Job summary
This advert is only open to applicants who are currently employed by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.

The Patient Safety and Quality Midwife is a key leadership role within Maternity Services, responsible for supporting the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care for women, babies and families. The post holder will lead on maternity patient safety, incident management, investigations, risk management, learning from events, and quality improvement initiatives. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, they will coordinate patient safety investigations, monitor clinical risks, support governance processes, contribute to guideline development, and ensure learning is embedded into practice. The role combines clinical expertise with leadership, education and service improvement to promote a positive safety culture and support compliance with local and national maternity safety standards. The post includes a clinical component to maintain professional expertise and credibility within practice. Based on the Trust's maternity patient safety agenda, the role will help drive continuous improvement and improve outcomes for women, babies and staff.

Main duties of the job
The Patient Safety and Quality Midwife will lead and support the maternity patient safety, governance and quality improvement agenda across the Trust. The post holder will coordinate and investigate clinical incidents, undertake patient safety investigations and identify trends and themes from incidents, and ensure learning is shared and embedded into practice to improve outcomes for women and babies. They will provide expert advice on risk management, support the maintenance of the maternity risk register, contribute to clinical governance processes, and produce reports for Trust committees and maternity governance meetings. The role includes supporting the development and implementation of clinical guidelines, responding to national safety recommendations and alerts, delivering education and training on patient safety and risk management, and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to drive continuous service improvement. The post holder will also liaise with legal services regarding claims and inquests, support staff through investigations, and maintain a clinical presence within maternity services to ensure credibility and understanding of current practice. Through visible leadership, the role will promote a positive safety culture, encourage learning, and support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate maternity care.

Job responsibilities
The Patient Safety and Quality Midwife plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality maternity care across the organisation. The post holder will provide professional leadership for patient safety, risk management, governance and quality improvement activities within Maternity Services. The role involves leading and supporting investigations of clinical incidents, complaints, claims and patient safety events, ensuring that investigations are thorough, learning is identified and improvements are implemented and sustained.

Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, the post holder will analyse patient safety data, identify trends and emerging risks, contribute to the development of action plans, and monitor compliance with local and national safety standards. They will support the maintenance of the maternity risk register, prepare reports for governance and assurance groups, contribute to service reviews, and assist with external inspections, quality assessments and accreditation requirements.

A key aspect of the role is promoting a culture of learning, openness and continuous improvement. The post holder will provide expert advice and support to clinical teams, deliver education and training relating to patient safety and quality, and work collaboratively with staff to improve clinical practice and patient outcomes. They will contribute to the development and review of clinical policies, guidelines and pathways to ensure care remains evidence-based and aligned with national recommendations.

The role also includes liaison with families, external agencies, commissioners and regulatory bodies where required, ensuring that concerns are managed sensitively and professionally. The post holder will maintain clinical credibility through clinical practice and visible leadership within maternity services, supporting staff and fostering a positive safety culture that places women, babies and families at the centre of care.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced midwife with a passion for patient safety, governance and service improvement to influence strategic and operational developments and make a significant contribution to improving maternity outcomes.

Person Specification
Experience

• Essential: Significant experience post registration; experience of managing and leading a team; current issues on healthcare; experience of leading, motivation and supporting a team; experience of providing training; excellent presentation skills; experience of delegating workload and monitoring progress; evidence of managerial development; clinical audit and standard setting; experience of managing resources; service development and/or change management; experience of training staff
• Desirable: Service development and/or change management

Special Requirements

• Essential: Ability to travel between sites independently
• Desirable: Full UK Driving licence and access to a car

Qualifications

• Essential: Registered Midwife with current NMC registration; evidence of continuing professional development
• Desirable: Recognised management/leadership qualification masters degree or working towards

Statutory Registration

• Essential: Registered Midwife

Special Skills and Knowledge

• Essential: Knowledge of the standards of professional practice; knowledge and understanding of relevant National Services Frameworks; knowledge of Trust guidelines and policies; knowledge of care pathways for women with complex health needs; awareness of current issues in midwifery; capable of lateral thinking; influencing and negotiation; skills in identifying and securing provision of training needs for the team; highly developed communication skills, written and verbal; delegation abilities and excellent time management skills; listening/counselling skills; well-developed problem solving and decision-making skills; flexibility/adaptability to meet the needs of the service; self-awareness; possess individual credibility; approachable; has strategic vision and demonstrates innovation in practice; ability to work under pressure, thinking and acting coherently and with respect for others; manage and identify stress in self and others; excellent written and verbal skills; ability to organise and prioritise own and other workloads; understanding of skills and knowledge required to lead and develop team members; resource management; ability to take the lead in the promotion of evidence-based practice; excellent IT skills, including Word, Excel, Power-point, and Outlook

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Head of Midwifery, Jo Hall, Jo.hall24@nhs.net, 07500092381

Details
Date posted: 04 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year Per Annum Pro Rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 4 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: C9439-2627-NP-N561

Equal opportunities: We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented. Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.