Job summary
Exciting opportunity for an experienced Band 6 Midwife with a passion for physiological birth to join Meadow Birth Centre team.

Main duties of the job

• Act as the professional lead for low risk women, promoting physiological birthing process.
• Be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care within the practice area and to provide and maintain high standards of midwifery care.
• Teach, motivate and encourage high standards of practice whilst furthering personal knowledge and experience.
• Accept responsibility for own personal and professional development
• Contribute to the learning environment of the practice area to enable students and new members of the practice area team to be supported
• To provide effective leadership and to act as a good role model.
• To supervise junior staff and to teach qualified and unqualified staff, acting as a mentor, as appropriate, providing advice and support as necessary.
• Work autonomously within guidelines and spheres of professional practice.
• To take all measures to ensure safety and report all accidents/incidents to the Ward Manager/Matron/Divisional Director of Midwifery and to monitor the safe and effective use of all equipment and the economic use of supplies.
• Maintain accurate management records at all times, ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are used.
• To assist in other wards/department of the maternity services if the clinical situation or staffing levels demand.
• Have ability and skills to organise own workload
• Be able to cannulate and suture

About us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester. Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them. We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do. Being open and honest, ensuring people feel cared for, showing respect to everyone. We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Job responsibilities

• Act as the professional lead for low risk women, promoting physiological birthing process.
• Be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care within the practice area and to provide and maintain high standards of midwifery care.
• Teach, motivate and encourage high standards of practice whilst furthering personal knowledge and experience.
• Accept responsibility for own personal and professional development
• To contribute to the management of the practice area by accepting delegated responsibility from senior colleagues.
• Contribute to the learning environment of the practice area to enable students and new members of the practice area team to be supported
• Ensure all statutory and non-statutory rules and regulations are complied with.
• Assist in promoting Clinical Risk Management within the practice area.
• To provide effective leadership and to act as a good role model.
• To supervise junior staff and to teach qualified and unqualified staff, acting as a mentor, as appropriate, providing advice and support as necessary.
• Work autonomously within guidelines and spheres of professional practice.
• To take all measures to ensure safety and report all accidents/incidents to the Ward Manager/Matron/Divisional Director of Midwifery and to monitor the safe and effective use of all equipment and the economic use of supplies.
• Maintain accurate management records at all times, ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are used.
• To assist in other wards/department of the maternity services if the clinical situation or staffing levels demand.
• To become familiar with ward/department budget and efficient and effective utilisation of resources.
• Be conversant with Trust and other Policies and Procedures and mechanisms in place for effective care and efficient management of the Maternity Unit.
• Have ability and skills to organise own workload
• Be able to cannulate and suture

Key Duties
Patient Care:

• To plan and deliver evidence based midwifery care in partnership with women and their families.
• To work collaboratively with women, respecting their right to make informed decisions about their care.
• To manage high risk labours in partnership with Consultant Midwife and Obstetric colleagues where women choose to use the Birth Centre outside of guidance.
• To provide a supportive relationship, acting as advocate for women and their families.
• Utilise the full skills of a midwife practitioner (both integral and extended) to women using the Birth Centre.
• To discuss with the Ward Manager/Team Leader, development and changes both midwifery and medical, which affect patients directly and indirectly.
• Communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary professionals and agencies, ensuring seamless care at a high standard.
• To take appropriate action to ensure the safety of patients, including the delegation of patient care to midwives, with the appropriate level skill at all times. To report any accidents/incidents to the Ward Manager/Team Leader
• To ensure that midwifery procedures/guidelines are implemented and maintained in accordance with the policies of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and national guidance.
• To ensure that acceptable standards of care are maintained and, where necessary, instigate changes in agreement with the Ward Manager/Team Leader.
• To be fully conversant in dealing with complex midwifery problems such as child protection issues.

Education and Training

• Supervise the training of qualified and unqualified staff, and assist junior staff to develop clinical and managerial skills, in accordance with their level of competence.
• To act as a preceptor for junior staff.
• To participate in teaching for all learners in accordance with their objectives, working closely with local education providers. To provide support and coaching as a supervisor/assessor to student midwives. To participate in teaching programmes as required.
• Maintain knowledge of current midwifery practice by reading relevant journals and attending study days where appropriate, promoting research based practice in agreement with ward manager/team leader.
• To organise and provide training programmes in accordance with the identified needs for the ward.
• To participate in further post-registration training, as evidenced by developments in practice.

Management

• To autonomously manage a caseload within the Birth Centre, making decisions and acting on care needs as they arise.
• To manage effectively the Birth Centre in the absence of the Ward Manager, co-ordinating and allocating work to staff.
• To liaise with the midwives in charge of the wards/departments within the Trust to plan workloads and staffing levels as effectively as possible. To inform and discuss with the Ward Manager any problems regarding management and/or care of the woman.

Professional

• To maintain a professional attitude at all times developing the role of the midwife in the best interest of the women and profession in accordance with Nursing & Midwifery Council.
• Be responsible for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous midwifery records, written and electronic in accordance with the relevant NMC and Trust guidance.
• To be aware of extended personal and professional development. To attend courses and conferences as relevant according to the requirements of the role of an experienced midwife.
• Develop competencies in the use of equipment in the clinical area, attend teaching sessions as appropriate.
• To attend courses and conferences as relevant.
• To be conversant and comply with the Trust policies and regulations and attend compulsory lectures as instructed.
• To maintain good standards of care and assist in the implementation of recommendations from Government and professional bodies in relation to maternity care
• Participate in research projects where appropriate, reporting findings within a multi-disciplinary framework.
• Implement research projects where appropriate.
• To be professionally accountable for ones own midwifery practice, acting in a professional manner at all times abiding by the relevant NMC and Trust practice protocols and guidelines.
• To be responsible for the maintenance and improvement of own professional knowledge and competence in keeping with the practice and CPD standard laid down by the NMC to ensure continued professional registration.

Personnel

• To participate in the selection and interviewing of junior staff within the ward/department.
• Participate in the devising and implementation of induction programmes for newly appointed staff.
• To assist the Ward Manager/Team Leader in monitoring staff performance.
• Participate in staff appraisal and the investigation of complaints and incidents.
• To assist the ward manager in the maintenance of day to day discipline within the ward/department/area.
• To inform the Ward/Department Manager (or Supervisor in his/her absence), of staff failing to meet the required standard of performance.
• To counsel staff in relation to personnel and professional matters.

Vision and Values
The Trust aims to provide local services for local people. It has developed its vision to reflect this commitment. To continue to be the major provider of acute/specialist services for the people of Worcestershire (and wider) with a strong reputation for providing outstanding, high quality, reliable, accessible and integrated healthcare for local people

Competence
The post holder is responsible for limiting his / her actions to those which s/he feels competent to undertake. If the post holder has any doubts as to his or her competence during the course of his / her duties, then s/he should immediately speak to their line manager or supervisor.

Codes of conduct
All employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional body, to enable them to practise within their profession, are required to comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional registration. Those staff that are not required to be registered with a professional body are required to comply with the Trusts codes of conduct.

Confidentiality
The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to patients, staff and other Health Service business.

Infection Control
Employees must accept personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention and Control practice. Employees should ensure they are familiar with, and comply with, all relevant Infection Control policies for minimising the risk of avoidable Health Care Associated Infection. All Employees must undertake annual mandatory updates in Infection Control.

Children and vulnerable adults
You have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the children / young people / vulnerable adults that you come into contact with or are responsible for in your job role and sphere of competence.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Able to demonstrate research based approach to care Effective communicator both written and verbal Able to undertake perineal repair, cannulation and IV drug administration Computer literate / IT skills Good organisational / time management skills Able to interpret and adhere to Trust and departmental policies protocols, procedures and guidelines Ability to problem solve Ability to prioritise work Flexible to change in demands of service Willing to learn new skills Ability to identify personal development needs Ability to support unregistered staff / students Ability to identify risk and understanding of Clinical Governance Good organisational / time management skills

Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Midwife
• Evidence of further professional development to First Degree level or willingness to undertake
• Evidence of continuing education

Desirable

• Management experience
• Evidence of advanced midwifery studies
• Teaching and Assessing Qualification.
• NIPE qualification.

Experience
Essential

• Proven experience in all areas of Midwifery Practice
• Proven experience of supervising staff and delegation
• Ability to take the professional lead in caring for low risk women

Desirable

• Proven knowledge base / experience in speciality
• Experience of appraising staff

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.