Memory Support Group Facilitator

Job summary

Age UK Barnet are delighted to be providing a range of Dementia and Memory Support Services in Barnet

Our Memory Matters courses have been designed by an eminent neuroscientist and are supported by evidence based scientific research. The 6 week courses are aimed at those who are concerned about their memory, or who have mild dementia and would like to develop skills and techniques to manage their everyday memory.

We are looking for an enthusiastic committed facilitator who can organise, deliver, and evaluate the weekly sessions. The successful candidate will have experience of group facilitation, an understanding of cognitive impairment / dementia, and knowledge of undertaking assessments. You will need excellent organisational and communication skills. The role could be appealing to those from a psychology background or related discipline.

If you are passionate about improving the lives of older people and making Barnet a great place for all of us to grow older, we would love to hear from you. We offer an employer pension scheme, discount schemes after probation period, regular training, and five weeks holiday per year.

Main duties of the job

• To prepare, coordinate and facilitate weekly group discussion and activity-based sessions for older adults with memory concerns, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and diagnoses of Dementia.
• Working in collaboration with Professor Catherine Loveday and Age UK Barnet staff to develop sessions and worksheets which provide cognitive and social stimulation.
• Carrying out psychometric tests such as the Mini Mental State Examination, Everyday Memory Questionnaire and Quality of Life questionnaires to assess new referrals suitability for the course.
• Contacting referrals and/or family members via telephone or email to provide up to date information on the course, to invite to assessment, or to gently remind them of upcoming sessions.
• Liaising with Barnet NHS Memory Service, Age UK Barnet teams and others to accept and manage client referrals.
• Using considerate, empathetic and patient communication whilst guiding conversation, and providing a safe setting in which participants can find reassurance in others experiencing similar memory lapses.
• Identifying & booking appropriate venues throughout the borough to run the sessions.
• Prepare venue prior to clients arriving and sessions beginning.

• Manage, support and supervise volunteers

• Keep accurate records
• Writing reports and collating data for funders and others.

About us

About Age UK Barnet

We can trace our history back to the 1940s when various local organisations started providing services after the end of the Second World War. In the late 1990s these organisations came together to form a borough-wide organisation. In 1999 Age Concern Barnet was registered as a charity and all staff were transferred to this new company. In 2011 Age Concern Barnet changed its name to Age UK Barnet and entered into a partnership with the national organisation, Age UK, which was formed by the merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged. In the same year it merged with East Finchley Neighbourhood Contact.

Our Mission

Age UK Barnets vision is to make our borough a rewarding place for those in later life, a great place to get older. Over the last few difficult years we have been there for older people in Barnet and we want to make sure that continues to be the case. We want to engage directly with those older people most in need, through our excellent Later Life Planning service, our home support provision and our range of other wellbeing activities and services.

We want to reduce social isolation and loneliness and be there for those with little or no support, for those who feel they have nowhere to turn. We want to increase older peoples wellbeing, their resilience and independence and enable them to make the most of later life.