Job title – Dementia Coordinator Team Leader (Canterbury, Herne Bay & Whitstable, Thanet and surrounding areas)
Responsible to: Contracts Manager
Salary: £30,206 per annum for a 37.5-hour week
Base: Age UK Herne Bay and Whitstable
20 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
This is a fix term contract and is due to end on 31st March 2027.
This job will close on the Monday 24th August 2026
Job Purpose:
To lead and line manage a group of Dementia coordinators within the Canterbury CMHSOP area, conducting appraisals and supervisions, organising training and inductions, ensuring quality of reporting as well as offering advice and support.
To work together with the contracts manager to ensure positive engagement with Primary and Secondary health services and other relevant organisations.
To ensure appropriate coverage of service across the designated area and manage annual leave and absence cover across the area.
Provide a single point of access approach in times of need in order to provide consistency of support throughout the dementia journey.
To provide timely and accurate information and effective support to people diagnosed with dementia, (or have suspected dementia) their carers and family. To work closely with the Primary Care Network they are assigned to, working in partnership with GPs, their multi-disciplinary team meetings and Memory Assessment Services. Identifying issues leading to deterioration coordinating care and support with external agencies to ensure timely, wrap around support is maintained to avert crisis situations. The co-ordinator will provide support at each step of the pathway, from pre-diagnosis to end of life, if this is needed by the person with dementia and their carers.
Job Description:
· To recruit, support and co-ordinate training for each of your allocated team, recognising and responding to each member of staff as an individual and working in line with the employing organisations policies and procedures.
· To maintain a presence at both Age UK Herne Bay & Whitstable and to travel to delivery partner organisations in the area covered (Age Concern Sandwich and Age UK Canterbury) to ensure regular face to face contact with your team members.
· To deliver day-to-day management, support, regular supervisions and yearly appraisals with each member of your allocated team.
· To take the lead on Safeguarding clients of the service. To report and react to Safeguarding concerns by following the Kent and Medway Adult Safeguarding Multi-Agency Policy and Protocols and policy and procedures of the local sub-contractors.
· To ensure adherence to the lone-working policy of your team, including checking in and out with team members at the end of the day.
- To manage any disciplinary and competency issues according to the policy and procedures of the employing Local Age UK.
· To manage records of training and arrange and organise appropriate training in line with the requirements and ensure that each member of the team receives appropriate refresher training.
· To maintain relationships with organisations such as GP practices and Community Mental Health teams within the allocated area.
· To arrange and undertake regular (monthly) meetings with your allocated team and attend, and encourage team attendance at wider time meetings.
- To ensure referrals and records are accurately recorded across your allocated team and to be responsible for ensuring the service in your allocated area meets outcomes and key performance indicators, proactively tackling issues that could jeopardise this.
· To cover responsibilities where necessary in another area.
· To ensure allocated staff are trained in the data management systems that they will have access to through the project (Salesforce, EMIS, etc.)
· Contacting the patient and/or appropriate carer/supporter within two working days (48 hours) from when the referral is received, where possible.
· Provide face to face visits within 7 working days of a request in agreement with the person living with dementia and/or carer, where possible.
· Work in partnership with health professionals and organisations such as Adult Social Care, to meet the needs of both the patient and the carer.
· Liaise with the person diagnosed with dementia’s GP as and when required throughout the dementia journey.
· Provide an Annual Practice update for each GP practice outlining support provided to patients (in contact with the service) and their carers (as appropriate) on their QOF register.
· In order to start to develop relationships with the family it is expected that the Provider will develop and utilise an appropriate information resource, to support these conversations.
· Provide flexible support so that where necessary team members can cross geographical areas to ensure timescales are met.
· To take cases as and when needed to relieve pressure, cover annual leave and sickness and hold a caseload of clients as a Dementia Co-ordinator.
· Develop and maintain a framework document/information resource for planning and decision making in order to identify what needs to be in place whilst a person still has the capacity to make decisions and a check list to facilitate the planning process. This should also act as a resource to support conversations around advance care planning.
· Provide and continue to develop an individualised support plan that reflects the health and well-being needs of the person diagnosed. It will also include the necessary information to enable a financial health check to be carried out. As the dementia progresses the information provided by the service will be geared towards supporting the family carer more and provide advice on different stages of the dementia journey.
· Provide support for the immediate carer/supporter as well as for other family members and encourage the carer to engage with a carers assessment.
· Be with the person with dementia and the family along their pathway, proactively contacting them on a regular basis dependent on their need.
· Assess the need for information and advice with appropriate timing, sensitively tailored to individual need.
· Ensure an effective referral pathway to the service from point of diagnosis.
· Liaise with pharmacies to support appropriate and safe use of medication.
· Carer identification and recognition/support in primary care.
· Help Carers to access respite and support.
· Support medication management and compliance in a non-clinical context (referring to medical professionals where appropriate).
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check
Skills and attributes
Method of assessment
Approachable and friendly/socially confident
Attention to detail and accurate recording
Excellent communication skills
Good organisational skills
Good IT skills
Ability to manage workload and plan effectively to ensure seamless delivery of services.
Ability to problem solve by thinking laterally to achieve results
Listening and understanding
Application Form/ Interview
Experience
Working with people living with dementia, their carers and wider family network
Experience of working within health and social care
Experience of health and social care systems
Data collection and recording/reporting
Ability to quickly form good relationships both internally and externally and represent the organisation in a positive manner
Supervising and supporting staff
Application Form/ Interview
Knowledge
Understanding of the challenges facing people living with dementia, their families and carers
Knowledge and understanding of local voluntary sector and statutory bodies
Application Form/ Interview
Work related circumstances
Commitment to equal opportunities
Ability to meet the travel requirements of the post & possess a full, clean driving licence, have access to a car for work.
Compliance with health and safety rules, regulations and legislation
This is a fix term contract and is due to end on 31st March 2027.
Pay: Up to £30,206.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
