Dementia Nurse Specialist

Cambscommunityservices; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in Cambridge is seeking a compassionate Dementia Nurse Specialist to join their Memory Assessment Team. This role requires significant experience in dementia care and involves conducting comprehensive assessments, formulating diagnoses, and providing vital post-diagnostic support. The ideal candidate will possess advanced interpersonal skills, leadership capabilities, and a proactive approach to service development. This is an excellent opportunity for those passionate about improving the lives of individuals with dementia.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in dementia care and older people’s mental health.
• Ability to support and educate colleagues across the system.
• Highly developed specialist knowledge acquired through training and experience.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive memory assessments for suspected dementia.
• Formulate diagnoses in collaboration with medical and psychology colleagues.
• Provide post-diagnostic support and care planning for patients and their carers.

Skills

Registered Mental Health Nurse

Advanced clinical assessment skills

Leadership qualities

Communication skills

Expertise in dementia care

Education

Independent Non-Medical Prescriber

Degree in a relevant field

Job description

Employer Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Brookfields Health Centre Town Cambridge Salary £47,810 - £54,710 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 28/12/2025 23:59

Dementia Nurse Specialist

Band 7

Job overview

Are you a compassionate and skilled nurse with a passion for dementia care? We’re looking for a Band 7 Dementia Nurse Specialist to join our dynamic Memory Assessment Team within the Cambridge and Ely Older People’s Mental Health Service at Brookfields Health Centre and Princess of Wales Hospital.

This is a unique opportunity to lead and shape dementia care pathways in a specialist memory service. You’ll provide expert clinical assessments, diagnostic support, and post-diagnostic interventions for individuals with suspected or confirmed dementia. Working closely with multidisciplinary colleagues, you’ll be a key figure in delivering person-centred care and supporting families through the diagnostic journey.

We are strong, passionate, and cohesive team with a wealth of clinical experience and knowledge and are looking for a person to join us who will have the following attributes:

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with NMC registration
• Significant experience in dementia care and older people’s mental health
• Advanced clinical assessment and communication skills
• Leadership qualities and a commitment to service development
• Ability to support and educate colleagues across the system

Main duties of the job

Clinical Leadership & Assessment

• Conduct comprehensive memory assessments for individuals referred with suspected dementia, including cognitive testing and clinical evaluation.
• Formulate diagnoses in collaboration with medical and psychology colleagues, and communicate findings sensitively to patients and families.
• Initiate and manage treatment plans, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions tailored to individual needs.

Person-Centred Care & Support

• Provide post-diagnostic support, education, and care planning for patients and their carers.
• Signpost and refer to relevant services such as GPs, social care, voluntary organisations, and community resources.
• Offer home-based and clinic-based appointments, ensuring accessibility and flexibility for service users.

Service Development & Quality Improvement

• Contribute to the development of dementia care pathways and service improvement initiatives within the Memory Assessment Team.
• Support training and education for colleagues across health and social care settings to promote best practice in dementia care.
• Participate in audits, research, and evaluation to enhance service delivery and outcomes.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and support workers.
• Act as a clinical resource and mentor for junior staff and students within the team.

Working for our organisation

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot use public transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for further information and detail.

• Providing assessments and formulating and communicating diagnosis to people referred to the memory assessment service
• Prescribing and reviewing the effectiveness of medications for people within the caseload of the memory assessment service
• Contributing to the effective triage of patients referred to the memory assessment service
• Support and contribute to Nursing clinical leadership within the memory assessment service
• Promoting safe and effective mental health care through training and giving expert advice to clinical teams.
• Maintaining a visible, professional presence where patients, carers and staff can turn for assistance, advice and support.
• As part of the memory assessment service, to contribute to the multi-disciplinary clinical assessment and management of patients referred to the service in collaboration with other team members.
• Facilitate effective patient flow through the service to optimise experience for patients and carers and reduce undue delays in decision making or progress.

*DVLA have a number of reciprocal arrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Independent Non-Medical Prescriber (or actively working towards this)
• Highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience.
• Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist training to masters equivalent level.

Experience

• Considerably experienced in the assessment and management of Dementia and clinical risk.

Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate and work with a wide range of professionals.
• Evidence of experience in service evaluation and improvements.
• Ability to prioritise workload effectively, meeting deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• High level of self-awareness, recognising own strength and limitations.
• Advanced understanding of the mental health needs of older people
• Good Knowledge of the policies and guidelines pertinent to the planning and delivery of care to older people with mental health needs.

Personal Qualities

• Positive approach to older people
• Willingness to embrace integrated model and new ways of working.
• Ability to represent the team / service / Trust in a professional manner.
• Ability to travel independently at short notice.

Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.

We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Ground-breaking research

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/equalityanddiversity .

CPFT is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.

Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.

Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over.

If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.

All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Pravind Purran

Job title Memory Assessment Team Lead

Email address [e-mail]

Telephone number 07944704905

Additional information

Perri Concarr - Mental Health Area Manager

[e-mail] - 07720145022