Clinical Practitioner

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Alzheimer's Society are partnering to enhance dementia care across South and West Hertfordshire. The Clinical Practitioner will provide specialist, person-centred clinical support to residents living with dementia, initially focusing on severe dementia, working with care home teams, families and wider health professionals.

You will strengthen care home staff confidence through clinical assessment, education and coaching, promoting early

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist clinical care: Undertake holistic clinical assessments, develop personalised care plans and provide specialist advice.
• Empower care home teams: Provide practical education, coaching, case-based learning and ongoing clinical guidance.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary support: Work with residents, families, care home staff, GPs and mental health services to ensure coordinated care.
• Support residents and families: Help people understand dementia and participate in decisions about care.

Job description

Are you passionate about making a difference to people living with dementia? Join an exciting partnership between West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Alzheimer's Society, helping to improve dementia care across South and West Hertfordshire.

As a Clinical Practitioner, you will provide specialist, person-centred clinical support to residents living with dementia, initially focusing on those with severe dementia. Working alongside care home teams, residents, families and wider health and care professionals, and help maintain their independence and receive the right care in familiar surroundings wherever possible.

You will play a key role in strengthening care home staff confidence and capability through clinical assessment, specialist advice, practical education and coaching. By promoting early intervention, recognising deterioration and supporting personalised care planning, you will help improve residents' quality of life, support families and reduce avoidable hospital admissions while ensuring people receive timely escalation when needed.

We are looking for a compassionate, proactive and clinically confident practitioner who can build trusted relationships, work autonomously and bring people together to deliver excellent dementia care. You will be someone who champions dignity, understands the importance of seeing the person beyond their diagnosis and is motivated to share knowledge, develop others and drive improvements in care.

As a Clinical Practitioner within the Care Home Dementia Support Service, you will provide specialist clinical support to residents living with dementia across participating residential and nursing homes, initially focusing on people living with severe dementia. Working in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and wider health and care services, you will help deliver compassionate, personalised care that improves quality of life and enables residents to remain well in familiar surroundings wherever possible.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Deliver specialist clinical care: Undertake holistic clinical assessments, develop personalised care plans and provide specialist advice to support residents' wellbeing, dignity, independence and quality of life.
• Empower care home teams: Provide practical education, coaching, case-based learning and ongoing clinical guidance to strengthen staff knowledge, confidence and capability in dementia care.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary support: Work collaboratively with residents, families, care home staff, GPs, community and mental health services, social care and voluntary organisations to ensure coordinated, timely and appropriate care.
• Support residents and families: Help people understand dementia, navigate health and care services and participate meaningfully in decisions about their care, ensuring their individual needs, wishes and preferences remain central.

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us.

We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.

Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others., The post holder will work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with working arrangements agreed in line with service requirements.

We are seeking a compassionate, motivated and clinically confident practitioner with experience of supporting people living with dementia and a strong commitment to person-centred care. You will be able to assess complex needs, recognise deterioration, make sound clinical decisions and work autonomously while understanding when to seek advice or

You will have excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage sensitively with residents and families, influence practice and support care home colleagues through education and coaching. You will thrive in a multidisciplinary environment, bringing people together across organisational boundaries and demonstrating initiative, flexibility and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Above all, you will be a strong advocate for people living with dementia, recognising the person behind the diagnosis and championing care that protects dignity, promotes independence and makes a meaningful difference to residents and those who matter to them.

If you want to use your clinical expertise to make a meaningful difference, empower care home teams and help shape an innovative service that puts residents and their families at the heart of everything it does, we would love to hear from you.