Job summary
The Associate Practitioner for Dementia Activity Coordinator will be responsible for developing, organising, and facilitating in the delivery of high-quality therapeutic activity programmes for elderly patients including those with dementia across the Trust. The aim is to improve patient experience and to prevent and reduce delirium for some of our most frail and vulnerable patients.
The post holder will be working alongside with the Associate Practitioner in Dementia and is under the supervision of the Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist. The role is also expected to assist in providing dementia awareness training to all hospital staff and ensuring carers are signposted to relevant dementia support. The post holder will have a specific site as a base but can work cross-site to undertake a range of delegated tasks and delegated authority to improve the dementia service.
Its key purpose is to improve patient experience for people living with dementia who are admitted to hospital through therapeutic activities and mental stimulation. Also to assist the team to ensure that patients aged 65 and over admitted as an emergency case for more than 72 hours in FHFT are appropriately assessed for dementia and referred on to specialist services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder provides support to the Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist for a caseload of patients living with dementia admitted at FHFT by delivering therapeutic activities, psychosocial interventions, and interventions enhancing mental stimulation. The post holderwill also be undertaking regular reviews, offering signposting, and providing support to the person living with dementia and/or their carers, assisting with the hospital journey, and signposting to community support.
In addition, the role will contribute to promoting a dementia-aware culture across the organisation by assisting in the delivery of dementia awareness training for hospital staff and ensuring carers are informed and signposted to relevant support networks. The post holder will also carry out a range of delegated tasks and exercise delegated authority as required to support service improvement and the delivery of high-quality dementia care.
About us
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
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Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full list of responsibilities and tasks associated with this role, please refer to the job description/person specification attached to this vacancy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full list of responsibilities and tasks associated with this role, please refer to the job description/person specification attached to this vacancy.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent.
- Knowledge and understanding of the management of dementia.
- Knowledge of Clinical Audit.
- Completion of level 1 and 2 Adult Safeguarding training.
Desirable
- Foundation Degree in Health Care or working towards or access to courses with a special interest in dementia.
- Level 3 healthcare related qualification.
- Nursing Associate Foundation degree qualification.
- Registered Nursing Associate with NMC register.
- Completion of level 1 Safeguarding Children training.
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 3 years of dementia care professional experience in an acute clinical area.
- Experience of ensuring that values, including care, compassion, competence, courage, and commitment are adhered to daily, and any concerns are raised to relevant Line Manager.
- Evidence of working independently.
- Experience of providing and receiving complex sensitive information.
- Highly motivated with a positive attitude.
- Flexible, diplomatic and politically astute.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic activities in professional capacity in group and individually with people with dementia / cognitive problems.
Desirable
- Experience in delivering training to other staff members or colleagues
- Hospital environment work experience.
- Experience of working with older adults with dementia in a professional capacity.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic activities in professional capacity in group and individually with people with dementia / cognitive problems.
- Experience of reading and understanding outcome measures.
- Experience working in the NHS.
- Understanding NHS/social care policies and practices relating to Mental Health.
- Experience in providing training and delivering presentations.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- To be knowledgeable about dementia and preferred treatment methods and interventions.
- Knowledge and understanding of the key issues and problems relating to care for people with dementia in hospital, person-centred care, and effects of therapeutic activity.
- Knowledge of relevant national and local policy such as the National Dementia Strategy.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key sections of the Mental Capacity Act and its use in practice.
- Health and safety. Awareness of risk.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with dementia and their family carers.
- Understanding of professional conduct and confidentiality.
- Basic computer skills and understanding of electronic patient records.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to comprehend and communicate verbally and in writing highly sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of settings and audiences, including highly emotive situations and those with significantly impaired communication capacities.
- Able to work across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Ability to influence others and facilitate change.
- Ability to work autonomously, proactively and as part of a team.
- Ability to assess, deliver, and evaluate quality care.
- Ability to plan and prioritise workload and respond to changing priorities to meet deadlines.
- Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact.
- Ability to influence others at all levels.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative.
Desirable
- Advanced knowledge on the multidisciplinary approach to dementia care.
- Knowledge of medical and surgical conditions and procedures.
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
- Supervisory skills.
- IT literate with different programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook.
- Knowledge and understanding of the cognitive assessment tools such as AMTS and 4AT used to assess dementia and delirium.
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel
- Flexible and reliable as the role may require post holder to cover bank holidays and some weekends.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent.
- Knowledge and understanding of the management of dementia.
- Knowledge of Clinical Audit.
- Completion of level 1 and 2 Adult Safeguarding training.
Desirable
- Foundation Degree in Health Care or working towards or access to courses with a special interest in dementia.
- Level 3 healthcare related qualification.
- Nursing Associate Foundation degree qualification.
- Registered Nursing Associate with NMC register.
- Completion of level 1 Safeguarding Children training.
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 3 years of dementia care professional experience in an acute clinical area.
- Experience of ensuring that values, including care, compassion, competence, courage, and commitment are adhered to daily, and any concerns are raised to relevant Line Manager.
- Evidence of working independently.
- Experience of providing and receiving complex sensitive information.
- Highly motivated with a positive attitude.
- Flexible, diplomatic and politically astute.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic activities in professional capacity in group and individually with people with dementia / cognitive problems.
Desirable
- Experience in delivering training to other staff members or colleagues
- Hospital environment work experience.
- Experience of working with older adults with dementia in a professional capacity.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic activities in professional capacity in group and individually with people with dementia / cognitive problems.
- Experience of reading and understanding outcome measures.
- Experience working in the NHS.
- Understanding NHS/social care policies and practices relating to Mental Health.
- Experience in providing training and delivering presentations.
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- To be knowledgeable about dementia and preferred treatment methods and interventions.
- Knowledge and understanding of the key issues and problems relating to care for people with dementia in hospital, person-centred care, and effects of therapeutic activity.
- Knowledge of relevant national and local policy such as the National Dementia Strategy.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key sections of the Mental Capacity Act and its use in practice.
- Health and safety. Awareness of risk.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with dementia and their family carers.
- Understanding of professional conduct and confidentiality.
- Basic computer skills and understanding of electronic patient records.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to comprehend and communicate verbally and in writing highly sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of settings and audiences, including highly emotive situations and those with significantly impaired communication capacities.
- Able to work across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Ability to influence others and facilitate change.
- Ability to work autonomously, proactively and as part of a team.
- Ability to assess, deliver, and evaluate quality care.
- Ability to plan and prioritise workload and respond to changing priorities to meet deadlines.
- Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact.
- Ability to influence others at all levels.
- Ability to demonstrate initiative.
Desirable
- Advanced knowledge on the multidisciplinary approach to dementia care.
- Knowledge of medical and surgical conditions and procedures.
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
- Supervisory skills.
- IT literate with different programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook.
- Knowledge and understanding of the cognitive assessment tools such as AMTS and 4AT used to assess dementia and delirium.
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel
- Flexible and reliable as the role may require post holder to cover bank holidays and some weekends.
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).
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).
