Working for us

Our recent 2012 employee survey found that what people enjoyed most about working for the Society was the chance to make a difference to people with dementia - closely followed by the people they work with.  But there are many other reasons that people choose to stay with us; here are some of the things our people have to say.

Robbie - Campaign and Media Officer

The variety in my job is one of the best things about it. If I’m out and about it might be because I’m meeting with a group of volunteer campaigners to find out how they are getting on with their work to make hospitals more aware of dementia. Or it could be that I’m giving training to some of our own staff about how we can use the media more effectively to publicise our services.

If I’m in the Newark office then I might be doing something like setting up an interview with a member of staff for a journalist, drafting a press release about a new report, or writing to an MP about a key issue. One of my favourite parts of the job is the opportunity to speak to the media. An interview on radio or TV by a carer or by a member of our staff can reach thousands of people and shatter misconceptions that people have about dementia. It’s really satisfying when we launch a new report and it ends up leading the local news.

Jo - Day Support Manager

I am the Day Support Manager for The Limes, which is a service for Younger People with Dementia. All the skills I learnt during my commercial working life, combined with the experience of caring for my mother and my counselling abilities, have led me to a really worthwhile job that I love to do. The Limes is such a positive place to be, it just doesn’t feel like work. We provide person centred support to clients and staff, and every day brings new challenges and knowledge. The hardest part of my job is when clients move on, but I know that while they are with us we encourage them to 'Live Well With Dementia'. Through the Society, I recently studied to become a Trainer in Dementia Awareness, enabling me to help a wider range of people.

Marian - Advocacy Manager

I manage the advocacy team, and my work is very varied and unpredictable. All the advocacy referrals come through me and I provide case supervision for all the advocacy cases. I work on a lot of different projects, including setting up an Advocacy Network in Northern Ireland, adapting the Independent Advocacy Qualification to the Northern Ireland context, and being part of the Department of Health's reference group on the proposed Mental Capacity legislation for Northern Ireland. I'm also involved in trying to ensure that people with dementia get access to justice, following on from some work funded by Comic Relief to provide advocacy in safeguarding cases.

I've also recently joined our Society Employee Forum – I’m really looking forward to taking part. Communication can be difficult in an organisation this size and I am glad to have the opportunity to play a part in ensuring that the views and experiences of people at the front line are heard in the planning and decision making process.

Angelo - Helpline Adviser

I work as a Helpline Adviser on the National Dementia Helpline at Devon House in London, which provides information, advice and support to anybody affected by dementia.  I'm lucky enough to work in an incredibly supportive and strong team - which is brilliant, especially as some of the calls can be quite tough at times.
Our job on the Helpline is very important to people as it can be tough to know what help is available.  Some people need to just talk and get emotional support, so I feel very happy that I'm able to help people in this way too.