Activities Coordinator Occupational Therapy Department

Job Title and Grade

Activities Coordinator

Occupational Therapy Department

Campaign Reference

SCH/012/2026

Closing Date

Tuesday 17th February 2026 @ 17:00hrs

Proposed Interview Date (s)

Interviews will be held as soon as possible after the closing date. This is subject to change. Candidates will normally be given at least one weeks’ notice of interview. The timescale may be reduced in exceptional circumstances.

Taking up Appointment

A start date will be indicated at job offer stage

Organisational Area

HSE, St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin

Location of Post

Occupational Therapy Department, St Columcille’s Hospital

Ospidéal Cholm Cille, Bóthar Bhré, Baile Uí Lachnáin, Co. Bhaile Átha Cliath D18 V9K1

St. Columcille's Hospital, Bray Road, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin D18 V9K1

There is currently one permanent, whole-time vacancy available in St Columcille’s Hospital.

A panel may be formed as a result of this campaign for Activities Coordinator from which current and future, permanent and specified purpose vacancies of full or part-time duration may be filled.

Informal Enquiries

Ms Sarah Kennedy

Occupational Therapy Manager,

Email sarah.kennedy7@hse.ie

Phone 01 2115119

Details of Service

St. Columcille’s Hospital is located on the border of County Wicklow. It is a model 2 hospital and is aligning itself to the Sláintecare vision. It has 117 inpatient beds and provides a range of services to a diverse population covering South County Dublin and County Wicklow. St. Columcille’s Hospital is committed to providing a quality, patient focused service in a way that meets all patient needs in an equitable, efficient and safe manner. We acknowledge the contribution of each member of staff and aim to encourage and support them in their on-going professional development. Services include a 7/7 Local Injury Unit, 7/7 Medical Assessment Unit, 113 medical inpatient beds incorporating Stroke & Ortho Rehab Units, Endoscopy, a 5/7 Day Surgery Unit, an Outpatient Department, Radiology and various diagnostic services for local GPs. St. Columcille’s Hospital acts as a hub and spoke model for integrated care. Located in St. Columcille’s Hospital is the National Centre for all obesity management and the National Gender Service.

Reporting Relationship

This post holder will report to the Occupational Therapy Manager and / or supervising occupational therapist through the professional line management structure.

Purpose of the Post

The Occupational Therapy Activities Coordinator will work under the supervision of a qualified Occupational Therapist and carry out those activities as directed by the Occupational Therapist, in order to assist in their role and to facilitate the provision of an effective and efficient service to clients and their carers.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

· Ensure that patient’s privacy and dignity are maintained

· Organising and maintaining daily standard activities

· Planning and implementing special activities which include (but are not limited to) garden visits, birthday parties, Christmas and other seasonal celebrations.

· Drawing up a program of activities

· Ensuring each in patient has an up to date and complete “Life Story Book”

· Undertake a complete activity assessment of new residents upon admission and to use this to provide a program that matches the needs and likes of the patient

· Review activity assessments on a regular basis or on a needs change basis

· Identify the needs of the collective group and individuals and tailor the activities to suit them

· Establish an open relationship with each patient and encourage each patient to participate

· Display an awareness and evidence on a daily basis of why feelings matter most to individuals

· Demonstrate commitment to and skills in the person centred approach

· Show evidence of being focused on people’s feelings when providing personal care and knowing how to turn a task into positive social interaction.

· Demonstrate within the team a relaxed manner and a skill in ‘going with the flow’ emphasising people’s individual needs and not tasks and routines whilst ensuring work requirements are met.

· Present a positive approach, not controlling language and actions towards people.

· Display a sense of spontaneity and ability to change the moment positively for people.

· Effectively maintain care records that emphasise and can be measured as delivering on a daily basis a person centred approach.

· Contribute to the development of an Enriched Care Plan and assist in its implementation and evaluation in consultation with the person’s family / relative as appropriate

· Contribute positively to a team approach in being person centred with one another.

· Know how to and demonstrate evidence of increasing individual’s well-being and reducing ill-being

· Support families, friends and supporters of people experiencing a dementia balancing this with the promotion of a person centred approach to individuals.

· Assist in the preparation and serving of food ensuring that mealtimes are a social occasion for people

· Your role will involve engaging with and supporting our hospital MDT.

· Maintain and monitor appropriate levels of consumables supplies in your area

· Maintain appropriate records to facilitate the ordering process / enable cost monitoring in line with financial regulations

· Answer the telephone, respond to queries, take messages and deal with queries as appropriate

· Promote a culture that values diversity and respect in the workplace

· The person holding this post is required to support the principle that the care of the patient comes first at all times and will approach their work with the flexibility and enthusiasm necessary to make this principle a reality for every patient to the greatest possible degree.

· Maintain throughout the hospital awareness of the primacy of the patient in relation to all hospital activities.

· Performance management systems are part of the role and you will be required to participate in the performance management programme

· The post holder will work under the guidance and supervision of the Occupational Manager/therapists and help to maintain the service as a member of the wherever they will be working.

· Duties will be according to the requirements of the specific work area and the day-to-day needs of the service and will include the following:

Clinical Responsibilities – Occupational Therapy Assistant:

· To assist the Occupational Therapist in their assessment of clients’ functional performance in activities of daily living and to assist the implementation of Occupational Therapy treatment programmes

· To assist the Occupational Therapist in the fitting and provision of appliances and equipment prescribed by the Occupational Therapist

· To use therapeutic rapport to facilitate client engagement in the Occupational Therapy process, to motivate and to encourage

· To feedback information in both verbal and written formats to departmental standards for OT assistants

· To prepare the environment for both group and individual treatment sessions

· To provide standardised, follow up education to patients regarding safe use of any equipment provided and to escalate any concerns to the treating Occupational Therapist

Administrative Responsibilities:

· Compliance with all relevant department regulations including and not limited to documentation and recording of statistical data.

· To assist in regular monitoring and control of stock and equipment, reporting same to the relevant team member as required

· To assist with equipment orders, administrative tasks, orientation of visitors or new staff as requested.

· To comply with all relevant statutory, local and hospital regulations and policies at all times, e.g. Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act, 1989. Guidelines on Medical Devices Regulations, 1994, and the Freedom of Information Act, 1997.

· To notify the Department Manager of sickness, annual and other leave in accordance with the Hospital’s policy.

· Participate in staff/ team meetings as required

· To support therapists in the organisation of the treatment program, e.g. scheduling of treatment, booking of rooms, preparation of patient information packs, collection of routine patient data from hospital IT systems

Care of facilities and equipment:

· Maintaining tidiness and cleanliness in the Therapy Departments, treatment and waiting areas

· To be involved in the preparation and cleaning of equipment and materials.

· Where necessary, complete laundry duties and changing of linen.

· To bring equipment to and from treatment areas as required by the therapists

Safety:

· To be familiar with and uphold the policies and principles of the Occupational Therapy, and Physiotherapy Safety Statements, professional guidelines and the Hospital Health and Safety protocols.

· To deal with emergency situations or accidents by summoning professional help in accordance with ESD guidelines.

· To report all incidents / accidents relating to self, patients or visitors to the ESD team co-ordinator and any relevant ESD team member.

· To participate as required in Occupational Health and Safety training.

· Report immediately to Therapy Manager any defect in equipment or the environment, which might cause a hazard to staff or patients.

· Familiarise oneself and adhere to the HSE lone working policy 2012 and departmental implementation of same.

Education:

· To participate in continuing professional development within Saolta hospitals, as appropriate.

Legislation:

· Must be aware of and adhere to legislation concerning:

o Health and Safety

o Freedom of Information Act 1997

o Childcare Act

Confidentiality:

In the course of the employment you will have access to information regarding the personal affairs of patients or staff. Such information is strictly confidential. Unless acting on the instruction of an authorised officer, on no account must information concerning patients, staff or health service business be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition, records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them. Records must be stored in safe custody when no longer in use.

KPI’s

· The identification and development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which are congruent with the Hospital’s service plan targets.

· The development of Action Plans to address KPI targets.

· Driving and promoting a Performance Management culture.

· In conjunction with line manager assist in the development of a Performance Management system for your profession.

· The management and delivery of KPIs as a routine and core business objective.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL CONDITIONS:

· Employees must attend fire lectures periodically and must observe fire orders.

· All accidents within the Department must be reported immediately.

· Infection Control Policies must be adhered to.

· In line with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 all staff must comply with all safety regulations and audits.

· In line with the Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Act 2004, smoking within the Hospital Buildings is not permitted.

· Hospital uniform code must be adhered to.

· Provide information that meets the need of Senior Management.

· To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service.

Risk Management, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety

· The management of Risk, Infection Control, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.

· The post holder must be familiar with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.

· The post holder has a duty to familiarise themselves with the relevant Organisational Policies, Procedures & Standards and attend training as appropriate in the following areas:

o Continuous Quality Improvement Initiatives

o Document Control Information Management Systems

o Risk Management Strategy and Policies

o Hygiene Related Policies, Procedures and Standards

o Decontamination Code of Practice

o Infection Control Policies

o Safety Statement, Health & Safety Policies and Fire Procedure

o Data Protection and confidentiality Policies

· The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they become familiar with the requirements stated within the Risk Management Strategy and that they comply with the Group’s Risk Management Incident/Near miss reporting Policies and Procedures.

· The post holder is responsible for ensuring that they comply with hygiene services requirements in your area of responsibility. Hygiene Services incorporates environment and facilities, hand hygiene, catering, cleaning, the management of laundry, waste, sharps and equipment.

· The post holder must foster and support a quality improvement culture through-out your area of responsibility in relation to hygiene services.

· It is the post holders’ specific responsibility for Quality & Risk Management, Hygiene Services and Health & Safety this will be clarified to you in the induction process and by your line manager.

· The post holder must take reasonable care for his or her own actions and the effect that these may have upon the safety of others.

· The post holder must cooperate with management, attend Health & Safety related training and not undertake any task for which they have not been authorised and adequately trained.

· The post holder is required to bring to the attention of a responsible person any perceived shortcoming in our safety arrangements or any defects in work equipment.

· It is the post holder’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with the HSE Health Care Records Management/Integrated Discharge Planning (HCRM / IDP) Code of Practice.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/ or experience

Candidates must on the closing date:

1. Professional Qualifications & Experience, etc.

a) Eligible applicants will be those who on the closing date for the competition:

(i) Possess a relevant Health Service Skills QQI (FETAC) Level 5 qualification or QQI (FETAC) Level 5 in Occupational Therapy Assistant or QQI (FETAC) Level 5 in Community Care or QQI (FETAC) Level 5 in Care of the Older Person or equivalent

Or

(ii) Have obtained an equivalent qualification to (i) from another jurisdiction.

Or

(iii) Currently working in the role of a Therapy Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant.

And

b) Candidates must have the personal competence and capacity to properly discharge the duties of the role.

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character

Post specific Requirements

· Demonstrate relevant depth and breadth of employment within the last 4 years in a healthcare environment providing direct care to patients

Other requirements specific to the post

· Full clean drivers licence.

· Access to own transport as post will involve frequent travel across hospital sites and in the community.

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge

Knowledge & Professional Knowledge

· Demonstrate a general knowledge of Occupational Therapy and work environment relevant to therapy assistant

· Demonstrate evidence of experience working in Health or Social care setting

· Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of stroke on an individual

· Demonstrate a knowledge of Health and Safety regulations

· Demonstrate a knowledge of Safety of Waste Management

· Demonstrate a good knowledge of Infection Control guidelines for patient care, cleaning equipment and laundry duties in specific cases

· Demonstrate evidence of attainment of relevant Fetac Skills course or willingness to undertake

· Demonstrate an interest in participating in self development

· Demonstrate a willingness to learn and transfer learning

· Demonstrate awareness/ knowledge of Health and Safety Regulations

· Strong verbal and written communication skills

· Competence in basic IT – excel databases / word / email

Planning & Organising Skills

· Demonstrate flexibility and willingness to do a variety of tasks

· Demonstrate ability to act on instruction

· Demonstrate motivation to work in a changing work environment

· Demonstrate experience of managing workload appropriately

· Demonstrate an ability to assist with administrative duties and basic IT computer skills email, word and inputting to excel

Teamwork

· Demonstrate ability to work as a member of team and make positive contributions to that team

Customer/Patient Focus

· Demonstrate experience of working with people in the acute, or early rehabilitation phase after stroke

· Demonstrate an awareness of some of the safety factors to be considered after stroke.

· Demonstrate a patient centred focus in provision of care

· Demonstrate evidence of ability to treat patients, relatives and colleagues with dignity and respect

Communication &Interpersonal Skills

· Demonstrate proficiency in the English language (both verbal and written) so as to effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role

· Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a range of service users/providers

· Demonstrate interpersonal skills in dealing with a range of people

· Demonstrate effective communication skills including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner

· Demonstrate motivation and an innovative approach to job & service developments

Campaign Specific Selection Process

Ranking/Shortlisting/ Interview

A ranking and/or short-listing exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or short-listing are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements.

Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the organisation.

Code of Practice

The Health Service Executive / Public Appointments Service will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be applied on a principle basis. The Code also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, facilities for feedback to applicants on matters relating to their application when requested, and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process and review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice. Additional information on the HSE’s review process is available in the document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice, information for candidates”.

Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.cpsa.ie

The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as structures change the job description may be reviewed.

This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.