Position: Dementia Specialist Group Facilitator
Location: Bedford
Hours: 18 hours per week
Job role:
To lead and facilitate specialist Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) and activity groups and services provided by Tibbs Dementia Foundation. To help establish and build new Cognitive Stimulation Therapy services and activities within Mid Beds area.
These may include:
- Cognitive Stimulation Therapy. Weekly sessions for people with dementia following the CST format and protocols
- Cognitive Stimulation Activity groups. Fortnightly sessions for people with dementia following the CST format and protocols but in a more relaxed and fluid fashion.
- Services to support people with dementia to continue to enjoy a wide range of appropriate cognitively stimulating activities in a safe, enabling and non -anxious environment.
- Services to offer opportunities for people with dementia and their supporter to enjoy a range of social activities together, these may include drop -in groups or physical activity groups.
Work location:
This work will be based in locations across Bedford Borough and Mid Bedfordshire. There may be some occasional travel to the main office in Bedford.
Background:
Tibbs Dementia Foundation is a rapidly growing charity and currently with opportunities to develop services across the whole of Bedfordshire. The charity provides a wide range of quality activities and services for people living with dementia. We have a strong team of paid facilitators who deliver these services and who are supported by a dedicated team of trained and experienced volunteers. We have embraced a hybrid system of working through both face to face and digital opportunities and this is enabling us to increase our service provision and to add flexibility and greater access to support.
As we develop our services and reach across Bedfordshire we are supporting and welcoming an increasing number of people to our dementia community. We are now in a position to extend the services and activities we offer Bedfordshire and we are looking for a dynamic and experienced facilitator to help us to establish and lead these.
This is a role for someone with experience of facilitating groups and activities and with an understanding of the needs of those affected by dementia. A role for someone with great communication and organisational skill, a team player, who can also work on their own using initiative and a common- sense, pragmatic positive approach, versatile and agile, and able to work in a busy, growing and developing environment.
We are committed to providing a wide range of quality, accessible and meaningful activities to people at all stages of dementia as well as their family supporter.
The person with dementia is at the heart of all we do. We focus on what people can do, supporting them to take measured risk, to seize new challenges and opportunities and to remain active valued members of our community, with a right to self-expression and who support each other to live as well as possible day by day.
Key Duties
- To facilitate groups, services and activities for people with dementia and their families across Central Bedfordshire and to help these grow and develop.
- To organise and provide a safe and ’non anxious’ welcoming environment for families affected by dementia.
- To plan and deliver Cognitive Stimulation Therapy.
- To work closely with the CST lead to develop resources, plan and structure sessions and ensure CST is delivered in a professional way.
- To remain up to date with developments and new thinking around CST, it’s delivery and impact.
- To deliver a range of cognitively stimulating, appropriate and meaningful activities
- To ensure the health safety and wellbeing of service users and volunteers whilst attending services and groups.
- To lead, support and manage a team of volunteers to deliver a meaningful, quality opportunity and welcoming environment for people with dementia and family carers.
- To maintain clear records of attendance and client payments.
- To ensure privacy and confidentiality protocols adhered to.
- To liaise with venue regarding bookings and venue related concerns.
- To attend regular team meetings, currently fortnightly on zoom.
- To feedback concerns regarding service delivery of individual clients to line manager.
- To work within the ethos of Tibbs Dementia Foundation to provide quality, reliable, welcoming and positive services.
- To be flexible and willing to help support other services and activities across the organisation if needed.
- This list is not exhaustive, and the Group Facilitator will be expected to work in a versatile and flexible way. Being a team member, taking initiative and working with creativity, enthusiasm, positivity, and a common- sense approach are key attributes for working with Tibbs Dementia Foundation.
You will have:
- Ability to and experience of facilitating services for people with dementia and their family carers
- Demonstrable experience of working with volunteers and an understanding of the value they bring to an organisation
- Ability to work with people with dementia and their family carer and to have the ability to encourage, motivate and support them to successfully take ownership and some leadership responsibility within a group setting
- An understanding of the needs of people with dementia and of the needs of their families
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong organisational skills to maintain clear records of the support needs of clients and to review regularly
- A thorough understanding of health and safety responsibilities
- Computer literacy including Outlook, Word, Excel, zoom, Teams and the ability to keep good records
- Ability to handle confidential data sensitively and appropriately.
- The post holder must demonstrate an understanding of data protection laws and to be prepared to adhere to the data protection policy of the organisation.
- An understanding of the issues facing vulnerable adults, confidentiality and safeguarding
- Good time management
- Ability to travel independently across Bedfordshire
If you’d like to be part of our great charity, working with a fantastic team making a positive difference every day, email sarah@tibbsdementia.co.uk or phone 01234 210993 for more details.
