Job summary
We have a 0.6 part-time post available at Southwark and Lambeth Memory Service. This is a great development opportunity for practitioners wanting to build experience in working with people with dementia and older adults and develop their skills in working independently in the community.
The posts are open to registered nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. There is flexibility around days worked, but applicants must be able to work onsite in the memory clinic / carry out home visits. Core service hours are 9am-5pm on weekdays.
Memory services are responsible for assessing and diagnosing people with a suspected dementia, and for initiating treatment and support for people with dementia and their carers. They are staffed by a variety of professional groups (including psychiatry, nursing, social work, occupational therapy and psychology) and operates within a multi-disciplinary framework. The servicesoperate in line with the care pathways for assessing and diagnosing dementia published by the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults (PMOA) Directorate.
Main duties of the job
The post will have a key role in providing time limited support and interventions to people with dementia, their carers and relatives in both clinic and home-based settings and the post holder will liaise with colleagues within primary care, community health and social care services, voluntary organisations and the wider mental health of older adult service as appropriate.
The post holder will be responsible for carrying out initial assessments (including standardised cognitive tests), formulating diagnoses and car plans with the support of the MDT, communicating with clients and their carers, discussing treatment options, and signposting people to relevant support services.
The post holder will be skilled in communicating clearly and sensitively, both verbally and in writing.The post holder will be able to balance providing sensitive person-centred care with meeting the targets set by NHS England around the time taken from referral to diagnosis of dementia in memory services.About the location:You will be based at
- 151 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8EL (Southwark and Lambeth Service)
(NB The higher cost area supplement is attached to the post)
About us
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
- Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
- Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
- NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
- Counselling services
- Wellbeing events
- Long service awards
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Childcare vouchers
- Staff restaurants
We look forward to receiving your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To carry out comprehensive initial assessments with patients and their carers, including administering standardised cognitive tests and other validated outcome measures. This includes taking a comprehensive history from the patient and / or carer and taking into account physical and mental health conditions, medication, ability to complete activities of daily living and psychiatric and family history.
- To manage patient care in accordance with the PMOA care pathways, ensuring that cases are formulated and discussed at MDT in a timely fashion, that any extra investigations required are requested promptly, and that feedback and support is given at the earliest opportunity. In doing so, to ensure that where possible, patients on caseload are diagnosed within 6 weeks of GP referral, according to NHS Englands published ambitions.
- Communicate sensitively with patients and carers in delivering diagnoses, taking into account the patient and carers feelings and wishes and any relevant issues of mental capacity. To ensure that patients and carers are given good quality information about the diagnosis and about available resources and support.
- To be involved in assessing suitability for dementia medication, including checking pulse rate and assessing cardiac risk, in conjunction with the MDT. To liaise with GPs to recommend the commencement of medication and maintain contact with patients and carers to monitor side effects and recommend dose modification.
- Participate in triage of new referrals to enable patients who are clinically appropriate for the service to be offered an appointment promptly, and to ensure that those who are not clinically appropriate to be seen in a memory assessment service are signposted or referred on to more appropriate services. This involves adhering to triage guidance agreed across all three memory services.
- Ensure high quality and timely documentation to GP and on clinical record systems. To write clear and concise clinical letters, ensuring these are sent to GPs, patients and carers as appropriate. To ensure accurate and timely documentation of all decision-making, and particularly of care plans and risk. To complete all required fields on clinical record systems.
- Participate in MDT meetings, both in presenting you own cases, and also contributing to care planning for other cases on team caseload. To ensure that care planning is in line with evidence-based practice and the PMOA care pathways. To ensure decisions made in MDT meetings are recorded and followed up accurately.
- Actively involve service users and carers in planning their care, ensuring that they are supported to live well with dementia, and care planning takes account of their wishes and feelings. To seek service user and carer feedback on the service and support the team in using this to improve care.
- Work collaboratively with other services, including the Alzheimers Society, Carers Centre and social services to ensure that patients are able to access the relevant parts of the care pathway at the appropriate time for them, and that all agencies have the relevant information to be able to support patients and carers.
- Assess and manage risk issues, both at initial assessment and on an ongoing basis, responding to any increase in risk in line with progression of memory difficulties. To maintain an awareness of the level of risk that can safely be managed within the memory service and refer promptly to other services (e.g. community mental health teams) where a change in risk indicates a need for this.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To carry out comprehensive initial assessments with patients and their carers, including administering standardised cognitive tests and other validated outcome measures. This includes taking a comprehensive history from the patient and / or carer and taking into account physical and mental health conditions, medication, ability to complete activities of daily living and psychiatric and family history.
- To manage patient care in accordance with the PMOA care pathways, ensuring that cases are formulated and discussed at MDT in a timely fashion, that any extra investigations required are requested promptly, and that feedback and support is given at the earliest opportunity. In doing so, to ensure that where possible, patients on caseload are diagnosed within 6 weeks of GP referral, according to NHS Englands published ambitions.
- Communicate sensitively with patients and carers in delivering diagnoses, taking into account the patient and carers feelings and wishes and any relevant issues of mental capacity. To ensure that patients and carers are given good quality information about the diagnosis and about available resources and support.
- To be involved in assessing suitability for dementia medication, including checking pulse rate and assessing cardiac risk, in conjunction with the MDT. To liaise with GPs to recommend the commencement of medication and maintain contact with patients and carers to monitor side effects and recommend dose modification.
- Participate in triage of new referrals to enable patients who are clinically appropriate for the service to be offered an appointment promptly, and to ensure that those who are not clinically appropriate to be seen in a memory assessment service are signposted or referred on to more appropriate services. This involves adhering to triage guidance agreed across all three memory services.
- Ensure high quality and timely documentation to GP and on clinical record systems. To write clear and concise clinical letters, ensuring these are sent to GPs, patients and carers as appropriate. To ensure accurate and timely documentation of all decision-making, and particularly of care plans and risk. To complete all required fields on clinical record systems.
- Participate in MDT meetings, both in presenting you own cases, and also contributing to care planning for other cases on team caseload. To ensure that care planning is in line with evidence-based practice and the PMOA care pathways. To ensure decisions made in MDT meetings are recorded and followed up accurately.
- Actively involve service users and carers in planning their care, ensuring that they are supported to live well with dementia, and care planning takes account of their wishes and feelings. To seek service user and carer feedback on the service and support the team in using this to improve care.
- Work collaboratively with other services, including the Alzheimers Society, Carers Centre and social services to ensure that patients are able to access the relevant parts of the care pathway at the appropriate time for them, and that all agencies have the relevant information to be able to support patients and carers.
- Assess and manage risk issues, both at initial assessment and on an ongoing basis, responding to any increase in risk in line with progression of memory difficulties. To maintain an awareness of the level of risk that can safely be managed within the memory service and refer promptly to other services (e.g. community mental health teams) where a change in risk indicates a need for this.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse/Qualified Social Worker/Occupational Therapist
- Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable
- ENB 998/Mentorship/Other relevant teaching qualification
- Further training relevant to Older Adult Mental Health care
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of current issues in the care of older people with dementia and other acute mental health problems within the community
- Working knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with mental health care, including MHA, MCA, Community Care Act, CPA and Human Rights Act
Desirable
- Knowledge and/or experience of dementia care mapping and person centred care
- Awareness of current guidance and policy issues surrounding dementia diagnosis and care
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and casework which meets the needs of older adults with mental health problems who are supported in the community
Desirable
- Experience of working with other client groups and of using a variety of models/approaches to care
- Experience of working with diagnostic tools and outcome measures for memory problems and dementia
Communication Skills
Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and present ideas in a clear and concise way
Desirable
- Advanced computer skills and use of spread sheets
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse/Qualified Social Worker/Occupational Therapist
- Evidence of continued professional development
Desirable
- ENB 998/Mentorship/Other relevant teaching qualification
- Further training relevant to Older Adult Mental Health care
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of current issues in the care of older people with dementia and other acute mental health problems within the community
- Working knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with mental health care, including MHA, MCA, Community Care Act, CPA and Human Rights Act
Desirable
- Knowledge and/or experience of dementia care mapping and person centred care
- Awareness of current guidance and policy issues surrounding dementia diagnosis and care
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and casework which meets the needs of older adults with mental health problems who are supported in the community
Desirable
- Experience of working with other client groups and of using a variety of models/approaches to care
- Experience of working with diagnostic tools and outcome measures for memory problems and dementia
Communication Skills
Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and present ideas in a clear and concise way
Desirable
- Advanced computer skills and use of spread sheets
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
