A workshop alone does not make an activities programme. In Saint-Astier, in Dordogne, an advert shared on 30 October 2026 by ICI Périgord for the care home run by the local hospital describes a role combining activities, relations with families, coordination and budget monitoring. The contract advertised is a renewable three-month fixed-term contract, with a BPJEPS qualification required.
This vacancy offers a concrete glimpse of a job often wrongly reduced to organising leisure activities. It does not reveal the pay or confirm that recruitment is still open when this article is published. For candidates, there are two things to consider: understand the work involved and check the current conditions directly with the establishment.
Start with the person, not a calendar to fill
The description published by ICI puts residents’ habits, expectations and needs at the heart of the work. It provides for individual and group activities. This detail matters: an activity enjoyed by a group will not necessarily suit someone who prefers a quieter conversation or a different pace.
The medico-social welcome booklet available on the hospital’s website offers further insight. Its section on activities presents them as a way to preserve residents’ identity, engage their abilities and support relationships both inside and outside the establishment. The document was updated in January 2020: it provides information about the approach set out by the establishment, not the precise organisation of the team in November 2026.
For a candidate, these two sources suggest preparing more than just a list of activities. Explaining how you find out what someone prefers, adapt an activity and respond to a refusal is a way to demonstrate your approach. The aim is not to get everyone involved in the same thing. It is to create opportunities for people to meet while respecting their wishes.
An activity to design, then evaluate
The advert asks the successful candidate to design projects and assess their results. This involves preparation and reflection: an activity should have an aim, resources and a way of observing what it achieves. A full room does not, in itself, show whether every resident has found their place.
At an interview, it may be useful to give an anonymised example: the need identified, the partners involved, the constraints encountered and the adjustments made. This is a suggestion for preparing an application, not a document required by the advert. There is no need to share any resident’s personal file or health information to explain your experience.
The aims of promoting wellbeing and maintaining independence mentioned in the vacancy remain objectives of the role. They do not amount to a guarantee of medical effects. The effect of an activity on a resident’s health cannot be inferred from this recruitment description.
The less visible work: coordination, equipment and budget
The role also involves communicating with residents, families, teams and partners. ICI mentions taking part in review meetings, building links with local organisations and coordinating activities involving several departments. The quality of the work therefore also depends on information being shared effectively.
Other duties include administrative and budget monitoring, managing equipment, taking part in the activities committee, and supervising trainees or civic service volunteers. The role thus brings together interpersonal and organisational responsibilities. A candidate who focuses solely on their ability to lead a group would overlook an important part of the job description.
These duties warrant specific questions for the employer: how much time is set aside for preparation? What resources are available? Who decides on the projects? What support is provided for trainees and volunteers? The sources consulted do not provide the answers; they help identify what remains to be clarified.
How the three-month contract affects the discussion
The three-month fixed-term contract is described as renewable. This possibility is not a promise of an extension. Before accepting, it makes sense to ask about the proposed start date, the reason for and terms of the contract, and how any possible continuation would be discussed.
A short contract also raises the question of continuity. Will the activities coordinator take over projects already under way? Is a handover planned at the beginning and end of the contract? These are practical points that can help clarify the role, without assuming that the establishment is poorly organised.
The pay, hours and distribution of working days are not specified in ICI’s text. The candidate will need to obtain these details from the establishment. These conditions are among the details to find out before deciding whether the vacancy suits their circumstances.
A required qualification, experience to make clear
A BPJEPS qualification is listed as required. The text does not specify the specialism sought or any equivalent qualifications that may be accepted. Anyone interested would therefore be wise to confirm that their qualification is suitable, rather than assume they are eligible based solely on the course title.
ICI refers to France Travail reference 215HMCK. This reference can be used to find the advert and check its status; it does not prove that an application can still be submitted today. The first step is to check that recruitment is still open.
Beyond this local vacancy, the role is a reminder of what working in activities in a care home involves: listening, preparing, connecting people and organising projects that are meaningful to them. When assessing a job opportunity, the resources provided for these duties deserve as much attention as the job title.
Sources
- ICI Périgord, advert dated 30 October 2026.
- Saint-Astier Hospital, care home welcome booklet, activities section, January 2020 version.
Photograph: Saint-Astier on the banks of the Isle, in 2009. This view of the town does not show the care home. Père Igor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
