Senior Clinical Exercise Instructor

Job summary

The South London and Maudsley NHS Trust is looking for a full-time band 5 advanced clinical exercise instructor based at the Maudsley Hospital.

You will be part of a team of physiotherapists and clinical exercise instructors that support service users with physical and mental health needs. We are ideally looking for an exercise instructor with experience in working in mental health to promote and deliver exercise classes both in groups and one-on-one as well as running our gym facilities. You will need to be flexible, enthusiastic, and keen to promote the importance and value of exercise to our patients and staff. Exercise professionals with degree qualifications or related equivalence in experience are welcome to apply.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide comprehensive physical activity and clinical exercise programmes to working age adult acute inpatient wards. This service is to be provided both in the central gymnasium at the NDBH and on the Maudsley wards. There will be occasions for the post holder to organise and establish a borough-wide community Clinical Exercise group.

The post holder will co-ordinate a first-class service that includes assessment and monitoring of physical health, maintaining service users' rights, supervising junior staff and students, working collaboratively with the Multi-Disciplinary Team and maintaining a safe and therapeutic working environment and accurate record taking. You will be expected to provide an equitable clinical exercise service and help create appropriate exercise regimes to match all environments across wards.

The post holder will be working in collaboration with other Clinical Exercise professionals as well as physiotherapists and occupational therapists to produce and co-ordinate the dissemination of physical health programs and raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity as a means to promoting healthier lifestyles.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM provides an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Date posted: 14 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 5

Salary: £35,964 to £43,780 a year per annum Incl. of HCAs

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 334-CLI-7131930

Job responsibilities

Responsibility for planning and providing a comprehensive need-led programme of exercise and physical activity to clients on adult acute inpatient wards. This will include developing and maintaining a comprehensive clinical exercise and rehabilitation programme guided by both evidence-based practice and service user preferences.

To be aware of new developments in mental health and sports medicine. To use health promotional strategies to inform staff/patients and to ensure the service develops in line with current trends within mental health and in physical activity and exercise.

To use a variety of techniques to apply the principles of clinical exercise as part of the range of therapeutic interventions provided by the wards' multi-disciplinary teams, and to involve service users and their carers where appropriate.

In accordance with The Health and Safety Act, ensure the gym is assessed continually, ensuring that it is a safe environment for all relevant sporting activities to take place there, including provision and maintenance of gymnasium equipment.

To ensure that relevant National and Local charters, standards and NHS Trust policies and procedures are followed.

To provide clinical feedback to MDT which includes contributing to patient treatment plans and use of the Electronic Patient Journey System.

To be responsible for the physical screening of patients to ensure their safety whilst participating in exercise sessions. To record and monitor physical health of patients whilst they're undergoing a physical programme.

To support on service development projects delegated by the Clinical Exercise Lead. To supervise junior exercise instructors and students and act as a role model in promoting effective and professional team working as the lead for physical activities in the clinical exercise day programme.

To liaise with outside agencies (e.g. local leisure facility providers/voluntary organisations) as required, with the aim of facilitating clients to exercise independently after discharge from the wards/Trust.

Person Specification

Education/Qualification Essential

• ACSM Exercise Instructor or Equivalent ie NVQ 2/3
• Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification or other equivalent qualification to level 3

Desirable

• Degree in Sports Science or other related field.
• Other Coaching Qualifications
• Member of any relevant professional interest group/organisation (e.g. BACPR, CIMSPA, CEP UK)

Experience /Knowledge Essential

• Experience as an exercise instructor.
• Experience with organising and teaching a variety of sporting, exercise or movement-related activities.
• Experience of integrated MDT working.
• Experience of working collaboratively with service users with complex physical and/or mental health needs.

Desirable

• Experience of working with clients from a variety of cultural backgrounds & understanding of the related issues.
• Experience of working as exercise instructor with groups and individuals; screening, assessing and designing individual exercise programmes.
• Experience of supervising junior staff and students.

Skills/Abilities Essential

• Able to demonstrate advanced exercise prescription skills in a mental health inpatient setting.
• The ability to design exercise interventions based on individual needs and ability to understand the physical and psychological impact of these interventions.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and to work with the needs of minority groups.
• An understanding of NHS policy and priorities in relation to mental health services.

Desirable

• An understanding of issues relating to clinical exercise and physical activity within health services.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of lifestyle medicine and its evidence base for the treatment of both physical and emotional health.
• Ability to plan, organise & prioritise own workload.

Other Essential

• Willingness to develop and advance own learning

Desirable

• Lived experience of mental health problems/challenges
• Membership of relevant professional specialist interest group

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

Employer details

Employer name: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ

Employer's website: https://www.slam.nhs.uk/