Demtia and Delerium Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Deliver and promote therapeutic interactions for individuals and groups of patients to enhance their physical wellbeing and enable functional therapy intervention.

To have relevant expertise and knowledge related to investigations and treatment options in order to provide patients with necessary information to ensure informed consent.

To assist with mental capacity assessments and Deprivation of Liberty Application. To work with a self-directed approach in the clinical area in order to provide a highly specialised service.

To provide data for and assist with departmental audits and Continuous Quality Improvement Projects.

Remain up to date with local and national dementia research and participate in any relevant local projects.

To actively manage the dementia team database ensuring it remains up to date, accurate and complies with data-protection legislation. This will include accessing relevant information via a partnership database (RIO).

To work alongside the dementia Education Facilitator to support delivery of education.To have expert skills in communicating with individuals with a dementia and be able to teach and disseminate those skills.

To have specific knowledge of managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

To manage own caseload of patients, developing individual agreed management regimes with the patient that acknowledge and are responsive to their psychological, physiological, and educational needs.

To maintain up-to-date specialist knowledge, participate in in-service training and show evidence of continuing Professional Development in line with Clinical Governance requirements.

Assist to identify patients who are admitted with a dementia or delirium and proactively contact them and their family/carers.

Ensure that appropriate documentation and flagging is in place and appropriate referrals are made.

To act as a role model and teacher, providing mentorship and support and demonstrate exemplary practice to all members of the healthcare team.

To liaise with appropriate external agencies, including Adult Social Care, Somerset Partnership and the Alzheimer's Society facilitating timely review and collaborative decision making.

Liaise with wards to ensure 'What matters to me' documents are meaningfully completed and used to provide personalised care.

To deliver high quality patient care, acting as a role model for all staff by providing specialist clinical advice, education, and leadership to clinical staff across the trust caring for people with dementia or delirium to result in an improvement in the standard of care provided.

Work with patients with dementia to improve their mental health, physical health, and wellbeing through therapeutic activities.

Be confident in working with patients who have behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and be able to support ward staff with management strategies.

Assist to identify patients who are admitted with a dementia or delirium and proactively contact them and their family/carers.

Ensure that appropriate documentation and flagging is in place and appropriate referrals are made.

Liaise with wards to ensure 'What matters to me' documents are meaningfully completed and used to provide personalised care.

Establish relationships with patients and identify ways to support them whilst in hospital, regularly engaging with individuals and their families/carer.

Ensure accurate assessments and information is gathered, to help facilitate complex discharge planning. Working closely, liaising with the wards and discharge team to ensure accurate assessments have been taken place to facilitate timely and accurate discharges.

Deliver and promote therapeutic interactions for individuals and groups of patients to enhance their physical wellbeing and enable functional therapy intervention.

Assist to implement meaningful person-centred care plans designed to support the emotional and behavioural needs of individual patients.

To support and encourage ward staff to organise appropriate activities/interactions.

To have relevant expertise and knowledge related to investigations and treatment options in order to provide patients with necessary information to ensure informed consent.

To have expert skills in communicating with individuals with a dementia and be able to teach and disseminate those skills.

To have specific knowledge of managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

To assist with mental capacity assessments and Deprivation of Liberty Application.

To take part in the in-service training programme by attendance, and occasional deliverance at the appropriate level and audience, of presentations and training sessions at staff meetings, peer review, in service training sessions and by attending courses and practising reflective practice.

To participate in the staff appraisal and supervision scheme, as an appraisee, and to be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programme to meet set knowledge, skills and competencies.

To contribute to the induction and training of students and staff. To contribute to audits and research as required.

To ensure training is undertaken as required for Safe and competent use of equipment. Be responsible for equipment ordering and stock control as required.

Be responsible for laptop and mobile phone provided by the Trust.

To participate in the staff appraisal system to review and monitor one's own performance in order to maintain high standards of professional competence.

To act as a source of expertise, advice and knowledge for patients, carers and healthcare professionals in a variety of services and settings.

To assist in keeping appropriate training records, updating spreadsheets and data bases with training/QI information and providing written reports when required.

The post hold will need to be a car owner/driver and have the flexibility to work between both acute hospitals and community hospitals when required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Health Professional
• Mentoring or equivalent qualification
• Dementia Qualification and or equivalent dementia knowledge and experience
• Full driving license holder

Desirable

• Attended SFT Dementia Study Day 1

Experience

Essential

• Substantial proven experience post registration at Band 5 or above.
• Knowledge and experience of National Health
• Knowledge of best practice in providing care for patients living with dementia or delirium.
• Experience of working with patients living with a dementia
• Experienced in the use of IT applications, specifically experience of Excel, Outlook Email, Microsoft word, PowerPoint.
• Demonstrable commitment to establishing productive working relationships with clinicians and other professionals
• Evidence of a good standard of Literacy/English language skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with staff, patients, carers and relatives (as appropriate), remaining calm, professional, sensitive and empathetic
• Professional and patient focussed approach with inspirational skills, acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff members.
• High standards of written communication skills with the ability to use email and internet

Desirable

• Good Knowledge of health and social policy and the legislation underpinning e.g., Care Quality Commission.
• Competent in acting as clinical/professional supervisor/mentor or coach.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time and deliver to targets and deadlines
• Self-motivated and able to use own
• Able to work effectively as part of a team
• Highly developed physical skills and manual dexterity.
• Willingness to use technology to improve standards of care and support to our patients
• Evidence of continuous professional
• Excellent leadership
• Would need to be a car owner and use their own car for business use periodically

Desirable

• Experience of managing
• Experience of supporting staff and developing staff members and active performance management.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Musgrove Park Hospital

Musgrove Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 5DA

Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)