We are looking for a special someone who is passionate about supporting people affected by dementia and making a difference to them. The memory café and meeting centre coordinator will have responsibility for developing, establishing and facilitating 3 additional memory cafes and 2 additional meeting centres in Herefordshire. Memory Cafés are a comfortable, social gathering that allow people experiencing memory loss and a loved one to connect, socialize, and build new support networks. They also provide an opportunity for people to enjoy activities, access information, advice and support. Beverages, cake, biscuits and fruit are provided at each café. A Meeting Centre is a local resource, operating out of ordinary community buildings, that offers on-going warm and friendly support to people with mild to moderate dementia and their families. At the heart of the Meeting Centre is a social club where people meet to have fun, talk to others and get help that focuses on what they need. Meeting Centres are based on sound research evidence of what helps people to cope well in adjusting to living with the symptoms and changes that dementia brings.
The Co-ordinator will be responsible for ensuring the running and management of each monthly café and weekly meeting centre with the support of our existing team.
The Co-ordinator also will be responsible for making each café and meeting centre as sustainable as possible following an existing model and ensuring community investment in them. The cafés and meeting centres deliver an element of maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy as part of its activities; so, a knowledge of MCST or a willingness to undertake training will be essential. Meeting Centre coordinator training will also be provided by the Association of Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester, as will mentoring by our existing Meeting Centre coordinators.
This is a three-year project and as such you will need to be able manage your time effectively and efficiently. The project will be evaluated by the University of Worcester, Association of Dementia Studies so data collection and monitoring will play a part in this role.
You will be office based, but the majority of the time it is expected that you will be working in the community, so access to your own transport is essential.