy lives through activity provision. This may involve:

• planning, providing and evaluating individual and group activities that promote wellbeing and engagement
• collaborating with people who draw on care, staff, families and external professionals to ensure a holistic, person-centred approach
• using diversional therapy to improve quality of life and reduce isolation
• creating opportunities for meaningful social interaction
• incorporating daily rituals and cultural or religious celebrations into activities, with sensitivity to diverse backgrounds and calendars

This role category could be across a variety of settings, providing person-centred activities and companionship:

• in a residential setting
• through supported independent living
• in day services
• in rehabilitation centres
• within community settings

As an activity co-ordinator, you will be involved in creating a vibrant, engaging and therapeutic environment that enhances the wellbeing and quality of life for people who draw on care and support. You will have a focus on planning and providing personalised daily activities that are meaningful, stimulating and tailored to individual preferences, abilities and cultural backgrounds.

This role category does not involve providing front-line care.

Values

Values are the foundation underpinning the behaviours that people in this role category must show.

The values are:

• kind, compassionate and empathetic
• honest, trustworthy and reliable
• respect
• courageous and principled
• see the whole person
• flexible, open and learning
• proud and positive

The behaviours people must show (must do)

Behaviours are the way that values are demonstrated in practice.

This section outlines the behaviours that you need to work within this role category. These are the things people must be doing in their job.

Kind, compassionate and empathetic

You must act with compassion, modelling a culture of care, empathy, openness and inclusivity in your practice.

Honest, trustworthy and reliable

You must:

• ensure that activities are accessible, inclusive and respectful of diverse needs and abilities
• take ownership of your actions, showing resilience, determination and impartiality in challenging situations

Respect

You must:

• participate in an open culture where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, without prejudice, bias or discrimination
• work to embed principles of equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights into all activity provision, ensuring respectful, culturally sensitive and inclusive practice

Courageous and principled

You must demonstrate a willingness to explore and take appropriate risks to learn new things that could support your practice.

See the whole person

You must:

• promote individuals’ dignity, autonomy and quality of life, placing them at the centre of their care
• show patience and adaptability, recognising individuals’ different abilities and preferences when engaging with activity provision
• ensure person-centred care remains the priority, with a focus on personalisation in activity provision

Flexible, open and learning

You must:

• apply flexibility, creativity and innovation when designing activities, considering individual needs and limitations
• embrace digital skills and knowledge that support activity provision and improve outcomes
• be open to feedback, using it to refine your practice and to participate in improving activity provision
• show an interest in new ideas and techniques, seeking and taking on board feedback, identifying areas for self-development

Proud and positive

You must:

• take pride in your role in adult social care, empowering your colleagues to also take pride in the work they do, celebrating achievements and success
• demonstrate patience, passion and a genuine commitment to your speciality, with a clear focus on enhancing quality of life

Working together

You must:

• act proactively to develop positive and collaborative relationships with your colleagues, people who draw on care and support and their families
• collaborate with colleagues, individuals and families to co‑design activity provision to best suit the needs of individuals

Professionalism

You must:

• promote the importance of safeguarding in all aspects of practice and support early identification and appropriate escalation of any concerns
• demonstrate a commitment to maintaining confidentiality and ethical standards

Knowledge and skills people should have

Knowledge is the understanding someone needs to carry out the responsibilities of the role.

Skills are the ability to apply that knowledge in practice.

This section outlines the knowledge and skills someone working in this role category should know and the things they should be able to do in their job.

Minimum knowledge and skills in this role category

It is essential to possess a foundational understanding of the adult social care sector. This includes awareness of:

• the conditions individuals may experience
• the support they may require in the course of your duties

You should complete a thorough and robust induction. This should provide you with the baseline knowledge and skills you’ll need to provide compassionate, safe and high-quality support.

For further information on what knowledge and skills activity co-ordinators should develop as part of their induction see the ‘Minimum knowledge and skills that make you safe to practise’ and ‘Consolidation of minimum skills and additional Care Certificate learning’ sections in the ‘New to care’ role category on the Care workforce pathway landing page. Some knowledge and skills from the section ‘Additional skills that are useful across all settings’ may also be suitable depending on the setting.

See the ‘Knowledge and skills breakdown for this role category’ section below for more detail.

Diversity of practice: setting-specific training

As part of this role category, you may also need to complete setting-specific training, such as completing dementia training when working in a dementia care setting. This will give you a wider understanding of how to better support appropriate activity provision. We expect organisations to define their own setting-specific training based on the needs of the people drawing on care and support.

Digital skills

As part of learner knowledge and skill development, you can also work to level 1 (digital skills for all) of the .

Within this role category, we would expect you to show all level 1 competencies. All level 2 competencies (digital skills to go further) could also be utilised within this role category.

Knowledge and skills breakdown for this role category

Understanding activity provision in adult social care

You should:

• understand the purpose and significance of activity provision within adult social care environments
• recognise how both structured and informal activities can support and enhance individual wellbeing
• understand the risk to individuals of prolonged inactivity
• understand the role and importance of reminiscence in activity provision, both in one-to-one and group activities
• understand how activities contribute to physical health, emotional resilience and mental stimulation for people who draw on care and support
• recognise that communication and interaction are purposeful activities that foster connection and engagement
• be able to recognise the limit of your role and training as an activity co-ordinator and when direct care support needs to be provided instead

Support meaningful engagement in activity provision

You should:

• recognise the differences between individual and group activity programmes
• understand the benefits that individual and group activity programmes can have
• understand the challenges that individual and group activity programmes can present with
• be able to manage challenges inherent with individual and group activity programmes
• be able to prompt and encourage participation in activities
• be able to create and maintain an enabling environment that supports active participation
• apply creative problem-solving strategies to overcome barriers and maintain participation and enjoyment

Promote the benefits of activity in care settings

You should be able to:

• promote and encourage person-to-person and group interactions through activity
• use activity provision as a tool to reduce isolation within care environments
• provide activities that support physical health and wellbeing in a care environment
• provide activities that support increased independence for people who draw on care and support
• devise activities that stimulate creative, sensory and cognitive function

Support team participation in activity provision

You should:

• understand how your colleagues can support with the provision of activities
• understand how to engage your colleagues so they can support in activity provision
• be able to contribute to activity-led approaches in your wider team within your setting

Developing and conducting person-centred activity programmes

You should:

• understand what policies, procedures and regulatory standards apply to activity provision in your setting
• be able to ensure compliance with policies, procedures and regulatory standards relevant to activity provision in your setting
• understand your organisation or setting’s approach to planning inclusive and meaningful activities
• be able to embed person-centred principles when designing activities for individuals and groups
• understand how to tailor activities to individual needs, preferences and abilities
• be able to work collaboratively with people who draw on care and support, their families, colleagues and external professionals to plan and provide activities
• be able to create activity plans that reflect individual needs, preferences, abilities and life history
• be able to conduct and incorporate risk assessments into activity provision, ensuring the health and safety of participants
• be able to ensure activities are culturally sensitive and, where appropriate, spiritually meaningful
• be able to plan and provide a range of structured and spontaneous activities tailored to individuals and groups
• be able to adapt activities to meet diverse needs - for example, for:
  • adults with dementia or other memory related illnesses
  • adults with sensory impairments
  • adults with physical disabilities
  • autistic adults
  • adults with learning disabilities
• be able to keep and maintain documentation related to individual and group activity provision as directed by your organisation
• understand how to track individual progress accurately, incorporating input from the interdisciplinary team

Evaluating activity provision

You should:

• understand the importance of research, evaluation and feedback in activity provision, which could be received from people who draw on care and support, their families or loved ones, from colleagues, from your supervisor or management team, or from external providers and professionals
• understand how to gain feedback from individuals, both formal and informal - this might include:
  • informal conversations with individuals after activities to check their experience
  • looking for non-verbal information from individuals, particularly when they do not have the capacity to give more formal feedback
  • asking for formal feedback through feedback forms
  • using easy read forms for individuals who can engage better through this format
  • speaking with individuals’ loved ones or advocates to hear feedback through them
• be able to apply simple research and evaluation methods in your setting
• understand the importance of reflection in activity provision
• be able to incorporate feedback, and your own reflections, into improving your activity provision
• be able to follow internal quality assurance processes when evaluating and improving activity provision

Manage resources for activity provision

You should:

• understand the resources available to you to plan and provide activities
• be able to manage your budget for activity provision in your setting
• be able to use the resources available to you creatively to provide effective and inclusive activities

Understanding food hygiene and knowledge of dietary needs

You should:

• understand how to follow food safety and hygiene practices when preparing, serving and clearing away food and drink
• be able to manage individual dietary needs, including allergies, intolerances, religious or ethnic diets and health conditions like diabetes or kidney disease
• with support, be able to adapt food safely for people with swallowing difficulties (such as dysphagia)
• understand how to store food and drink safely and know where to get advice or support if needed

Understanding how to communicate effectively

You should:

• have clear, empathetic communication with individuals, carers and professionals
• be able to adapt your communication style to meet diverse needs and ensure accessibility and understanding for all

Understanding how to work in collaboration

You should:

• be able to work in partnership with multi-agency teams including internal and external professionals to develop and provide activities
• be able to contribute to decision making relating to how activities are used to enhance care in your setting
• understand the importance of safe digital communication that protects individuals’ data and privacy

Managing your time

You should:

• be able to manage caseloads, documentation and service provision efficiently
• understand when additional support is required and where to escalate concerns

Understanding health and social care systems

You should:

• be familiar with the relevant adult care frameworks for your setting, safeguarding and multi-agency working
• understand that activity provision is a tool to enhance care and support individuals’ wellbeing
• understand how your role fits within the wider health and care system, and the implications that commissioning decisions, local service arrangements and support from other professionals can have on the quality of care and support people receive

Understanding positive behaviour support

You should:

• have awareness of what positive behaviour support is
• be able to design activities that are mindful of behavioural patterns and potential triggers
• be able to develop and provide activities as a proactive tool to explore and respond to the underlying causes of behaviours that challenge

Oliver’s Training

Complete Oliver’s Training on Learning Disability and Autism: Tier 1 (if not done so already). Tier 2 can be undertaken in settings providing direct care to individuals with autism or a learning disability.

Suggested learning opportunities

The following are some of the learning opportunities available to support understanding and continued professional development within this role category.

Qualifications:

• Level 2 Award in Supporting Activity Provision in Social Care
• Level 3 Certificate in Activity Provision in Social Care

Suggested standards frameworks:

• dementia:
• autism:
• end of life care:
• learning disabilities:
• mental health:

Other learning opportunities could include:

• Awareness of Dementia Level 3
• Dementia - Tier 2 training​
• positive behaviour support awareness training
• falls prevention
• infection prevention and control
• basic food hygiene (Level 1)
• preventing injury and ill health in care settings
• mental health first aid

Role category personas