Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

MAS Specialist Community Practitioner

The closing date is 10 August 2025

Job summary

If you are passionate about helping people with Dementia and want to join our supportive multi-disciplinary teams across the county, you will be joining caring, enthusiastic, skilled and dedicated staff teams. We regularly achieve over 96% positive feedback in the Patient Experience Surveys and we are proud to be innovative in our practice. We regularly participate in research studies and we were awarded accreditation in March 2025, from the Memory Services National Accreditation Programme developed by The Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The Memory Assessment Service has two vacancies for a Band 6 Specialist Clinical Practitioner RMN's.

The first Band 6 role is for the MAS West area team which is based primarily at Maiden Castle. Home visits and clinics take place across the DT10 area (Shaftesbury, Sturminster Newton, Sherborne, Cranborne, Gillingham) and working from home is also an essential part of this role.

The second Band 6 Specialist Clinical Practitioner is for the MAS East area covering the Purbecks and Poole. This will also be a mixture of clinic settings and home visits and working from home is an essential part of the role.

These are permanent posts with core hours of Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00.

Main duties of the job

You will have a key role in performing Initial Assessments with formal Cognitive Testing and this is the first part of a process leading to a possible diagnosis of a Dementia. You will offer clinic and home-based assessments as well as NHS video consultation and phone assessments. You will be highly skilled in communicating clearly and sensitively, both verbally and in writing, with clients and their carers, discussing diagnoses, treatment options and care plans. You will work closely with health, medical and psychology colleagues, in line with NICE guidance, as part of medicines trials in the monitoring of Anticholinesterase drugs such as Donepezil, Galantamine and Rivastigmine as well as Memantine. You will liaise with colleagues within the wider Dementia services, primary care, community health and social care services, voluntary sector organisations and the wider mental health teams for older adult services as appropriate. You will need to have a valid driving licence and use of a car as you will be required to assess and monitor patients in their own homes and within other community settings. You will need car insurance that includes business. You will be expected to deliver person-centred care whilst meeting local and national targets set by the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England in relation to dementia.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

Details

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year p.a.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

152-M160.25

Job locations

Blandford Community Hospital

Milldown Road

Blandford Forum

DT11 7DD


Job description

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net

If you are an experienced clinician and would like to influence future developments whilst delivering direct clinical care to people with Dementia then please read the associated Job Descriptions (this is only for the West vacancy attached) to see if you are eligible to apply for this role. We welcome informal enquiries - Angie McHale - angela.mchale@nhs.net or Work Mobile: 07788 865141.

Please let us know which role you are applying for in your application.

We are unable to consider part time or job share options for either of these roles.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net

If you are an experienced clinician and would like to influence future developments whilst delivering direct clinical care to people with Dementia then please read the associated Job Descriptions (this is only for the West vacancy attached) to see if you are eligible to apply for this role. We welcome informal enquiries - Angie McHale - angela.mchale@nhs.net or Work Mobile: 07788 865141.

Please let us know which role you are applying for in your application.

We are unable to consider part time or job share options for either of these roles.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

Essential

  • Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by post registration diploma level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty
  • Learning and Assessing in Practice Qualification or equivalent practice assessors training
  • Evidence of recent professional development in an up to date portfolio
  • Non-Medical Prescriber (if professionally appropriate)

Desirable

  • Knowledge and understanding of Trust Strategy relevant to role

Job Specific Experience

Essential

  • Experience at Practitioner Band 5 level
  • Experience of specialist working
  • Demonstrable knowledge of assessment and therapeutic interventions in area of specialism
  • Able to demonstrate specialist clinical reasoning skills to assimilate information in order to make a clinical judgement regarding diagnosis and intervention.
  • Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively

Desirable

  • Recent previous experience within a comparable role

Managerial/Supervisory Experience

Essential

  • Experience of providing clinical supervision and mentoring to junior staff
  • Experience of devising and delivering training

Information Technnology/Resources

Essential

  • Able to analyse data and produce reports using Microsoft Excel and Word
  • Experience of using electronic patient / service user record systems

Personal Qualities/Attributes

Essential

  • Evidence of demonstrating the Trust's values and behaviours.
  • Able to communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation and with staff, patient/service users, visitors or external organisations both verbally and in writing in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require the use of negotiating and/or persuasive skills.
  • Able to overcome barriers to understanding where there are physical or mental disabilities.
  • Able to analyse and assess situations and to interpret potentially conflicting situations and determine appropriate action, where there is a range of options and judgement is required.
  • Knowledge and understanding of legislation relevant to practice
  • Willingness to advance own clinical knowledge, skill and competence based on current evidence
Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

Essential

  • Registered practitioner to degree/diploma level supplemented by post registration diploma level specialist training and/or short courses or demonstrable extensive experience in the relevant specialty
  • Learning and Assessing in Practice Qualification or equivalent practice assessors training
  • Evidence of recent professional development in an up to date portfolio
  • Non-Medical Prescriber (if professionally appropriate)

Desirable

  • Knowledge and understanding of Trust Strategy relevant to role

Job Specific Experience

Essential

  • Experience at Practitioner Band 5 level
  • Experience of specialist working
  • Demonstrable knowledge of assessment and therapeutic interventions in area of specialism
  • Able to demonstrate specialist clinical reasoning skills to assimilate information in order to make a clinical judgement regarding diagnosis and intervention.
  • Ability to prioritise and organise workload effectively

Desirable

  • Recent previous experience within a comparable role

Managerial/Supervisory Experience

Essential

  • Experience of providing clinical supervision and mentoring to junior staff
  • Experience of devising and delivering training

Information Technnology/Resources

Essential

  • Able to analyse data and produce reports using Microsoft Excel and Word
  • Experience of using electronic patient / service user record systems

Personal Qualities/Attributes

Essential

  • Evidence of demonstrating the Trust's values and behaviours.
  • Able to communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation and with staff, patient/service users, visitors or external organisations both verbally and in writing in the exchange of highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require the use of negotiating and/or persuasive skills.
  • Able to overcome barriers to understanding where there are physical or mental disabilities.
  • Able to analyse and assess situations and to interpret potentially conflicting situations and determine appropriate action, where there is a range of options and judgement is required.
  • Knowledge and understanding of legislation relevant to practice
  • Willingness to advance own clinical knowledge, skill and competence based on current evidence

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.

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.

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Blandford Community Hospital

Milldown Road

Blandford Forum

DT11 7DD


Employer's website

https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Blandford Community Hospital

Milldown Road

Blandford Forum

DT11 7DD


Employer's website

https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/work-for-us (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Leader MAS East

Angela McHale

angela.mchale@nhs.net

07788865141

Details

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year p.a.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

152-M160.25

Job locations

Blandford Community Hospital

Milldown Road

Blandford Forum

DT11 7DD


Supporting documents

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