Dementia Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Key results from the job holder

Advise on the care of people with dementia and their carers/families with complex care needs from peri-diagnosis to post bereavement support.

Provide specialist nursing assessment, using a recognised Framework for carers/families affected by dementia during hospital admission.

Support identification and management of co morbidities and frailty for people with dementia and their carers/families.

Develop and support person-centred care plans for people with dementia including positive risk management (e.g. falls, delirium, depression, incontinence)

Deliver relationship and family-centred approaches to care, which meet the needs of people with dementia, carers/families and staff.

Provide a range of psychosocial interventions and emotional support to promote health and wellbeing for people with dementia and their carers/families.

Support people with dementia, carers/families and staff to understand and respond to changes in behaviour and relationships as a result of dementia.

Ensure that all legal requirements relating to mental capacity, safeguarding and mental health are considered and adhered to in relation to patient care.

Act as an advocate for people with dementia and their carers/families to promote their rights and best interests.

Participate in case conferences and best interest meetings where required.

Work collaboratively with health, social and voluntary sector services to achieve coordinated care.

Manage care transitions and support effective discharge for people with dementia and their carers/families in order to reduce frequency of admissions and length of stay.

Ensure that care is delivered in accordance with relevant local and national guidelines and all relevant WWL policies.

Recognise the limits of own competency and professional boundaries and make appropriate and timely referrals to other services where required.

To maintain professional registration in line with professional body guidance

Support the band 7 dementia lead with the development of a new service and patient pathways.

Planning and Organisational Duties

Ensure all practice is carried out in accordance with the agreed policies and procedures of WWL, and your professional body.

To attend and actively participate in practice development days, clinical supervision, and continuing professional development.

To develop own competence .

Contribute to the development of policies, procedures and protocols relevant to dementia care within Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation.

Ensure compliance with Trust clinical governance requirements.

Participate in clinical supervision / mentoring within WWL where required.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of evidence-based recommendations on supporting people with dementia and their carers/families.

Communications and Key Working Relationships

Support the audit and evaluation of quality improvements and initiatives aimed at improving the delivery of dementia care within WWL.

Collect quantitative and qualitative data to support the evaluation and audit of the dementia Nurse Service.

Maintain clinical records using the dementia Nurse data recording system and provide verbal and written feedback appropriately and as required

Ensure recorded information and data recorded is relevant, accurate, and complete and captured in a contemporaneous manner.

Work in partnership with colleagues to provide support and information to families, particularly around advance care planning, best interest decisions and end of life care.

Work proactively with key local and national stakeholders to develop more integrated care pathways and holistic models of care, through dissemination of specialist skills and knowledge.

Responsibility for Teaching

Support innovative dementia training and education to staff within the Trust at all levels, to improve staff attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence, in line with best practice and guidance.

Participate in and/or support formal training events promoting best practice in dementia care.

Provide advice on the delivery of evidence based best practice in dementia care

Act as a clinical role model to others, including student nurses, and mentoring other staff as required.

Support the development and delivery of work streams as part of the Trusts Dementia Strategy

Provide mentorship and offer clinical expertise to the staff in the departments caring for people with dementia and their carers/families within WWL

Support delivery of the dementia care policy for WWL to improve identification, assessment, ongoing support and effective discharge for people with dementia and their family carer.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse RMN/RGN/RNLD
• Formal knowledge of dementia / older people are acquired through clinical post-graduate education

Experience

Essential

• Significant post-registration clinical experience of working with people with dementia and their carers/ supporters in different settings
• Experience of recent involvement in practice / service development
• Experience of working with groups and individuals in a variety of roles and settings
• Demonstrated experience of working as an auntonomous practitioner
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage services
• Experience of professional supervision of staff
• Experience of audit / evaluating clinic practice

Skills

Essential

• Incorporating and demonstrating all of the 6 Admiral Nurse competencies including person centred care, therapeutic skills, triadic relationship , sharing knowledge, best practice and critical reflective practice at enhanced specialist level
• Ability to use a range of therapeutic skills
• Effective role- modelling
• Collaborative and multi- agency working
• Critical reflection
• Facilitator and arbitrator
• Acting as a decision maker and advocate
• Good organisational skills
• Experience of developing a service
• Enhanced communication skills
• Ability to provide supervision, critical companionship and support to team members
• Ability to operate effectively with a constantly developing relationship with key stakeholders and associated agencies
• Able to work on own initiative
• Ability to work in groups/one to one
• Ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy
• Ability to treat families affected by dementia with respect and dignity, adopting a culturally sensitive approach that considers the needs of the whole person
• Ability to learn through practice
• Positive mental attitude and a willingness to discuss and negotiate issues and ideas with the appropriate team / individual

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding practice and promoting person -centred and relationship centred care
• Enhanced knowledge of dementia and theraputic working with families and organisations
• Application of sources of research and research methods to evaluate practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of research methods and methodologies

Additional

Essential

• Flexibility and creativity
• Flexible approach to meet the needs of the service
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).