Dementia Adviser

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At Alzheimer’s Society, we believe no one should face dementia alone. Every conversation, every visit and every small moment of reassurance can make a real difference. We are looking for a warm, thoughtful and organised Dementia Adviser to join our supportive team in Gwent Dementia Support Service in the Caerphilly Hub working 25 hours per week (due to the funding requirements this must be over 5 days Monday – Friday). on a 12 month fixed term contract.

You will work closely with people living with dementia and those who care about them, providing support. You will listen carefully, understand what matters most to each person and offer guidance that helps them feel steadier and more confident as their situation changes.

The Dementia Support Service provides personalised advice, guidance and support to people living with dementia and their carers. We have 5 Dementia Hubs across each of the five local authorities within Gwent (Hub locations: Abergavenny, Caerphilly, Newport, Cwmbran and Ebbw Vale). As a Dementia Adviser covering the Dementia Hubs, you will work closely with other Dementia Advisors, third sector agencies, as well as representatives from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Local Authorities and other local organisations. you will play a key role in supporting the ongoing development and promotion of the hubs

The Dementia Hubs are located in community venues and offer open access for anyone looking for Information, Assistance or Advice about memory concerns and/or Dementia. This may be individuals, carers or family members, or professionals. The support/information required is unique to each individual, as it is based upon their personal circumstances and support needs. As a Dementia Adviser within the Hubs, you will have the rewarding opportunity to support the development of the service offer based on feedback from partner agencies and those attending the hub.

 By providing this early intervention, we can help people seek support from the appropriate agency, understand their type of dementia, manage ongoing daily living needs, take control of their health and wellbeing and provide access to relevant local services. This could include referring on to one of our internal services.  Our wider team of Dementia Adviser’s support people in their homes, being able to interact face to face, over the telephone and virtually, helping to give people the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about their future.

We also provide peer support services to ensure people affected by dementia are able to meet others in a similar situation, access the support they need whilst enjoying meaningful and engaging activities.  As a Dementia Adviser within the hubs,  you will promote these peer support services, as well as those run by partner agencies, whilst bringing an enthusiastic and positive approach to the role.    .

You will be part of a caring and dynamic local team who share ideas, reflect together and support one another. There will be time to meet as a team and opportunities to keep growing your knowledge of dementia, with your manager and colleagues alongside you.

About you

You will have:

• An understanding of dementia, or a willingness to learn about the experiences of people living with dementia and those who care for them.
• Experience providing information, guidance, advice or emotional support - this could be from health, social care, community, voluntary, customer service or other people focused roles.
• You will be able to listen and communicate, with the ability to build trust and rapport with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• The ability to manage your workload effectively, with appropriate support and tools, and to balance competing priorities.
• Confidence using IT systems to maintain accurate and confidential records.
• A compassionate, non-judgemental and person-centred approach, with respect for diversity and individual lived experiences.
• The ability to travel independently across Caerphilly and wider on occasions.
• The confidence and ability to communicate with a wide range of people, adapting your approach to ensure understanding. You will be required to speak publicly at events about dementia, delivering information and signposting people to further resources and networks. 

Please don’t be put off from applying if you don’t meet every single requirement listed. We recognise the value of transferable skills and lived experience, and we’re keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate potential, capability and a willingness to learn.

Key Responsibilities:

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated individual, with an understanding of dementia and the needs of those living with dementia and their carers. To be successful in this role you will have:

• Non-judgmental communication and listening skills.
• Organisational and time management skills in order to manage the hub rota and partner agencies attendance
• Ability to assess client need along with the understanding of client confidentially is essential.
• Be empathetic and non-judgmental in your approach with a commitment to equal opportunity.
• You will also be committed to putting people affected by dementia at the heart of everything we do, to make the service the best it can be.
• Preferably experience of working with a wide variety of relevant agencies and great networking and influencing skills.
• You should have good IT skills and the ability to embrace occasional changes in IT tools.
• Have the ability and means to be able to travel independently throughout Gwent.

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.