Job summary
The opportunity has arisen to join the Dementia Support Service to offer support and guidance to all people with a diagnosis of dementia and those at high risk of progressing to dementia (i.e. with Mild Cognitive Impairment).
This is a community based post, embedded within an Older Adult Community Mental Health Team providng support to persons with Dementia and to their carers and significant others. The position will also work in partnership with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and community services / agencies.
The service also co-supports families and carers in order to optimise the opportunity for wrap around support, ensuring that the individual, families and carers have equitable access to the full range of support and guidance; enabling service users to live well with dementia in the community, wherever they are in the county.
Main duties of the job
The Dementia Support Worker will be required to manage a caseload of clients and service users with a diagnosis of Dementia and/or their support network, including family, carers and significant others. Following assessment of need, signposting referrals to the most appropriate service whether internal or external or both to the organisation will be undertaken. This is a 5 day, week day service, working core hours.
You will liaise with representatives from associated voluntary and statutory organisations and facilitate good communication processes, as a representative of both the team and the Trust.
The worker will be required to work on own initiative as necessary, with support available from the team and report to the team co-ordinator. The ability to drive and visit clients and carers/relatives is essential, however contacts via telephone and digitally are first line. The post is hybrid working, predominantly from home.
The ability to maintain accurate record keeping in keeping with Trust policies and to formulate detailed and timely personal support plans for patients and carers where necessary is essential to support a timely response and review (KPI) for all referrals to the service. The worker will attend in service training and and other study/refresher days in order to achieve individual statutory and service needs, as well as participate in performance reviews.
Promote equality for all patients and understand their health needs.
About us
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and a number of learning disability, autism and social care services in the county of Lincolnshire. Employing around 2,800 staff, and serving a population of over 766,000, our people lie at the heart of everything we do.
You could be part of a Trust rated by staff as one of the best mental health and learning disability trusts in England, in an area heralded as a fantastic place to live and work. We firmly believe the key to high quality care is a contented workforce. This is reflected in our Care Quality Commission rating of 'outstanding' for well-led and 'good' overall. In the most recent National NHS Staff Survey, our staff rated us as the number one trust nationally for staff morale and one of the top scoring NHS Trusts in the Midlands for being compassionate and inclusive. We're really proud of this!
We are also leading the way in transforming care, with multi-million-pound transformation of patient environments and radical redesign of community services.
This is the time to join and help redesign our services of the future. We offer options for flexible working and provide a wide range of training and promotion opportunities in all professions. We support and celebrate diversity, have active staff networks groups and are always looking at what more we can do to support our staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To work within the policies, protocols and clinical procedures of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and to promote competent working practice within an integrated multi-disciplinary team.
To liaise with DSS Senior Support Worker and wider Multi-disciplinary Team to carry out assigned duties across the locality.
To manage a caseload of clients and service users with a diagnosis of Dementia and or their support network, including family, carers and significant others.
Following assessment of need to signpost referrals to the most appropriate service whether internal or external or both to the organisation.
To be prepared to work on own initiative as necessary and report to the Senior Support worker and locality manager.
Provide detailed and timely personal support plans for patients and carers where necessary
Provide a timely response and review (KPI) for all referrals to the service
Promote equality for all patients and understand their health needs.
Demonstrate an awareness of service user and carer perspectives on the provision of treatment and continuing care. Identifying their unmet needs and signposting appropriately.
Ensure accurate record keeping in accordance with Trust policy.
Participate regularly in clinical and managerial supervision sessions.
Liaise with representatives from associated voluntary and statutory organisations and facilitate good communication processes.
Attend in-service training and other study / refresher days to meet individual, statutory and service needs.
Participate in performance reviews.
To work flexibly across a 5-day-a-week service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To work within the policies, protocols and clinical procedures of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and to promote competent working practice within an integrated multi-disciplinary team.
To liaise with DSS Senior Support Worker and wider Multi-disciplinary Team to carry out assigned duties across the locality.
To manage a caseload of clients and service users with a diagnosis of Dementia and or their support network, including family, carers and significant others.
Following assessment of need to signpost referrals to the most appropriate service whether internal or external or both to the organisation.
To be prepared to work on own initiative as necessary and report to the Senior Support worker and locality manager.
Provide detailed and timely personal support plans for patients and carers where necessary
Provide a timely response and review (KPI) for all referrals to the service
Promote equality for all patients and understand their health needs.
Demonstrate an awareness of service user and carer perspectives on the provision of treatment and continuing care. Identifying their unmet needs and signposting appropriately.
Ensure accurate record keeping in accordance with Trust policy.
Participate regularly in clinical and managerial supervision sessions.
Liaise with representatives from associated voluntary and statutory organisations and facilitate good communication processes.
Attend in-service training and other study / refresher days to meet individual, statutory and service needs.
Participate in performance reviews.
To work flexibly across a 5-day-a-week service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Cavendish Care Certificate or willingness to work towards resourced by LPFT
- NVQ 3 in Care or equivalent
- An understanding of working with Dementia and its wider impact on families, carers and significant others.
Desirable
- NVQ 3 in Promoting Idependence or equivalent or working towards archievement
- Training in mental health awareness or other training relevant to this post
Experience
Essential
- Previous relevant experience working with people with mental health problems at a nursing assistant grade or equivalent within a health and social care setting.
- Knowledge of risk assessment principles.
- Experience in providing support for people in the community.
- Experience of working with people with mental health needs.
Desirable
- Experience in providing support for people in the community who have Dementia
- Working in teams
Skills
Essential
- Effective communication with service users, carers and significant others
- Effective communication with other members of the team and outside agencies
- A patient and empathic approach. Clear and accurate note keeping.
- Quick decision making skills- calm approach and have the ability to liaise and consult with others colleagues if required.
- Plan and organise their day and ensure that their whereabouts are known.
- IT skills.
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel around the county independently
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Cavendish Care Certificate or willingness to work towards resourced by LPFT
- NVQ 3 in Care or equivalent
- An understanding of working with Dementia and its wider impact on families, carers and significant others.
Desirable
- NVQ 3 in Promoting Idependence or equivalent or working towards archievement
- Training in mental health awareness or other training relevant to this post
Experience
Essential
- Previous relevant experience working with people with mental health problems at a nursing assistant grade or equivalent within a health and social care setting.
- Knowledge of risk assessment principles.
- Experience in providing support for people in the community.
- Experience of working with people with mental health needs.
Desirable
- Experience in providing support for people in the community who have Dementia
- Working in teams
Skills
Essential
- Effective communication with service users, carers and significant others
- Effective communication with other members of the team and outside agencies
- A patient and empathic approach. Clear and accurate note keeping.
- Quick decision making skills- calm approach and have the ability to liaise and consult with others colleagues if required.
- Plan and organise their day and ensure that their whereabouts are known.
- IT skills.
Special Requirements
Essential
- Ability to travel around the county independently
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.
