Dementia Adviser

At Alzheimer’s Society, we believe no one should face dementia alone. Every conversation, every visit and every small moment of reassurance can make a real difference. We are looking for a warm, thoughtful and organised Dementia Adviser to join our supportive team in South Tyneside working 35 hours per week. Currently this post is a fixed term contract until 31 March 2027, with the potential to be extended subject to continued funding.

This is a community-based role involving regular travel across the whole of the South Tyneside area including local home visits, meetings with other organisations and stakeholders, and direct support, with the flexibility to work from home based on business and community needs. You will work closely with people living with dementia and those who care about them, providing ongoing support. You will listen carefully, understand what matters most to each person and offer guidance that helps them feel steadier and more confident as their situation changes. Your days will be varied and meaningful. You might be visiting someone at home, offering calm reassurance over the phone, or working closely with other professionals to make sure the right support is in place.

We operate a triage system for new referrals, and you will play your part in making sure people are responded to quickly and thoughtfully. You will manage your own caseload, keeping clear and accurate records, while always seeing the person behind the paperwork. You don't need previous dementia experience to apply. Please don't be put off from applying if you don't meet every requirement listed below. We recognise the value of transferable skills, lived experience and potential. Whether your experience comes from work, volunteering, supporting someone affected by dementia, or you're looking for your first professional role, we'd love to hear from you.

About you

• An understanding of dementia, personal experience of supporting someone affected by dementia, or a willingness to learn about the experiences of people living with dementia and those who care for them.
• Experience providing information, guidance, advice or emotional support. This could be gained through health, social care, community, voluntary, customer service, education, housing, or other people-focused roles.
• You will be able to listen and communicate, with the ability to build trust and rapport with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• The ability to manage your workload effectively, with appropriate support and tools, and to balance competing priorities.
• Confidence using IT systems to maintain accurate and confidential records.
• A compassionate, non-judgemental and person-centred approach, with respect for diversity and individual lived experiences.
• The ability to travel independently across the South Tyneside area, and Newcastle/Gateshead for team meetings etc.
• The confidence and ability to communicate with a wide range of people, adapting your approach to ensure understanding.
• You will be required to speak publicly at events about dementia, delivering information and signposting people to further resources and networks.

Key Responsibilities

• Build supportive, trusting relationships with people living with dementia and their carers across, recognising and respecting individual needs and circumstances.
• Provide personalised information, advice and emotional support that reflects each person’s culture, background, values and preferences.
• Deliver support through home visits, telephone contact and partnership working with other professionals.
• Participate in the duty rota, ensuring enquiries, new referrals and requests for information are handled promptly, sensitively and equitably.
• Manage a defined caseload, maintaining timely, accurate, respectful and confidential records in accordance with our quality recording standards and guidance.
• Signpost and connect individuals to appropriate local services and community networks, reducing isolation and increasing access to support.
• Work collaboratively within a supportive team environment, contributing to reflective practice and continuous improvement.
• Working collaboratively and effectively in Multi-Disciplinary Teams and across organisations to ensure the right support for people affected by dementia.

Interviews for this role have been provisionally scheduled to take place on Teams on 25 August.

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society. We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply. To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed.

We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.