Job Information Pack Dementia Support Worker - Lincolnshire Localit, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston March 2014 Alzheimer s Societ, Devon House, 58 St Katharine s Wa, London. Telephone +44 (0) 20 7423 3500. Fax 020 7423 3501 Email info@alzheimers.org.uk Website www.alzheimers.org.uk Registered Charit No. 296645. Compan Limited b Guarantee Registered in England No. 2115499
Dear Applicant Dementia Support Worker Thank ou for our interest in the above position with Alzheimer s Societ. Please find enclosed an information pack as requested. Please fill in our application carefull, giving all relevant information and in particular, setting out the was in which ou meet the competencies outlined in the job description and person specification. You should provide clear and concise examples of a time when ou have had to use the necessar skills. Your application should be tped or completed in black ink. The panel will consider the presentation of our application during the selection process. Your completed application should be returned to us b 12 noon on 20 March 2014 Late applications will not be accepted. CVs will not be accepted. Interviews will be held on 26 March 2014 Please send our completed application form to: Alzheimer s Societ Lincolnshire, 15 Sixfield Close Lincoln LN6 0EJ Or e-mail lincoln@alzheimers.org.uk Yours faithfull Paula Colburn Services Manager Alzheimer s and Dementia V.1.1 2 of 11
Dementia is caused b disease of the brain; smptoms include loss of memor, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. It is progressive and eventuall terminal. Dementia can happen to anone and there is currentl no cure. But with the right support, people can live well with dementia throughout the condition. 800,000 people live with dementia in the UK toda with nowhere near enough services provided to meet their needs. There are over 17,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK and 1 in 14 people over 65 have dementia. One in three people over 65 develop dementia. About Alzheimer s Societ Alzheimer's Societ champions the rights of people living with dementia and the millions of people who care for them. We are the leading support and research charit for people with dementia, their families and carers, with over 2000 emploees and over 7000 volunteers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Alzheimer s Societ provides over 2,000 services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We provide information, education, support and care to help people live their lives to the full. We spent nearl 58 million on charitable activities in 2012/13, almost 80 per cent of which continued to be on providing care services and direct services to people with dementia and those who care for them. We also spent 5.8 million on research into the causes and treatment of dementia. About the Role This service involves dedicated members of staff working within a general hospital ward setting to help improve the qualit of sta for the patient and relieve the pressures on famil and carers. The role will be based upon the Alzheimer s Societ This is me person centred dataset as a reference to all staff and volunteers from an organisation involved in the care process. This will involve advocating for the person with dementia, famil liaison, coordination of volunteer support in the hospital and signposting and providing referrals to other services in the communit following discharge. V.1.1 3 of 11
To provide support to people with dementia and their carers improving their hospital experience and putting them at the centre of their care during inpatient episodes in general hospitals following planned or emergenc admission. The role, as part of a wider coordinated team, aims to contribute to a reduction in admissions to general wards following emergenc admission and help achieve reduced average lengths of sta and improved discharge to home processes. V.1.1 4 of 11
Job Description Job title: Location: Salar Grade: Actual Salar: Hours: Dementia Support Worker Lincolnshire D1 18,731 per annum 35 per week (Flexible shifts between Monda and Sunda working at least one weekend in 3 and occasional evenings b arrangement) Contract Tpe: Fixed term to 31 December 2014 Main purpose of job: To provide support to people with dementia and their carers improving their hospital experience and putting them at the centre of their care during inpatient episodes in general hospitals following planned or emergenc admission. The role, as part of a wider coordinated team, aims to contribute to a reduction in admissions to general wards following emergenc admission and help achieve reduced average lengths of sta and improved discharge to home processes. Position in the organisation: Reports to the Dementia Support Manager. Scope of job: This service involves dedicated members of staff working within a general hospital ward setting to help improve the qualit of the episode for the patient and relieve the pressures on famil and carers. The role will be based upon the Alzheimer s Societ This is me person centred dataset as a reference to all staff and volunteers from an organisation involved in the care process. This will involve advocating for the person with dementia, famil liaison, coordination of volunteer support in the hospital and signposting and providing referrals to other services in the communit following discharge. Dimensions and limits of authorit: Responsible and accountable for the deliver of a high qualit information support services of a non-medical or clinical nature. Responsible for liaising with relevant statutor and voluntar organisations in within the hospital in relation to this service and communit support Responsible for representing the needs of people with dementia and their carers within the hospital and project evaluation processes. V.1.1 5 of 11
Duties and ke responsibilities: 1. To receive referrals for planned admissions of people with a dementia diagnosis and complete This is me document at the earliest opportunit. 2. To liaise with the Emergenc admission ward in respect of people with memor problems to establish if dementia is diagnosed and their situation in terms of living at home and support arrangements. 3. To maintain and manage a caseload of clients within the hospital who have dementia or have memor problems and work with their families and carers to provide information on an aspect of their inpatient sta and post discharge care including carers assessments, communit support and obtaining a diagnosis. 4. To provide information regarding services in the communit for people with Dementia and carers and benefits available and, where appropriate, assist them in accessing them 5. Where appropriate, to work with people with dementia and their carers and families post discharge to help with service evaluation. 6. To maintain accurate, up to date client records and client contact records. 7. To work collaborativel with hospital staff, support services, voluntar sector within the hospital or other networks to achieve as comprehensive, seamless and person centred approach to care as possible. 8. To observe and abide b an hospital policies or safeguards or training that ma be required to ensure safe and secure working on wards Additional responsibilities 1. To adhere to all the Societ s service standards, policies and procedures. 2. To compl with the data protection regulations, ensuring that information on clients remains confidential. 3. To be responsible for personal learning and development, and of those managed b this post, where appropriate, and to support the learning and. development of others and the whole organisation 4. To work collaborativel with fundraising and media and campaigns teams, sharing responsibilit for the achievement of jointl agreed objectives, as appropriate. 5. To work in a manner that facilitates inclusion, particularl of people with dementia 6. To implement the Societ s health and safet polic and procedures, ensuring that all practices and procedures are undertaken in accordance with a health and safe working environment and that all staff and volunteers for whom ou ma be responsible are aware of their responsibilities in respect of their role, 7. Monitoring data and recommending action as required. 8. To administrate and organise own work to ensure that it is accurate and meets qualit targets, reasonable deadlines and reporting requirements. Person Specification V.1.1 6 of 11
All of the following requirements are essential, unless marked with a * when the are desirable, and will be assessed from a combination of information provided from the application form, extended interview process, panel interview and references: Education and Qualifications Application Interview NVQ level 3 or equivalent Skills and Experience Good organising and time management skills Good communication skills An understanding of dementia An understanding of the needs of people with dementia and their carers * Experience of working within the Health and Social care sector service provision and with service user contact Knowledge of relevant legislation including the Health & Safet and the Mental Capacit Act * Experience of record keeping and writing contemporaneous notes within client file maintenance processes An understanding of the need for client confidentialit and safeguarding processes. Application Interview Personal Attributes and qualities Able to capture service user data effectivel and accuratel through face to face engagement with the person with dementia or their carers/families Able to manage multiple relationships with sometimes conflicting pressures. Able to travel independentl within the service area to disparate locations * Empath Non judgemental communication Commitment to and understanding of equal opportunities Application Interview V.1.1 7 of 11
Understanding of the inclusion agenda and its relevance within a diverse societ V.1.1 8 of 11
Job Application Guidelines Alzheimer's Societ is an equal opportunities emploer. We aim to treat ever applicant fairl. The information ou provide in our application form is the onl information we will use in deciding whether or not ou will be invited for interview, so it is important that ou complete it with care. To help ou, please follow these guidelines. 1. Please complete all sections of the form. 2. Please tpe the application form where possible. If ou are filling in b hand please use black ink, as it ma be photocopied. Do not stick or glue paper to the back of the form as it ma get caught in the photocopier. Please add a separate piece of paper instead. 3. After reading the person specification and job description, think carefull about our application and consider to what extent ou have the skills and experience necessar to meet the requirements of the post. 4. Your last and present post allows ou the opportunit to tell us about the work ou are doing or have done in the past. Be as brief as ou can, and use the personal statement at the back of the form to describe in more depth our skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the job. 5. Under the section Education, qualifications and training ou are asked to state our qualifications or name a course that ou attended. It is sufficient to state that ou have a specific number of A levels and GCSEs, or equivalent qualifications, unless ou are asked for a specific qualification on the person specification, such as GCSE English. You should mention qualifications or training relevant to the post ou are appling for. 6. The personal statement is an important part of the application form and should be used to tell us how ou meet the person specification and what experience ou have that is relevant to the job description. Alwas remember to specif our personal responsibilities rather than those of our section or department. Remember to explain how our current or previous experience relates to the job ou are appling for. Your statement should ideall be no longer than 2 sides of A4 paper. 7. Please ensure that our completed application form is returned b the date and time stated at the beginning of this information pack, to the specified email or postal address. Do not attach an other documentation. Your completed equal opportunit form must be sent to recruitment@alzheimers.org.uk as stated on the equal opportunities form. An V.1.1 9 of 11
attachments, such as CVs, references or photocopies of our qualifications will be disregarded and will not be seen b the selection panel. 8. We frequentl receive a large number of applications for each role. In order to make good use of the charit s mone we are unfortunatel unable to acknowledge our application unless ou are selected to attend an interview. Information for Candidates Terms and Conditions of Emploment Outlined below are some of the main terms and conditions of emploment relevant to all emploees of the Societ. Probation All posts are subject to a probationar period of 12 weeks unless otherwise stated in our contract, during which our performance will be reviewed from time to time. During this probationar period, either part ma terminate the contract b giving the appropriate notice. After satisfactor completion of the probationar period, the notice stated on our contract of emploment will appl. Location Your main place of work will be detailed in our contract of emploment. You ma be required to work in other locations from time to time. You will not be required to work outside the United Kingdom for a continuous period of more than one month. Salar Pament All new emploees are placed on a set grade based on the Societ s salar scheme, which is normall reviewed in April of each ear. The commencing salar will be as stated in the contract of appointment. Salaries are paid in arrears on or around the 25th of each calendar month, b direct credit transfer into a bank or building societ account. Annual Leave The holida ear runs from 1 April to 31 March. In each holida ear, in addition to bank and statutor holidas, the holida entitlement in the first full ear will be 25 das, pro-rated according to hours of work and start date. This increases in line with service as follows: during the first full leave ear and up to 2 leave ears 25 das, third leave ear 26 das, fourth leave ear 27 das, fifth leave ear 30 das. Holida will be calculated on a pro-rata basis for part-time workers. V.1.1 10 of 11
Pension Scheme All emploees under the age of 75 ma join the Societ s nominated pension scheme subject to the rules of the scheme as amended from time to time. In accordance with the Pensions Act 2008 we must automaticall enrol all emploees who meet the eligibilit criteria into our pension scheme. Further details about what this means for ou, and about our pension scheme, are available on the Societ s intranet. The Societ currentl operates a Group Personal pension scheme provided b Zurich. Emploees ma contribute a percentage of their salar to the scheme and the Societ will double the emploee s contribution up to 8% of the emploees gross salar. This will mean that a 1% emploee contribution will attain a 2% contribution from the Societ and a 4% contribution will attain the maximum 8% from the Societ. Alzheimer s Societ will not pa into a personal pension scheme. Sick Leave The Societ operates an occupational sick pa scheme that is based on length of service with the Societ. Dignit at Work We are committed to creating and fostering a culture that promotes respect for each other and values individual differences. In line with our Dignit at Work polic, we will not condone, tolerate or ignore an form of discrimination (including discrimination b wa of association) or unacceptable behaviour in our recruitment or emploment practices. Benefits The Societ offers a range of benefits to its emploees including Life Assurance, a Cash Health Plan and Childcare Vouchers. No Smoking The Societ operates a no smoking polic. DBS This post will be subject to a satisfactor criminal records disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For further information on the Societ s DBS polic email recruitment@alzheimers.org.uk. V.1.1 11 of 11