The Dementia Advisor will act as an expert resource providing specialist advice and support to colleagues, clients and carers.

Working collaboratively across a range of multi-disciplinary services and agencies.

To become a named contact for clients and carers following assessment and diagnosis at the memory clinic.

To deliver evidence-based holistic care to clients within the context of multidisciplinary and multi-agency services.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will comply with Professional Guidelines and Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB policies and procedures, and be accountable for their own professional actions.

• Supervising and advising junior staff who are engaged with service users on their caseload. This may include:

• Maintaining patients at home for as long as is feasibly possible (where deemed appropriate).
• Timely review of cases in the community to prevent secondary care admission.
• Assisting in the co-ordination of services for housebound patients or those in care homes.
• Advising junior staff on appropriate management strategies.

The post holder will also contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures within their sphere of responsibility and where appropriate research, clinical audit and service evaluation.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

About us

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is part of the NHS Wales family. Our Health Board provides primary, secondary and community health and wellbeing services to around 450,000 people living in three County Boroughs: Bridgend Merthyr Tydfil, and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

We live by our core values:

• We listen, learn and improve
• We treat everyone with respect
• We all work together as one team

We are a proud local employer; around 80% of our 15000 workforce live within our region, making our staff not only our lifeblood of our organisation but of the diverse communities that we serve.

Job description Job responsibilities

• Manage own daily caseload, supervising, guiding and mentoring junior staff and students where appropriate.
• Delegate duties to Health Care Support Worker if required and as appropriate.
• Deliver high standards of care, monitoring standards on a regular basis, undertaking regular audits of practice and presenting this information to a wider audience.
• Use own initiative to develop innovative ways of working, implementing change effectively and monitoring outcomes.
• Support staff within their sphere of responsibility and contribute to the Continuing Professional Development of colleagues within Primary and Community care settings.
• Deliver sensitive information and facilitate the patients decision-making process regarding future treatment plans.
• Ensure patient confidentiality, privacy and dignity at all times
• Be aware of barriers to understanding and communication and adapting own communication techniques to address any impairment.
• Deal empathetically, on a daily basis, with patients and their relatives/carers who may have high levels of anxiety, agitation and aggression caused by pain, limited mobility and chronic disease.
• Maintain close links (communication and liaison) with all those involved in patient care in primary and community care settings promoting good working relationships at all times to ensure delivery of a co-ordinated multi-disciplinary service to the patient.
• Be accessible and provide specialist clinical advice to colleagues regarding Dementia management and care.
• Develop network links with other professionals working in the same speciality. This will involve networking externally (locally, regionally and nationally).
• Act as a mentor/supervisor for students.
• Attend team meetings and represent the Team Leader at other appropriate professional meetings as and when appropriate.
• Establish rapport and maintain supportive professional relationships with clients and their carers
• Be responsible for providing accurate, current, comprehensive and concise records in accordance with the Nursing Midwifery Council Standards for Records and Record Keeping, the Health Boards Patients Record Policy and in compliance with the Data Protection Act.
• Work effectively with colleagues to ensure care delivered is quality driven and appropriate to meet the needs of the patient.
• To ensure that those diagnosed with Dementia continue to be maintained within their own home where possible.
• Complete clear, accurate, concise and up-to-date clinical records and documentation relating to diagnosis/referral interventions undertaken with service users.
• Develop and maintain professional links with other agencies and work in collaboration with patient and their carers,
• Support the multidisciplinary team in developing services that are sensitive to the individual needs of users and carers taking into account issues of race gender sexuality age and religion.
• Respond to general public and other services enquiries regarding referral protocol and diagnosis management offering professional advice and education on service provision as required.
• Advise providers on dementia friendly environments, linking in with the Alzheimer's Society, equality leads and other voluntary services.
• Ensure the Team Leader is made aware of any patients considered to be at risk and/or vulnerable.
• Facilitate regular contact and communication with all colleagues by regular attendance at team meetings.
• On a daily basis the post holder will be required to use knowledge and experience to analyse and make judgements on facts and situations as they occur. This will include :
• Assessing patient/carer understanding of treatment proposals, gaining valid informed consent and having the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• Be responsible for ensuring each patient is placed in the correct treatment pathway at the appropriate time and necessary investigations and treatments are organised, interpreted and acted upon in a timely manner.
• Use their judgement skills to formulate solutions and recommend/decide on the best course of action/treatment empowering the person with Dementia and their carers to participate in the decision making process.
• Support the clinical nurse specialist for the memory assessment service in the investigation of clinical incidents and complaints, completing an action plan from lessons learned, ensuring all staff are involved in and informed of any changes to policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate the ability to present cases to clinical colleagues considering the range of care and treatment options available in line with the current evidence base and make recommendations regarding the appropriate course of action.
• Be able to assess and manage critical/unpredictable situations that arise in the area of work.
• Work within a variety of settings, the post holder will responsible for organising their own caseload and will be expected to plan, organise and monitor the effectiveness of this activity, balancing other patient related and professional demands.
• Be able to demonstrate good organisational skills and efficient use of resources when planning their weekly timetable.
• Manage and maintain a diary of all work activities, making it available for audit as necessary.
• Network with others to develop integrated care pathways, to improve clinical practice.
• Assist the clinical nurse specialist in the Continuing Professional Development of Nurses (and other health care professionals) through the implementation of a planned programme of structured education.
• Act as an expert resource for staff regarding patients on their case load.
• Refer to other health professionals/social care as and when appropriate.
• Educate patient and relative and or carer in management of condition.
• Direct referral to specialist services.
• Effective communication and sharing of appropriate information amongst professionals to avoid conflicting treatments.
• Be responsible for reporting vulnerable adult protection concerns, contributing to multi-disciplinary assessments/re-assessments and decision making in relation to adult safeguarding issues as and when required.
• Demonstrate a high level of clinical judgement working within limits of own professional competency.
• Promote a value base service which meets the needs of empowered service users by ensuring that their wishes to live and experience an ordinary life are respected and supported.
• Ensure that case management safeguards vulnerable adults in line with POVA.
• Implement research-based recommendations to improve care and management of patients with Dementia.
• Contribute to specific projects as required to support the development and implementation of specific service directives/health improvement programmes.
• Assist in the monitoring of the effectiveness of the service and clinical standards through clinical audit, patient satisfaction questionnaires, etc.
• Be responsible for adhering to the Lone Worker Policy.
• Undertake project work and participate in local and Primary Care wide working groups as required.
• Be responsible and accountable for the security and maintenance of personal service assets, for example clinical and IT equipment.
• Work within Health Board procedures and policies to ensure that resources are monitored and used appropriately, this includes the safe use and effective management of equipment.
• Be responsible for the day to day supervision of staff, which may include Health Care Support workers, students, junior staff and act as a role model to ensure that high standards of care are maintained.
• Be expected to contribute to the Continuing Professional Development of others by equipping newly appointed and existing professionals with the required skills and knowledge to manage patients presenting with Dementia.
• Support the clinical nurse specialist to promote the concept of a learning environment within the memory assessment service where opportunistic learning situations may present, this may include appropriate mentorship and supervision of Registered Nursing staff, Health Care Support Workers and Students.
• Undertake clinical supervision with a named supervisor in order to maintain and improve standards of care, developing a high level of therapeutic use of self to support the therapeutic goals of social recovery.
• Be aware of the professional responsibilities of all staff deployed within the team and conform to their Professional Codes of ethics and professional conduct.
• Attend Statutory Training annually in line with Health Board and Directorate Policy.
• Deliver presentations/talks and teach on Dementia, the importance of diagnosis, Mental Health and Community work issues when requested.
• Act as preceptor, mentor and assessor to student nurses, students of other disciplines and newly qualified staff and team members reporting to the Team Leader and University Tutors as required.
• Provide training opportunities for students from various disciplines.

Person Specification Qualifications and/or Knowledge Essential

• Registered Mental Health Professional.
• Registered degree level qualification
• Ability to demonstrate sound clinical knowledge and awareness of current evidence base relevant to the area of practice
• Evidence of on-going post-registration continuing professional development.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures for children and adults
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control Procedures and their application in practice.
• Sound working knowledge of the legal and policy framework underpinning mental health service provision e.g. Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act, National Service
• Frameworks, Care and Treatment Planning (CTP)
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety at work.
• Understanding of the importance to promote individual choice.
• Knowledge of KSF and its application in the context of annual appraisals and personal development plans.

Desirable

• Teaching/Training qualification.
• Mentorship qualification.

Experience Essential

• Significant post registration clinical experience of managing patients with Dementia and associated clinical conditions.
• Experience of participating in clinical audit.
• Experience of working alongside multi-disciplinary teams and other disciplines.
• Experience of primar
  
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