Job summary
The Specialist Midwife for Complex Care will be based within the maternity service providing support and specialist advice to clinicians across both the community and hospital services. The Specialist Midwife for complex care will lead the service for women who have vulnerabilities to include those who misuse drugs and alcohol, safeguarding concerns; teenage pregnancies, domestic abuse, significant mental health concerns, homelessness and non-English speaking, in pregnancy. This will encompass clinical practice development and liaison with statutory and non-statutory agencies and all members of the multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job
The Specialist midwife is a key member of the wider maternity service and will provide enhanced care and access for vulnerable women.

• Provide expert skills and effective clinical leadership in acting as a role model for all staff.
• Take the lead in the development of clear pathways of care between and within a range of services, including primary care, secondary care, specialist services and non-statutory services.
• Facilitate the further development of evidence-based protocols to ensure best practice in caring for vulnerable women with complex issues.
• To provide specialist education and training to other staff and learners.
• Maintain clinical midwifery skills in line with best practice to deliver a safe and effective service.
• To formulate care plans and provide care in conjunction with the woman, medical team, and other agencies.
• Co-ordinate holistic care to women and families affected by complex care issues.
• The practitioner may be expected to take part in the on-call rota for the unit.
• Foster close working relationships with all agencies including health, education, police, and children's social care to develop support and care for vulnerable families.
• Ensure the effective sharing of relevant information with other professionals working with individual children and families.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Job responsibilities

• Support the maternity unit in providing safe, woman-centred care to women who are affected by factors that may make them, or their babies, vulnerable to harm; these factors may include mental ill-health, domestic abuse, substance misuse or learning needs.
• In a specialist capacity, work alongside midwives to enable them to meet women's additional needs, including identification of and referral to services that may help meet these needs.
• Act as a point of contact in the unit for members of outside agencies that comprise the multi-disciplinary team.
• Develop effective working relationships with key members of other agencies with which maternity works (for example Children's social care, health visiting, children's centres, drug and alcohol services).
• Co-ordinate the care of women (both in- and out-patient) who have very complex needs (for example, are working with, or would benefit from working with, more than one agency or service in addition to maternity).
• Support with the development of care plans for women with specific needs, such as mental health needs or those whose babies are subject to child protection planning. Ensure these plans reflect a balance between the needs of the woman and baby (where these may be seen to conflict). Ensure these plans are disseminated to relevant staff.
• Promote positive attitudes within the maternity service, and challenge behaviours and cultural practices that may disadvantage women with complex needs.
• Alongside the Named Midwife for Safeguarding, ensure maternity's contribution to the child protection process is safe, proportionate, appropriate, and effective, in keeping with legislation including the Children Act 1989 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.
• Promote excellence in safeguarding practice.
• The Specialist midwife in Substance misuse will be responsible for the production of all data related to area of practice and required by the Trust and PCT for monitoring purposes and national data requirements. The Post holder will be expected to produce annual reports and ad-hoc reports as required.
• The Specialist Midwife will be expected to provide a highly flexible service delivery that is responsive to the needs of the women. The practitioner will be expected to relay regularly highly sensitive information in highly stressful situations.
• Develop localised training for midwives and support staff about substance misuse and the management of women and their families.
• Develop and update guidelines for practice for all aspects of substance misuse in pregnancy.
• Participate in and lead formal training events as required.

Essential

• Significant experience of working as a registered midwife in hospital and community settings

Location: Bristol
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Part-time
Pay scheme: Agenda for change, Band 7
Reference number: 339-W&C7557-HN

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. Disclosure and Barring Service check required under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.