Community sport and health officer

The key role of a Community Sport and Health Officer (CSHO) is to initiate behaviour change in local residents with regards engagement in sport and physical activity across local communities. By working within and across local organisations individuals will scope, organise and coordinate the delivery of opportunities for local communities to get more physically active. Employers are likely to come from the private, public, charitable and third sector and deliver core business activities in the fields of leisure, sport, youth work, youth justice, outdoor education, or public health. A CSHO requires a comprehensive understanding of the principles of behaviour change; an ability to adapt delivery to suit different groups in society; knowledge of how to manage and lead colleagues or volunteers; practical experience of how to develop and devise appropriate sports or physical activity programmes; and the expectations of collaborative work with a network of partners / stakeholders. The role is a flexible one and in this role individuals can expect to work varied and unsociable hours, including evenings / weekends, and during school holiday periods. It is unlikely individuals will undertake a regular daily work pattern or set of recurring tasks. Tasks might include attendance at meetings, supervising sessions, liaising with partner organisations, designing marketing collateral, updating social media or reporting against project criteria. It is also important for the CSHO to understand their limitations and boundaries, working with specialists from other professions where appropriate – this may include the police and uniformed services, Allied Health Professionals, counsellors, personal trainers, sports coaches or youth workers. The occupation exists within the sport for development sector that plays an important role in improving the health of the nation - creating opportunities that get more people, more active, more often.