About Alzheimer Scotland
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. Our vision is a future where dementia doesn’t exist. Our mission is to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. Our goals are to prevent dementia by empowering people to look after their brain health, continue to care for as many people as we can who are living with dementia, and to help find a cure by funding research and campaigning for people to have access to any treatments available.
Alzheimer Scotland is committed to fair work and is proud to be accredited as a Living Wage employer. We enable and foster a working environment of trust, integrity and respect, for which everyone in the charity has a responsibility. We work collaboratively and encourage creativity and innovation from our employees and volunteers as we strive to continually improve the ways in which we support people with dementia, their families, and carers.
All Alzheimer Scotland employees and volunteers are encouraged to engage in activity within the charity, and through our Colleague Voice Forum and other outlets we actively promote an effective voice so that the views of those who work with us are sought out, listened to, and can make a difference. We advocate continuous development across all our teams, providing opportunities to learn in a safe and supportive environment.
About the role
Post Diagnostic Support is integral to the seven dimensions that underpin Alzheimer Scotland’s locality vision as outlined below. The focus of the role is to ensure the operational day to day running of your locality is based upon the 7-dimensions model and that a strategic approach is taken to locality planning.
You are responsible for ensuring your approach leads to outcomes aligned with the 5-pillar model of Post Diagnostic support alongside the vision and the overall collaborative approach to enable the implementation of the 7 – Dimension model.
As an Alzheimer Scotland Post Diagnostic Support Link Worker (PDS Link Worker) you will be part of a National Team to deliver a high quality, person-centred outcome focussed service to people newly diagnosed with dementia and their families.
As a PDS Link Worker, you will use Alzheimer Scotland’s 5 pillar model as a guide to deliver high quality PDS. The model includes understanding the illness and coming to terms with the diagnosis, peer support, connecting and maintaining links with their community along with planning for future care and decision making to develop an outcome focused plan to support their future hopes, desires and aspirations.
This support will be delivered in a person-centred flexible way at a pace that suits those receiving the service and ensures their voice is heard, along with equipping people living with dementia, and those who care for them, with the information, strategies, connections, resources and plans they need to live as well as possible, preparing for a period of supported self-management.
Creativity and innovation are encouraged to ensure that we strive to continually improve the way we support people living with dementia and their families.
The PDS Link Worker will be managed and lead by the Post Diagnostic Support (PDS) Lead who is pivotal in providing high quality transformational leadership, supporting you to deliver person centered post diagnostic support to each individual person and family.
The PDS Lead will support you to set clear objectives and outcomes, to regularly review your performance though support and reflection and appraisal. Through this support you will be empowered to be creative and resilient and continue to develop through shared responsibility for your continuous professional development.
You will be responsible for recording, evidencing data and regular reporting to the PDS Leads relating to Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) ensuring we are compliant with our contractual obligations with Health and Social Care Partnerships.
Quality assurance is a key responsibility as reflected in the National Quality Improvement Framework and you will be responsible for ensuring the PDS standards are attained and upheld.
PDS Link Workers will maintain high professionals standards and will work in collaborative partnerships within the Health and Social Care Partnerships: Primary Care, Social work, Community Mental Health Teams, Dementia Teams and Memory Assessment Teams
Key responsibilities
Role specific responsibilities
The PDS Link Worker will be responsible and accountable for exhibiting key leadership, enabling and empowering behaviours and achieving outcomes aligned to this role.
▪ To act as a named person to deliver the Scottish Government guarantee of post diagnostic support for a minimum of one year using Alzheimer Scotland’s 5-pillar model of support.
▪ To be responsible for managing your day to day caseload and participate in regular caseload management reviews and attend regular Support and Reflection.
▪ To work closely with health and social work colleagues to ensure referrals received adhere to Alzheimer Scotland PDS Link Worker criteria.
To undertake a person-centred outcome focussed approach based on the 5-pillar model to work towards a period of self-management using Health Improvement Scotland’s PDS quality Framework.
▪ To deliver PDS courses or groups where and when appropriate.
To comply with quality planning, monitoring, reviewing and recording systems and processes in accordance with Service Level Agreements within the Health and Social Care Partnerships.
▪ To identify and manage risk in line with Alzheimer Scotland’s operational guidance.
▪ To liaise and collaborate with other professionals involved in supporting people in their locality.
▪ To record and monitor case notes in a timely manner within the Health and Social Care Guidance in accordance with GDPR.
▪ To ensure compliance with internal policies, procedures and standards including compliance with health and safety legislation and wider policies and procedures.
To work towards and maintain the Enhanced Level of Promoting Excellence Framework and attend appropriate training, peer learning opportunities and Continual Professional Development.
▪ To contribute to locality planning and delivery of the 7-dimension model and locality pathway.
▪ Operate within the context of Alzheimer Scotland policies and procedures.
▪ To undertake any other tasks consistent within the general remit of the post.
Other responsibilities
Use IT systems appropriate to the role, including Microsoft Office suite, ALIS (intranet), and iTrent (HR and People system) and ensure all required measures to relating to the safe and secure use of sensitive and personal data are adhered to at all times.
Actively collaborate with peers and colleagues both internally and external to the Charity, as appropriate to the role, in developing positive working relationships and collaborative, flexible approaches.
▪ Operate within the context of all Alzheimer Scotland policies and procedures.
▪ Adopt and maintain a positive approach in supporting, contributing to, and enabling effective employee voice.
▪ Actively support and promote the integration of volunteer activity and effective volunteer voice.
▪ Promote and support Stakeholder Engagement with fundraising support for the Charity.
General
This job description remains subject to review by the Charity at any time and does not form part of the postholder’s contract of employment unless explicitly stated.
Person Specification
This person specification should be read with the job description for the post of Post Diagnostic Support Link Worker. Please note that these competencies are not ranked in order of priority.
| Essential | Desirable | |
| Professional attitudes and values | ||
| Understanding of and empathy with Alzheimer Scotland's aimsand values | √ | |
| Understanding of the principles, values and practice ofcommunity care and joint working | √ | |
| Experience of successful working in community care services,health care setting, or a social care setting. | √ | |
| Qualifications | ||
| Recognised professional qualification in social care, social work,nursing, occupational therapy, community work, counselling orother related occupations to a minimum of SVQ Level 4 orequivalent. | √ | |
| Recognised professional qualification in Dementia Care. | √ | |
| Full driving licence and access to a vehicle during working time. | ✓ | |
| Evidence of skills and knowledge at or working to the EnhancedLevel of the Promoting Excellence Framework (2021) | √ | |
| Work experience | ||
| Experience of working with and providing services to people withdementia and their carers. | ✓ | |
| Experience of multi-agency working and supporting vulnerableadults. | ✓ | |
| Experience of person-centred planning and assessment. | √ | |
| Experience of working in an unsupervised manner and of beingresponsible for and organising their own workload. | ||
| Experience of working with or within Older Peoples' PsychiatryServices. | L | |
| Communication | ||
| Excellent interpersonal and communication and telephone skills | √ | |
| Evidence of good IT Skils. | √ | |
| Ability to produce written reports and routine communication withminimal administrative assistance. | √ | |
| Awareness and or experience of IT systems and software. | √ | |
| Professional relationships | ||
| Ability to work as part of a team and to initiate, sustain and respond to various people within an interagency environment. | √ | |
| Ability to relate purposefully and communicate effectively with people with dementia and their carers | √ |
Reviewed: Jan 2022