About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and compassionate Band 6 Senior Dementia Practitioner to join the Bristol Dementia Wellbeing Service. Delivered in partnership by Devon Partnership NHS Trust and Alzheimers Society, our city-wide service supports people registered with a Bristol GP from assessment and diagnosis through every stage of their dementia journey.
Our distinctive model brings together NHS Dementia Practitioners and Alzheimers Society Dementia Navigators, with embedded psychology and psychiatry support. Each Bristol GP practice is linked to a named Practitioner and Navigator, providing continuity and coordinated support throughout a persons dementia journey. This rewarding community role lets you use your specialist skills while building meaningful, longer-term relationships with people living with dementia, families and carers, and working closely with primary care, social care, acute hospitals, care homes and community partners.
We welcome applications from registered professionals with relevant experience in dementia, mental health, physical health, older peoples care or complex community practice. Professional backgrounds may include Mental Health Nursing, General Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work or another relevant registered profession. You will receive regular supervision, appraisal and excellent learning and development opportunities within an innovative service where your expertise can make a real difference.
Main duties of the job
You will manage a varied community caseload and provide specialist, person-centred assessment, intervention and clinical oversight for people living with dementia. Working autonomously and as part of the wider multidisciplinary team, you will support people with complex or atypical presentations, distress, behavioural change, frailty or increasing levels of need.
The role involves working closely with GPs, Care Homes and partner services to coordinate care, develop proactive wellbeing plans, manage risk and support safe transitions between services. You will provide information and compassionate guidance to families and unpaid carers, contribute to admission avoidance and hospital liaison, and offer consultation, education and specialist advice to colleagues and care providers.
A particularly rewarding aspect of the role is the opportunity to remain involved throughout a persons dementia journey, rather than providing a single episode of care. You will have the autonomy to use your professional expertise, develop trusted relationships and contribute to a forward-thinking service. You will also be encouraged to share ideas, develop areas of interest and help shape how we respond to the changing needs of Bristols diverse communities.
The post requires flexibility to work across Bristol and to provide occasional extended-hours cover through the service Access Point, which operates Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 6.00pm. A laptop is provided to support agile community working.
About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The interview date is scheduled for 17th December 2026
This role is suited to an experienced qualified clinician to work within the Bristol Dementia Wellbeing Service, to support people with a diagnosis of dementia to remain as well as possible, for as long as possible, in their own community.
Working in the community, the post holder will have a range of core competencies (dementia focused) to work with the GP and or Care Home to support the needs of people who present with a range of memory loss, behaviour changes and changes in cognitive functioning symptoms.
The role, as part of the service, will provide access to credible specialist dementia expertise for GPs, Primary Care and Care Home staff and others who are requiring support and expert advice on meeting the needs of those persons with a diagnosis of dementia.
It will include case management (design and co-ordination of care/support that is personalised and evaluated). The liaison with a wide range of statutory and non-statutory agencies is central to this role.
The post holder will contribute to the clinical leadership of the team, providing support and informal supervision for other members and participating in team and service development and evaluation.
The post holder will use supervision and appraisal to develop their own area of expertise to support the service to develop and meet the needs of the local community more effectively.
This role will be allocated to a designated hub but will be flexible to work across the city of Bristol as required.
Please see attached Job Description for more details on the role
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A professional mental health qualification and registration eg RMN, Social Work Degree or equivalent, BSc/Diploma in OT or Community Nursing Degree
Desirable
- Non Medical Prescriber and/or another recognised therapy qualification
- Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism
- Clinical Supervision qualification
- Training to level 3 in Safeguarding Adults and children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of managing clinical complexity
- Working within a community setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
- Experience of lone working and able to make clinical decisions independently
Desirable
- Providing clinical supervision.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.
- Participation in user involvement in services.
- Experience of delivering model based psychological therapy
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of community structures and Health and Social Care Agenda for Older Adults
- Understanding of the Ageing Well principles in Dementia care
- Understanding of the organic presentations in Older People
- An understanding of the Mental Health Act/ Mental Health Capacity Act requirements.
Desirable
- An understanding of the CPA Process
Other
Essential
- Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with people experiencing a wide range of needs in relation to dementia.
- Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals, community services etc. from various settings.
- Able to produce well written reports.
- Able to participate and present information in a group setting
- Able to recognise potential difficulties and participate in finding solutions
- Ability to assess and develop plans to manage risk.
- Able to plan creatively to maximise effectiveness of care plans, including complex multi-agency care plans
- Able to work independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to manage own time and that of the teams / Ability to work flexibly.
- Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need.
- Excellent clinical assessment skills.
- Ability to manage change in a positive manner.
- Ability to use IT Systems ,e.g. Electronic Record Keeping
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address
Brookland Hall
Conduit Place, St Werburgs
Bristol
BS2 9RU
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)