Physical Activity For Health Officer

The Role

Mayo County Council invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the role of permanent Physical Activity for Health Officer (Grade 5 Analogous). The initial base for this role will be in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

While the initial assignment for this post will be Mayo Sports Partnership, Mayo County Council reserves the right to redeploy the successful candidate to any other Grade 5 or analogous post within the Council, across any service area, department, or location at any point in time.

The successful candidate will initially report to the Sports Co-Ordinator and work with the Co-Ordinator and staff of Mayo Local Sports Partnership.

The Physical Activity for Health pilot programme, funded by Sport Ireland and Sláintecare, aims to address lower participation rates in physical activity as a risk factor for chronic conditions. These conditions are broadly defined as conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both. In Ireland, 49% of Irish people over 50 years have at least one long-term health condition. Sixty-five percent of adults over 65 years have two or more long-term health conditions.

A Physical Activity for Health Officer hosted in the Local Sports Partnership will work in collaboration with Sláintecare, the HSE, the local authority, and other key stakeholders to provide opportunities for those with chronic conditions to get active.

The Physical Activity for Health Officer role will provide a service to those with a chronic condition who have left the healthcare system and wish to re-engage in physical activity and may need additional support before participating in a current Local Sports Partnership (LSP) programme.

The role ensures that those who need more attention and care transferring back to community physical activity will be facilitated within these physical activity programmes and provided with support once they are ready for the mainstream LSP programmes that are on offer locally.

Qualifications1. Character

Candidates shall be of good character.

2. Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

3. Education, Training, Experience

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:

a) Be a serving employee in a Local Authority or Regional Assembly (if applicable) and have not less than two years' satisfactory experience in a post of Clerical Officer or analogous post.

Or

b) Have obtained at least Grade D (or a Pass), in Higher or Ordinary Level, in five (5) subjects (or four (4) if Irish is included) from the approved list of subjects in the Department of Education established Leaving Certificate Examination or Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, including Irish and/or English and one of the following:

• Mathematics
• Accounting
• Business Organisation
• Economics

And

Have obtained at least Grade C (or Honours) in Higher Level (or Honours) papers in three (3) subjects in that examination (or two (2) subjects if Irish and/or one of the following is included):

• Mathematics
• Accounting
• Business Organisation
• Economics

Or

c) Have obtained a comparable standard in an equivalent examination.

Or

d) Hold a third level qualification of at least degree standard.

Desirable

a) Hold a degree in Health, Exercise Science, Physical Activity, or a related field.

b) A minimum of two years' experience of working directly with groups and individuals who have lower participation rates in physical activity through the assessment, design, and delivery of physical activity-based interventions.

In the event that an offer of employment is made, the candidate will be required to submit original copies of all relevant education qualifications to meet the requirements of Section 3 – Education, Training, Experience.

4. Required Documents

Candidates must upload the following documents in the Attachments section of the application portal:

a) Full unendorsed Category B Driving Licence (front and back) or other photo ID if a licence is not held.

b) Certificates for all declared qualifications – Secondary School, University, College, etc.

c) Translations of any documents which are not in English or Irish.

d) For any qualifications not awarded in the Republic of Ireland, an accompanying Comparability Statement from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish each qualification's comparability against the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

A link to search your qualification and download a PDF determination can be found here:

https://qsearch.qqi.ie/WebPart/Search?searchtype=recognitions

Please note, Curriculum Vitae are not accepted and should not be uploaded.

5. Desirable Skills

It is desirable that the successful candidate have:

• Further education or training relevant to the post in relation to physical activity, social integration/inclusion, chronic conditions, and clinical exercise prescription.
• Accredited education or training in behaviour change approaches (e.g. Motivational Interviewing).
• First Aid Training.
• Mental Health First Aid Training.
• Level 3 REPs registration or relevant equivalent (specify).
• British Association CPR (BACPR).
• Experience of facilitating physical activity and sports activities with people of different abilities and/or from vulnerable groups.
• Experience of assessing and advising on healthy lifestyle issues.
• Experience of working with individuals with chronic conditions and/or mental health conditions.
• An understanding of commonly encountered chronic health conditions.
• An understanding of chronic health services structure and management.
• The ability to design and apply physical activity interventions in both individual and group settings.
• Experience in performing research in relevant settings.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Effective team player in the context of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Health, safety, and risk awareness.
• Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning.
• Flexible approach to working with people with chronic conditions.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Knowledge and understanding of the structure and functions of local government.
• Knowledge of current local government issues.
• Understanding of the role of a Staff Officer.
• A career record that demonstrates an ability to manage staff to ensure delivery of complex work programmes.
• An ability to supervise a team effectively to achieve a common goal, ensuring strong governance and ethical standards are adhered to and maintained.
• The ability to motivate, empower, and encourage staff under his/her supervision to achieve maximum performance by supporting the current Performance Management and Development System (PMDS).
• Understanding of the changing and operational environment in the Council and be capable of leading change in order to deliver quality services to citizens.
• Effective financial and resource management skills.
• Knowledge and experience of operating ICT systems.
• Relevant administrative experience.
• Experience of supervising staff.
• Experience of preparing reports and correspondence.
• Strong resource management skills.

6. Citizenship

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

or

b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK).

or

c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons.

or

d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA, UK, or Swiss citizen and has a Stamp 4 visa.

or

e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015, or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a Stamp 4 visa.

or

f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state, the UK, or Switzerland and has a Stamp 4 visa.

Particulars of the Post1. Position

A panel will be formed from qualified candidates from which permanent and/or temporary appointments may be made.

This is a pensionable whole-time position on the basis of a 35-hour, 5-day week.

The Physical Activity for Health Officer post will be based in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

Notwithstanding the initial assignment, Mayo County Council reserves the right to reassign the successful candidate to any other functional area within the Council at any time, should funding for the post be reduced or cease, or where operational or organisational needs require.

The initial assignment will be to the Physical Activity for Health post; however, in the event that funding is altered or discontinued, or where service requirements necessitate, the Council may transfer the successful candidate to another post at Grade 5 level across any service, directorate, functional area, or geographic location within the organisation.

For clarity, such reassignment may include appointment to an analogous post, which shall be deemed to include a Staff Officer position or an equivalent role.

2. Salary

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time.

The holder of the position shall pay to the Local Authority any fees or other monies (other than inclusive salary) payable to or received by such holder by virtue of the position or in respect of services which are required by or under any enactment to perform.

Salary Scale

€52,761 €54,337 €55,946 €57,589 €59,244 €61,173 LSI I (after 3 years satisfactory service at maximum) LSI II €63,109 (after 6 years satisfactory service at maximum)

The starting pay for new entrants will be at the minimum of the scale and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

3. Duties

The duties of the post are to give to the local authority, and:

a) Such other local authorities or bodies for which the Chief Executive, for the purposes of the Local Government Acts 2001 and 2014, is Chief Executive.

b) Any other local authority or body with which an agreement has been made by the local authority, or by any of the authorities or bodies mentioned in paragraph (a),

under the general direction and supervision of the Chief Executive or such other employee as the Chief Executive may from time to time determine, such appropriate services of an executive, administrative, or management nature as may be required by any local authority or body mentioned above in the exercise and performance of any of its powers, functions, and duties.

The post holder shall exercise such powers, functions, and duties as may be delegated to him/her by the Chief Executive from time to time, including the duty of servicing all committees that may be established by any such local authority or body.

The post holder will, if required, act for an employee of a higher level if qualified to do so.