Are you a creative and motivated individual with the passion and drive to support people with a recent diagnosis of dementia to live well in their community?

If so, you can be part of a National Team of Post Diagnostic Support Link Workers (PDS Link Workers) providing high quality, person centered support to people living with dementia and their families for a minimum of a year following diagnosis in line the Scottish Government’s minimum guarantee.

The aim of the PDS National Service is to enable people to live well with dementia and is centered around Alzheimer Scotland's 5 pillar model so that people move on to a period of supported self- management.

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.

Supporting our Dumfries and Galloway locality, the post will be based within the Community Mental Health Teams. Alzheimer Scotland’s PDS Link Workers are required to be effective team workers and have the skills to build and maintain relationships with colleagues both within Alzheimer Scotland, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Skills in using digital platforms are essential as we use a blended approach to support people that involve some virtual meetings and on-line groups.

Applicants must hold a recognised relevant professional qualification to a minimum of SVQ level 4, have a good understanding of dementia and how it affects people and their families along with excellent communication skills, a warm flexible approach, combined with skills in empathy and relationship building.

In addition, you should have skills and knowledge at the Enhanced Level of the Promoting Excellence Framework or be able to evidence you are working towards its completion.

This post requires a full driving license and access to a car.

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With over 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

In this varied and exciting role, you will support service users to achieve their identified goals by facilitating structured group and one-to-one activities that allow those taking part to improve existing employability skills as well as develop new ones. Working as part of the Employability Team the role offers you an opportunity to be innovative and creative in meeting the needs of those who use the Service.

The ideal candidate should be someone who can work as part of a team, be creative in their approach to working with people, have excellent communication skills and have a sense of humour. They should be educated to SVQ Level 2 or its equivalent, and be willing to complete an SVQ3 after probation.

Key Responsibilities:

• I work as part of a team building positive working relationships
• In partnership with service users, I implement outcome focussed development plans as designed/overseen by my line manager so enable service users to achieve their identified goals
• To achieve outcomes, I can employ a number of appropriate intervention strategies including positive communication skills
• Ongoing risk assessment is integral to my practice to ensure the wellbeing of service users
• I can demonstrate group work skills which bring people together in a safe environment
• I have an awareness of appropriate professional boundaries including confidentiality
• I contribute to service user goals and outcomes by working in partnership across a number of organisations sourcing appropriate community support and opportunities

Essential Criteria:

• I am educated to SVQ level 2 or have relevant experience working in health and social care
• I can plan and prioritise my workload
• My professional self -awareness means that I can seek support and advice from my line manager appropriately and participate in supervision and support meetings positively
• I am empathetic
• My personal and professional value base is consistent with the aims and objectives of Support in Mind Scotland
• My practice is firmly based within a model of recovery
• I demonstrate genuine regard for service users and their families
• I have good I.T. skills and can produce accurate case notes
• I am enthusiastic to develop my knowledge and skills

Benefits

Professional development including funded opportunities.

A generous 37 days’ holiday.

A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.

A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.

24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.

Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements

Paid Mental Wellbeing Days

Cycle to Work Scheme

Blue Light Discount Card

Around since 1923, SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity. We have represented the voice of people most affected by mental health problems in Scotland for 100 years. Today, in over 60 communities we work with adults and young people providing mental health social care support, services in primary care, schools and further education, among others.

These services together with our national programme work in See Me, respectme, suicide prevention and active living; inform our policy and campaign work to influence positive social change. SAMH is dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all: with a vision of a society where people are able to live their lives fully, regardless of present or past circumstances.

About the Role

SAMH is delighted to be partnering with Aberdeenshire Council to expand our SAMH Time for Me programme to young people in schools and communities across Aberdeenshire. To achieve this we are seeking experienced practitioners to work full time, and during term-time with young people from Aberdeenshire high schools. Time for Me is a community based 8 session life skills course for young people aged 11 – 18 years experiencing low mood and/or anxiety. Based on the cognitive behavioural approach it provides young people with time and space to explore, discuss and understand their difficult feelings, thoughts and behaviours. It aims to reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing, increase confidence and resilience, and help young people to develop tools to manage life’s challenges.

The programme can be delivered individually within schools or community venues. We also hope to develop and trial a group work programme. The programme can be delivered both face to face and digitally. In addition to Time for Me, the Time for Me Practitioner will deliver a range of digital and face-to-face mental health and wellbeing workshops to parents and carers. These workshops aim to increase mental health awareness, whilst also tackling mental health stigma, and provide information and tools to enable people to support their own and others’ mental health and wellbeing.

What we are looking for

We are looking for individuals with extensive experience of working with young people around their mental health and wellbeing. With exceptional communication skills and ability to manage own case load, you’ll need to be flexible to respond to the needs of the service and young people, ensuring your practice is of the highest quality at all times.

A driving licence and access to a car is essential for this post. What we will provide for you

You will work in a supportive environment and will be provided with a full induction along with ongoing training opportunities. You will be given the chance to develop your knowledge and skills, as well as develop professionally. Some of our benefits include;

• Funded continuous learning and development opportunities, with access to over 100 courses online in addition to classroom and virtual training sessions 30 days annual leave rising to 33 after 5 years’ service (pro-rata)
• 4 public holidays (pro-rata)
• 2 paid wellbeing days off per year to use on what matters to you (pro-rata)
• Team wellbeing budgets
• Workplace pension schem
• Life Assurance policy
• Employee Assistance Programme

Are you a creative and motivated individual with the passion and drive to support people with a recent diagnosis of dementia to live well in their community?

If so, you can be part of a National Team of Post Diagnostic Support Link Workers (PDS Link Workers) providing high-quality, person-centred support to people living with dementia and their families for a minimum of a year following diagnosis in line the Scottish Government’s minimum guarantee.

The aim of the PDS National Service is to enable people to live well with dementia and is centred around Alzheimer Scotland's 5 pillar model so that people move on to a period of supported self- management.

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.

Supporting our Perth locality, the post will be based within the North Perthshire Community Mental Health Team. Alzheimer Scotland’s PDS Link Workers are required to be effective team workers and have the skills to build and maintain relationships with colleagues both within Alzheimer Scotland, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Skills in using digital platforms are essential as we use a blended approach to support people that involve some virtual meetings and on-line groups.

Applicants must hold a recognised relevant professional qualification, have a good understanding of dementia and how it affects people and their families along with excellent communication skills, a warm flexible approach, combined with skills in empathy and relationship building.

In addition, you should have skills and knowledge at the Enhanced Level of the Promoting Excellence Framework or be able to evidence you are working towards its completion.

This post requires a full driving license and access to a car.