Dementia and Delerium Practitioner

**The closing date is 10th Nov 2024**

**Job summary**:
Working with the Dementia and Delirium Specialist practitioner in conjunction with the clinical lead to deliver high quality patient care, acting as a role model for all staff.

The team is looking for individuals who have expert skills in communicating with individuals living with a dementia, and who are able to teach and disseminate those skills to others. The post holder should have specific knowledge of managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

You will be joining a supportive and friendly team. Personal and professional development is a requirement of the post and will be supported through both internal and external training opportunities. The post holder may be required to work in other areas of the Trust to meet service needs and work rotational shifts.

**Main duties, tasks & skills required**:
To act as an innovative and enthusiastic role model providing training, guidance and advice to staff caring for people living with Dementia and Delirium.

To work within the multi-disciplinary team in the provision of dementia and delirium care throughout all aspects of the patients care pathway and in all clinical settings.

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 and establish relationships with patients identifying ways to support them whilst in hospital, regularly engaging with individuals and families/carer.

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

Assist to implement meaningful person-centred care plans supporting the emotional and behavioural needs of individual patients. To support and encourage ward staff to organise appropriate activities/interactions.

**About us**:
As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, fantastic pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will to experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone

**Job description**:
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 delir