Consultant Midwife

Job summary

The post will be characterised by the four principle role functions as described in the Department of Health (DH) guidelines DH 1999/2020):

Expert Midwifery Practice and Strategic Service Development Professional leadership and consultancy Education, training and development Research, Quality Improvement and evaluation. These should not be viewed as discrete elements but closely inter- related functions as part of a coherent whole.

Main duties of the job

The Consultant Midwife:

Will be an inspirational leader for midwifery led care, providing expert clinical knowledge and practice. Will ensure there is effective leadership, education and training practice and service development including research and evaluation within the maternity service , in partnership with the LMNS and Higher Education partners. Will have a specific responsibility for leading the promotion and evaluation of midwifery led care within the maternity services. Will be an expert, autonomous practitioner in midwifery, a role model for midwives and a reference for obstetric colleagues. Will provide clinical leadership for all practices which involve midwifery led care. Will lead, drive forward and evaluate changes in midwifery practice to improve the quality of care in line with national and local policy documents. Will foster a climate of research, innovation and clinical excellence through working in clinical practice and with the MDT. Will contribute to the Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement agenda and the National Maternity Transformational requirements. Work closely with the Heads of Midwifery and Director of Midwifery and Clinical Director to contribute to strategic service development and professional leadership. Will leading and participate in research development Will function strategically at Trust, ICS, Regional and National levels.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post will be characterised by the four principle role functions as described in the Department of Health (DH) guidelines DH 1999/2020):

Expert Midwifery Practice and Strategic Service Development Professional leadership and consultancy Education, training and development Research, Quality Improvement and evaluation. These should not be viewed as discrete elements but closely inter- related functions as part of a coherent whole

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Function as an expert practitioner leading midwife care and working in collaboration with the appropriate multi-disciplinary groups to meet the specific needs of pregnant Work for up to 50% of the time in clinical practise. This may be on a shift basis to work with different staff groups and will wholly depend on work priorities agreed with the Heads of Midwifery To lead on-going modernisation and new ways of working and innovation within maternity Progress Birth Options clinic with consultant obstetrician, coordinating plans for birth for women with complex needs ensuring women benefit fully from a multidisciplinary approach to their care Project manages service development Provide expert advice to staff and hands on practical care in all practice settings Demonstrate advanced clinical skills and knowledge that informs practice decisions Support staff in developing their competence. Be prepared to make decisions about practice where precedents do not exist, and where appropriate, without recourse to others based on sound clinical knowledge and research evidence Advise and support colleagues where standard protocols do not apply demonstrating innovative and visionary practice Develop and maintain evidence-based guidelines Lead the development of staff to become confident in decision making Support midwives to challenge traditional models of care and support ongoing service development Lead in the implementation of strategies to promote high standards of clinical care To participate on the Maternity Services on call

RESPONSIBILITY FOR WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES

Acts as the named lead for midwifery led care within the merged Trust Promote woman centred care and autonomous midwifery practice in all forums Appropriately communicates sensitive information to women, families and midwives Facilitate contentious discussions where there is disagreement about best practice placing the woman at the centre of care Acts as an advocate for women and midwives Support the risk management strategy within the service Be competent and able to support others in investigating incidents, providing reports and implementing action plans. Liaise with PMA where necessary. Provide a visible accessible and authoritative presence within the clinical areas Ensure the delivery of care (including basic procedures). Identify and advise the directorate in order to meet the requirement of NICE guidelines, the National Service Framework, Ockenden Immediate and Essential Actions, evidence based practice and any other relevant national maternity recommendations

RESPONSIBILITY FOR POLICY AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

As a Trust representative look for opportunities to promote the role of Consultant Midwife Participate in service redesign with particular emphasis on developing confident and competent midwifery practitioners Demonstrate a thorough understanding of local and national objectives and contribute to the strategic planning of maternity services Be instrumental in developing midwifery practice within the Trust To interpret and evaluate information from all sources, making informed judgements to make recommendations on improving practice Lead in the development of clinical pathways for both high and low risk women to put in place service developments To be proactive in implementing and facilitating new ways of working to support these service developments.

RESPONSIBLILTY FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Support and work in partnership with the Practice Development Midwives and Clinical Practice Facilitators Create a supportive learning environment for all students and staff Be an expert role model working alongside qualified midwives, and other members of the MDT Prepare lectures and teach the principles of autonomous practice and other midwifery topics to all staff Participate in the planning of a schedule of education and training that is geared towards relevant aspects of service Work in close liaison with the clinical co-ordinators to review and develop practice Work with clinical leads to establish the learning needs of staff groups in line with the maternity Training Needs Analysis Guideline (TNA). Have input into development and delivery of inter-professional learning Represent Trust and Maternity services at HEI and service liaison meetings supporting good working relationships

RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEADING AND MANAGING

Lead colleagues in the improvement of standards of quality and to develop clinical Communicate effectively with all stakeholders involved in the care of pregnant people Give advice on best practice arising from current and relevant research and facilitate the change process for new care pathways Provide expert input across disciplines to secure improvements in quality across the maternity services Provide written reports or presentations to support practice development Be an active member of the Maternity Voices Partnership and any other group where the post holders input would contribute to maternity service improvements ( CCG & CSU forums) Be a member of the Consultant Midwife Forum Work with the clinical leads for obstetrics to ensure harmonious working relationships between staff

RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES

Work closely with the systems supervisor to ensure a robust data entry system that supports the audit of care pathways Utilise and analyse quantitative and qualitative data and information produced by the Trust to produce reports and performance indicator data as required

RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Leads strategic practice and service development Contribute to the evaluation of services or aspects of service against national and local KPIs Be responsible for the promotion of evidence-based practice in all areas Maintain a thorough knowledge of key drivers for change and advise the management team about practice Develop a research strategy that encourages midwives to actively participate in research Undertake relevant research and audit topics that improve health outcomes Review clinical data, analyse trends and report on any clinical implications Within the clinical governance undertake specific projects as agreed by the Heads of Midwifery and Director of Midwifery. Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

Registered Midwife. Teaching accreditation: ENB 997/ or equivalent Recent relevant practice at Band 8A and above Car driver

Desirable

Masters degree, or working towards a Masters degree Professional Midwifery Advocate Accredited Management training

Experience

Essential

Ability to demonstrate significant experience in midwifery practice, including management of clinical areas, leading services Evidence of continuing professional development Evidence of innovative practice that involves research or audit. Evidence of managing people Experience of multi- agency working. Leading and facilitating Organisational change. Project management

Desirable

Evidence of research experience Experience of working with academic institutions Experience of public speaking Published material

skills and aptitudes

Essential

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Excellent report writing and presentations skills. Ability to network across organisations Able to demonstrate a broad but in-depth knowledge of health policy in relation to midwifery practice Detailed knowledge of midwifery issues and their impact on service delivery Able to co-ordinate the completion of a number of projects simultaneously Ability to compile, analyse and disseminate complex information.

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