Job summary
Are you an enthusiastic and compassionate midwife with a passion for supporting women and families experiencing vulnerability? Would you like to develop specialist skills in safeguarding, complex social factors and multi-agency working?

UHPNT is seeking a motivated Band 6 Midwife to join our Vulnerable Families Team (Sycamore) on a 12-month secondment. This is an excellent opportunity to broaden your experience, enhance your professional development and make a meaningful difference to the lives of women, babies and their families.

As an autonomous practitioner, you will provide evidence-based, woman-centred care to women with identified vulnerabilities during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Supported by our experienced safeguarding team, you will develop skills in caring for women experiencing complex social circumstances, including domestic abuse, substance misuse, learning disabilities, teenage pregnancy and perinatal mental health challenges.

This role is ideal for a midwife passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable women and babies, who enjoys collaborative working and wishes to develop specialist knowledge within a supportive team.

***Please note that applications from temporary workers who have been engaged with the Trust for a minimum of 3 months are welcome.

Main duties of the job
Main Duties

• Manage a caseload of women providing antenatal and postnatal care within the community setting.
• Promote normality and support informed choice throughout the maternity journey.
• Undertake routine and specialist assessments, identifying and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Work in partnership with obstetric, neonatal, safeguarding, health visiting and primary care teams.
• Participate in health promotion activities to improve outcomes for women, babies and families.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records in accordance with professional and organisational standards.
• Contribute to service development, audit and quality improvement initiatives.

About You
We are looking for a midwife who:

• Is a Registered Midwife with current NMC registration.
• Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Is committed to providing safe, evidence-based and woman-centred care.
• Works effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Has a flexible and positive approach to service delivery.
• Holds a full UK driving licence and has access to a vehicle for work purposes (if applicable).

We Offer

• A welcoming and supportive team environment.
• Access to ongoing professional development and career progression opportunities.
• Regular clinical supervision and mentorship.
• Opportunities to contribute to innovative models of maternity care.

About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

• Act as a named midwife for women with identified vulnerabilities, providing holistic, evidence-based care throughout the antenatal and postnatal period.
• Assess, identify and manage safeguarding concerns relating to unborn babies, children and adults at risk, escalating concerns appropriately in line with local and national policies.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary and multi-agency partners, including Health Visitors, Social Workers, Mental Health Services, Substance Misuse Teams and Domestic Abuse Services.
• Participate in safeguarding assessments, care planning and risk management for women with complex health and social needs.
• Attend and contribute to multi-agency meetings, case conferences, Child in Need meetings, Child Protection Conferences and pre-birth planning meetings.
• Prepare accurate, timely and professional reports for Children's Social Care and other partner agencies.
• Support women experiencing complex social factors, including domestic abuse, substance misuse, homelessness, teenage pregnancy, learning disabilities and perinatal mental health challenges.
• Promote trauma-informed, personalised and woman-centred care to improve outcomes for women, babies and families.
• Provide safeguarding advice, support and guidance to maternity colleagues regarding vulnerable women and families.
• Ensure accurate and contemporaneous documentation in accordance with NMC standards, Trust policies and safeguarding requirements.
• Participate in safeguarding audits, reviews and learning from incidents to promote best practice.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of national safeguarding legislation, guidance and maternity standards.
• Support the empowerment of women and families, promoting informed choice and reducing health inequalities.
• Actively contribute to service development and the continuous improvement of care for vulnerable families.

Person Specification
Other Requirements
Essential

• Ability to travel within and around Plymouth and surrounding areas (essential whilst working in Community, desirable within Hospital setting)
• Ability to understand and behave at all times towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Understands Risk Management and Complaints procedures
• Up to date with the NHS Agenda, national directives and all Governance aspects

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience of staff development and performance management
• IV cannulation

Qualifications & Registration
Essential

• Registered Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• Completed Preceptorship programme or equivalent
• Proven evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Desirable

• Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) qualification.
• Further relevant development to postgraduate certificate or equivalent
• Proven evidence of continued appropriate studies

APTITUDE & ABILITIES
Essential

• Good communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to demonstrate fluency, clarity and effectiveness at all levels
• Effective influencing skills: in general and with senior health care professionals

Desirable

• Leadership skills

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.

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).

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