Dementia Lead

Recruitment Panda Ltd; Kendal; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Dementia Lead to elevate dementia practices within a well-established nursing home in Kendal. You'll have a hands-on role for three days and provide creative leadership for two days, focusing on person-led care and meaningful connections. Candidates should have strong dementia experience and preferably NVQ Level 3. This role offers a salary range of £32,000 to £37,000, reflecting your dedication and commitment to dementia care.

Qualifications

• Strong dementia experience in care homes or community settings required.
• NVQ Level 3 or above preferred for this position.
• Experience supporting individuals with distress or challenging behaviours.

Responsibilities

• Elevate dementia practice on the floor and inspire others.
• Plan environmental changes and develop Montessori-inspired ideas.
• Coaching staff through new ways of working.

Skills

Strong dementia experience

Understanding of psychosocial approaches

Creative engagement strategies

Education

NVQ Level 3 or above preferred

Job description

Dementia Lead£32,000 to £37,000 per year (DOE)| 38.5 hours | 3 on-floor practice days + 2 supernumerary days

As Christmas approaches, lots of people start winding down…
But this could be the perfect moment for you to quietly take a step forward.

• Fewer applicants.
• Faster decisions.
• A chance to walk into January with a role that finally reflects your passion for dementia care.
• A genuine “New Year, New Me” moment, but one that actually means something.

If you love dementia care, if you thrive on creativity, if you want your ideas to matter, this role may fit you more snugly than an elf in their Christmas tights.

Picture yourself in a dedicated dementia unit within a large, well-established nursing and dementia home.

Not as a manager.

Not as an activities coordinator.

But as the person who elevates dementia practice on the floor and inspires others to follow your lead.

Three days a week, you're hands‑on with the staff, not micromanaging, but modelling meaningful, person‑led interactions:

• Turning wandering into purpose
• Using knitting, baking, gardening or simple shared tasks as engagement
• Redirecting task‑orientated routines into moments of connection
• Helping people feel safe, valued, occupied and understood

Two days a week, you step back from the floor and become the creative thinker:

• Planning environmental changes
• Developing Montessori‑inspired ideas
• Shaping routines that reduce distress
• Reviewing what's working and adjusting it
• Advising the leadership team on resources, equipment or set‑ups that could transform the space
• Coaching staff through new ways of working

You become the person who helps turn a standard dementia unit into one that genuinely feels different, calmer, more purposeful, more human.

This could be your role if you:

• See the individual long before you see the dementia
• Enjoy discovering who residents were, their jobs, hobbies, loves, mischiefs and using that to shape their days
• Understand that people may “live” in different decades depending on how they feel that morning
• Love explaining, teaching and showing others what good dementia care looks like
• Get excited about turning a spare room into a gardening space or a sensory nook
• Believe in Montessori principles, psychosocial approaches and non‑institutional care
• Want to influence culture, not just complete tasks
• Prefer being hands‑on, visible, present, and part of everyday life

This role gives you the space to create, shape, lead, and inspire without getting lost in paperwork or management meetings.

It's about purpose, not protocol.
About people, not processes.
About dementia care that feels alive, not institutional.

Background desired:

• Strong dementia experience (care homes, community, day services, early‑onset support, rapid response, etc.)
• NVQ Level 3 or above preferred
• You do not need to be a nurse, though RMNs with the right outlook are very welcome
• Experience supporting individuals with distress or behaviours that challenge
• Someone already able to work in the UK long‑term (this role is not suited to sponsorship)

If you can already feel yourself imagining the space differently… If you're someone who never stops asking, “What would make this person feel valued today?” Then this could be the role where your ideas finally come to life.

To explore this opportunity confidentially, get in touch with Recruitment Panda or apply with a CV.