Dementia Practitioner

An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Band 5 Dementia Practitioner for the Plymouth Dementia Pathway. This role is 21 hours per week on a fixed term contract for twelve months.

As a Dementia Pathway Practitioner, you will be a part of a multi-disciplinary team, providing a specialist service for people in Plymouth with progressive memory issues and diagnosis of dementia. You will be involved in working across the Plymouth Dementia Pathway from initial dementia assessment, diagnosis, post diagnostic follow up and treatment. You will be key in the journey for people with dementia and their carers offering support and intervention as required both within a persons home, care home setting and/or discharge from our In-Patient Unit.

We are seeking highly motivated individuals who would hold a professional qualification. Experience and knowledge of dementia is essential. You must be committed to improving quality of life for people with dementia, and their family/carers, as well as leading on developing person-centred care, providing independent expert advice, information and support. You will need to be an effective communicator as the role involves liaising with a variety of professionals. This role will raise awareness and understanding and strengthen substantially so we can help those living with dementia have a better quality of life. This is an exciting opportunity for people with enthusiasm and the necessary skills to be at the forefront of a developing service.

Main duties of the job

As a Dementia Practitioner, you will be expected to be involved with the following areas:

1. Effectively managing a caseload of people at various stages of dementia.
2. Completing initial memory assessments, utilising cognitive tools for new referrals to the Plymouth Dementia Pathway.
3. Providing specialist information and advice to referrers, professionals, carers and families in relation to the care and treatment of people with dementia.
4. Providing a proactive and interactive assessment, care and management to people with dementia both within their own home and care home setting.
5. Work collaboratively with key partner organisations, people with dementia, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within a multi-disciplinary team in delivering services.
6. Assessing risk and responding in an appropriate and timely manner alongside formulation of risk management plans and monitoring the effectiveness of any treatment plan.
7. Making applications for Mental Health Act Assessments for people with dementia who pose a risk to self and/or others and are unable to be fully assessed or treated in the community requiring admission to In-Patient setting.
8. Supporting with discharges and reviews from In-Patient settings to either home or care home setting.

This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.

All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.

We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.

We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.

Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.

Job responsibilities

Professional Responsibilities & Patient Contact:

1. Provide evidence based clinical interventions, making autonomous clinical decisions about their own professional practice.
2. Undertake specialist assessments to assist in the diagnosis of people suspected of having dementia.
3. Re-assess people with dementia where there are changes in emotional wellbeing and behaviour.
4. Maintain high standards of patient care, ensuring individuality and dignity is maintained at all times, while promoting independence wherever safely possible.
5. Educate professionals, carers and families to identify and manage Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD).
6. Monitor the effectiveness of medication prescribed for the symptoms of dementia and report back to the prescriber as required.
7. Promote a recovery model that empowers people with dementia, their carers and family to be at the forefront of decision making and ownership of their treatment plans.
8. Undertake clinical risk assessments, based on latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies and procedure.
9. Promote least restrictive practice, interventions that cause less disruptions or change in the circumstances of the person with dementia and which maximize their independence and freedom, with due attention to the safety of others.
10. Ensure people with dementia are aware of their rights to and the availability of local advocacy services. If appropriate to the immediate situation an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) to be contacted.

Communication and Working Relationship Skills:

1. Provide complex and sensitive information and advice.
2. Provide a high standard of written and verbal communication.
3. Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable.
4. Arrange for an Interpreter as and when required.
5. Demonstrate empathy, respect, compassion and hope where there may be barriers to understanding.
6. Adhere to patient information sharing, data protection and confidentiality policies.
7. Maintain professional relationships with all colleagues to ensure professional standards are met.
8. Ensure effective liaison with and feedback to referrers and all other relevant agencies within established timescales.
9. Attend and participate in meetings for example: Adult Protection and Risk Management Meetings, Best Interest Meetings, Mental Health Review Tribunals, NHS and Continuing Healthcare Meetings, CPA Review Meetings, Team Meetings etc.
10. Maintain up to date clinical records in a timely and accurate manner.
11. Ensure all records are kept safely in accordance with LSW policies, including the Data Protection Act and LSW Confidentiality Policy.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills:

1. Be able to receive information, analyse and formulate professional judgment with support from senior qualified staff as required.
2. Discuss and arrange appropriate welfare checks with police response as required under guidance from senior staff.
3. Assist with ensuring day to day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and person experience.
4. Report any incidents of harm or near miss in line with the LSW incident reporting policy. Acting appropriately that actions are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
5. Be aware of complaints procedure.

Planning and Organisational Skills:

1. Demonstrate the ability to manage conflicting demand on time and the ability to prioritise clinical work effectively.
2. Work without direct management and take accountability for your own actions as and when required.
3. Delegate tasks, ensuring that the person delegated to is appropriately skilled to do so.
4. Proactively explore opportunities for and take the lead on developing reflective practice within the clinical areas.

Personal and Professional Development:

1. At all times adhere to NMC Guidelines and Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
2. Maintain an up to date professional registration and to work in accordance with the NMC guidelines around Continued Professional Development and be able to evidence this via a portfolio.
3. Have awareness and working knowledge of NICE guidance and other statutory / best practice guidelines.
4. Work within legal frameworks such as: Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Care Act, Human Rights Act etc.
5. Have good understanding and knowledge of dementia including BPSD.
6. Have a sound knowledge of ACI Medications including Memantine and Anti-Psychotics which may be prescribed to treat the symptoms of dementia.
7. Ensure LSW Policy Supervision is implemented; this will include providing and receiving Clinical Supervision, Line Management and Caseload Supervision.
8. Ensure that LSW Mandatory Training is maintained alongside any Training specifically linked to job role and responsibilities.
9. Monitor practice and development of junior staff as appropriate reporting to supervisory staff.

Policy and Service Development Responsibilities:

1. Have a working knowledge of LSW Policies and Procedures.
2. Promote a culture that incorporates Organisational aim and values.
3. Empower all team members to participate in implementing change by using problem solving, considering potential conflicts and planning resolution.
4. Participate in the development of the Plymouth Dementia Pathway.
5. Ensure participation in the teams compliance with CQC standards as directed by clinical.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional qualification and registration such as: RMN, RGN, Social Worker Degree or equivalent, BSc/Diploma in OT.
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development.
• Evidence of further learning and development specifically in the area of Dementia.
• Teaching and Supervision experience.

Skills

• Able to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy using good communication skills.
• Demonstrate values of being open, compassionate and empowering.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Ability to manage and hold difficult situations and cope with stress.
• Committed and open to new ideas and experiences.
• Good administration and IT skills.

Knowledge

• Dementia.
• Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia.
• Range of therapeutic techniques.
• Pharmacological Interventions in Dementia.
• CPA including integrated care planning.
• Mental Health Act.
• Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberties Safeguards.
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children Principles.
• National Dementia Strategies.
• NICE Guidelines appropriate to service.
• Care Act and service provisions for people with dementia and their carers.
• Advocacy including IMCA/IMHA.

Experience

• Experience of working with people with dementia.
• Undertaking comprehensive, evidence based assessments.
• Cognitive assessment and Mood Tools.
• Assessing risk and positive risk management.
• Managing referrals, transfers and discharges.
• Multi-disciplinary work.
• Mentoring students in line with professional requirements.

Other

• Ability to manage change in a positive manner.
• Being passionate and enthusiastic in the development of the service to promote high quality care and service provisions.
• Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.

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.