Bereavement Midwife

To coordinate the bereavement service offered to families, liaising with all members of the team to ensure that an efficient and high quality service is provided. To deliver a confidential support service to women and their families following, pregnancy loss or baby death within the Directorate. To appropriately advise women for formal bereavement counselling, at the request of the woman, or where identified by health care professionals. To develop, maintain and review fetal loss documentation and resource literature for women and staff.

To actively participate in the quality assurance agenda, feeding back through the governance structure after implementing learning outcomes from incidents raised. To participate and be an active member of the Bereavement team by attending forums and meetings in relation to the role as required. To advise, monitor and maintain correct records for bereaved clients. To participate in audit as required including record keeping.

To ensure that families and multidisciplinary staff are able to access further support where requested, such as SANDS, ARC and the Child Bereavement UK and Ibrahams Gift. To ensure that guidelines related to the management of fetal loss and stillbirth are up-to date and evidence based. To ensure all staff are aware and implementing the evidence based protocols agreed for the Womens Services Directorate. To lead on a process of where women can provide feedback about the quality of the service and their experience in line with Compassionate care in the NHS.

Staff Support & Training To participate in the organisation and evaluation of multi-disciplinary training sessions to include trainee obstetricians and staff such as sonographers and receptionists as well as midwives alongside the Band 7 Bereavement midwife. To provide teaching and development opportunities through experiential learning and formal educational experiences. To assist the Bereavement midwife in the delivery of the educational training programmes meeting the needs of multidisciplinary staff and students in relation to bereavement issues. To contribute to multidisciplinary meetings when required in relation to Perinatal mortality.

To identity and disseminate research findings related to Perinatal Bereavement and participate in research projects when required. Communicating with Other Departments / External Agencies To establish and maintain an effective working relationship with the Chaplains, Bereavement Service staff, Mortuary staff, Perinatal Pathologists, Paediatric Pathology department and other health care professionals and outside agencies where appropriate. To assist the Bereavement Specialist midwife in ensuring that the act as Person Designate for the Human Tissue Authority for the clinical areas to ensure the correct management of taking tissue samples in the clinical area, within the framework of the Human Tissues Act. To comply with the requirements of the confidential enquiries (MBRRACE) ensuring that accurate data, reports and documents, including post-mortem reports, are completed and sent to the enquiries in a timely manner.

Professional Responsibility The post holder will be expected to work clinically on a regular basis as well as in accordance with agreed Job Plan at the point of recruitment. Work in accordance with the NMCs rules and code of conduct for midwives. Maintain and develop professional knowledge and competence in accordance within the NMC recommendations and attend annual Statutory and Mandatory study days. Implement recommendations from Government and professional bodies in relation to maternity care.

Act as a role model for midwifery practice to all staff within the directorate. Arrange and develop orientation programmes, which familiarise new members of staff with the organisational and clinical demands of the unit and Midwifery practice. Act on, investigate and report complaints, incidents and accidents to your Midwifery Manager, or the supervisor of midwives on call as appropriate. Ensure that working conditions are safe in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.

To be fully informed of the risk management strategy, be responsible for reporting incidents, risk assessment and development of action plans to reduce risk and complaints.