I just went for a care assistant job and got offered the Activities co-ordinators job, what she said sounded interested but I just wanted to do the care side, in the end I'm going to be doing both care side and organising, I am a childminder and that's why she through I would be good at the events side, with the planning and stuff, but still wondering what does a Activities co-ordinators do? Can anyone help me thanks. sabrina x
Activities co-ordinators what they do?
- Thread starter Covgalxxx
- Start date
He/she's the one deciding what activities are being put on for people in care home settings: music, arts and crafts, puzzles, gardening, bingo, animals etc., according to their abilities.
https://www.niace.org.uk/sites/defa... for activity coordinators and care staff.pdf
https://www.niace.org.uk/sites/defa... for activity coordinators and care staff.pdf
Disappointed but not surprised that a person has a job placement in the care sector without training.
It's not the same as child minding, that much I do know.
I would suggest you ask your employer for some in-work training...watching and learning how activity co-ordinators operate in a similar surrounding to your own, worth asking for some NVQ training support too.
You will find a lot of info on the www and probs spend a lot of time doing research but it wouldn't hurt for you to have some training and recognition for your role.
Best of luck.
It's not the same as child minding, that much I do know.
I would suggest you ask your employer for some in-work training...watching and learning how activity co-ordinators operate in a similar surrounding to your own, worth asking for some NVQ training support too.
You will find a lot of info on the www and probs spend a lot of time doing research but it wouldn't hurt for you to have some training and recognition for your role.
Best of luck.
Visiting care homes it was obvious to me the coordinators in most cases didn't have a clue. When I then visited a few day centres it was quite different. I think you need to do the same. Ask local day centres if you can sit in on a few hours a week to see how they handle things.
You will get ideas from them on activities and also how to assess the capabilities of the people in your charge.
You will get ideas from them on activities and also how to assess the capabilities of the people in your charge.
With all due respect, I am appalled. Your new post does not remotely resemble childminding. So disappointed that anyone would offer someone a post when they have no comprehension of what it entails. Our poor loved ones -to fall into such poor management hands!
As far as I know there is no training on offer by local authorities nowadays and in large care home chains there is very little ' in house' training for the role of activity coordinator. Local authorities used to put on training sessions for small private care homes but since the spending cuts very few now offer this service to local care homes.
In effect it seems to be training on the job for new care coordinators. That is if the care home has enough carers and the coordinator is not constantly sent over to the care team to work.
Have you a contracted amount of hours solely devoted to the coordinator role? What equipment is already in the home? What budget have you been allocated by the manager to spend on your activity role? How much of this budget will be for 'showcase events' such as a summer fare or to pay for singers/ entertainers who come in occasionally to the home? Has the home got a budget to spend on arranging to take one or two residents out of the home and accompany them to the occasional meal out, or trip to the supermarket to buy things to take back to bake or cook with suitable supervision, or a walk in a local park pushing an individual resident in a wheelchair, or a pint in a local pub, or a visit to watch a bowling match in the summer, or just have the time to talk to individual residents and listen to them or hold the hand of an agitated resident and knowing enough of their background to be able to chat and calm them down. Above all else you must be able to be allocated sufficient time to know individual residents and tune in to what makes each individual feel wanted and valued.
If you have very little equipment and are allocated very little time to spend with individual patients to find out what interests they have, then it will be the usual group 'sing a longs', or bingo in the lounge to music/loud shouting at such volume that any resident who is mobile will drift out of the lounge and into corridors or into bedrooms to get away from the noise.
I think you need to pin the manager down to exactly what hours you can devote to the coordinator role. To be a good coordinator takes a lot of your personal time up, planning and recording what individual or small group activities you can do and which residents actually enjoy the efforts you are putting in.
Best wishes
TinaT
In effect it seems to be training on the job for new care coordinators. That is if the care home has enough carers and the coordinator is not constantly sent over to the care team to work.
Have you a contracted amount of hours solely devoted to the coordinator role? What equipment is already in the home? What budget have you been allocated by the manager to spend on your activity role? How much of this budget will be for 'showcase events' such as a summer fare or to pay for singers/ entertainers who come in occasionally to the home? Has the home got a budget to spend on arranging to take one or two residents out of the home and accompany them to the occasional meal out, or trip to the supermarket to buy things to take back to bake or cook with suitable supervision, or a walk in a local park pushing an individual resident in a wheelchair, or a pint in a local pub, or a visit to watch a bowling match in the summer, or just have the time to talk to individual residents and listen to them or hold the hand of an agitated resident and knowing enough of their background to be able to chat and calm them down. Above all else you must be able to be allocated sufficient time to know individual residents and tune in to what makes each individual feel wanted and valued.
If you have very little equipment and are allocated very little time to spend with individual patients to find out what interests they have, then it will be the usual group 'sing a longs', or bingo in the lounge to music/loud shouting at such volume that any resident who is mobile will drift out of the lounge and into corridors or into bedrooms to get away from the noise.
I think you need to pin the manager down to exactly what hours you can devote to the coordinator role. To be a good coordinator takes a lot of your personal time up, planning and recording what individual or small group activities you can do and which residents actually enjoy the efforts you are putting in.
Best wishes
TinaT
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