Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, motivated and ambitious midwife to join the team as Specialist Midwife for Safeguarding children at University Hospital Lewisham on a 15 month secondment on a part time basis.

You will need to possess a broad range of midwifery experience, leadership skills and excellent communication and networking skills as well as a keen interest in working with vulnerable women and their families.

You will be self-motivated, enthusiastic and have a passion for continuous development and improvement of maternity services, collaborative working, and maternity staff development.

You will be supported within your role by the Named Midwife for Safeguarding and the senior management team. Personal and professional growth is encouraged.

Main duties of the job
To advise and support staff in complex cases and to work closely with the Trust Named Midwife and Safeguarding Children/Adult Professionals to ensure that appropriate assessment of risks are undertaken to improve outcomes for vulnerable women/birthing people and their babies/families.

A Key function of the post will be to work as part of a dynamic multi-agency team assessing notifications and referrals regarding vulnerable women/birthing people and babies that are received by Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The MASH process includes searching for and collating health information from a range of NHS providers.

You will be required work wherever maternity care is provided; across both acute and community sites as well as within the Local Authority as part of the MASH.

Job responsibilities

• Advanced practitioner that is expected to demonstrate best practice in terms of clinical responsibilities.
• Highlight challenges and document poor practice.
• Provide advice and support on all matters relating to Child Protection and vulnerable women/birthing people/families while implementing evidence based practice.
• Disseminate information to promote good practice.
• Work in close collaboration with Named Professionals to provide advice and support to staff working in the Trust.
• Engage fully in the delivery of safeguarding training.
• Work with the Named Professionals in providing and facilitating Child Protection/Safeguarding training and education for staff working in the Trust. Ensuring a multi-disciplinary approach.
• In collaboration with Workforce and Development Team identify, implement and facilitate Child Protection and training.
• Ensure robust safeguarding supervision is implemented within Trust Services in accordance with the Trust safeguarding supervision policy.
• Provide safeguarding supervision, consultation, professional advice and guidance to staff and to sensitively guide and support staff working with issues related to vulnerable women/birthing people/families and child protection.

Person Specification
Essential

• Registered Midwife working towards PG Certificate in Child Protection
• Educated to Degree level
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Extensive Specialist Practitioner qualification.
• Experience of implementing evidence based practice within the clinical governance framework
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the current issues affecting the delivery of child protection services.
• Ability to lead changes and develop innovative health care service in collaboration with other agencies.
• Experience of working with vulnerable women/birthing people/child protection families.
• Skills for assessing practitioners' child protection practices, interpret complex cases and make recommendations for intervention.
• Day to day supervision for Trust staff and support for other healthcare professionals.
• Plan specialist meetings and workshops involving external parties.
• Organize and facilitate reflective practice forums.
• Able to challenge decisions and articulate rationale effectively.
• Effective communication and problem solving skills.
• Able to provide and receive sensitive condition related information including child abuse, domestic violence to clients etc and support health practitioners effectively.
• Produce management reports including statistics for child protection and complex cases for service delivery as required.
• Provide advice and guidance to practitioners with tact and sensitivity around child protection work.
• Work closely with Named Nurse/Midwife to review policy guidelines and make recommendations for improved service delivery.
• Able to adapt to new systems and work in a flexible pattern.

Desirable

• PG cert in child protection
• Working towards MA Safeguarding Children

Employer contact details
Named Midwife for Safeguarding: Tracey Phayer, tracey.phayer@nhs.net, 02088366000

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Agenda for change, Band 7, Secondment, Part-time, Reference number 197-KH8801-A.