Vulnerable Team

Job summary

There is an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 midwife, who has special interest in working with vulnerable women and their families, to join a well-established team of midwives.

The Liberty Team midwives provide continuity of care to vulnerable pregnant women including teenagers, women with learning disabilities, victims of domestic abuse, women experiencing severe mental health issues, and women with complex safeguarding issues.

Main duties of the job

You will provide antenatal and postnatal care in hospital /community clinics and women's homes. You will provide a full range of health education, social care and advice to women, liaising with multi-disciplinary/agency groups are to continually improve maternity care for childbearing women and their families, being responsive to the needs of the women and obtain user views as appropriate.

Supporting student midwives and junior members of staff as we guide and encourage them through their professional development, as well as receiving excellent senior midwife led support to ensure you fulfil your own personal potential. As our most valuable asset, we understand that that happy fulfilled staff will offer their best, and we aim to achieve this through development and fairness, within a supportive team approach.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and compassionate midwife who wishes to extend their midwifery skills in this field. You must have excellent communication and time management skills and be a proactive team player. It's vital that you have a special interest in caring for vulnerable women and have a good understanding of maternity safeguarding.

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.

We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main tasks/ overview of responsibilities:

Establish and maintain effective communication with individuals and groups about difficult and complex matters overcoming any problems in communication. Develop and maintain midwifery knowledge and practice by attending and participating in CPD and influencing the development of others. Promote best practice in health, safety and security. Contribute to the development of services. Improve quality. Promote peoples equality diversity and rights. Assess peoples health and wellbeing needs when those needs are complex and change across the caseload. Plan, deliver and evaluate programs to address mothers/birthing persons complex and changing health and wellbeing needs. Maintain and support the efficient use of physical / financial resources.

Responsibility for Care Of Women / Birthing People and their families (including monitoring, diagnostics and investigations):

To assess, plan, implement and evaluate midwifery care for mothers/birthing persons and babies, obtaining informed consent throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

To undertake midwifery care consistent with evidence based practice, transferring and applying knowledge and skills to meet the needs of women/birthing people and their families. Prioritise and develop care pathways to reflect the health and wellbeing, of the mother/birthing persons and their baby related to need following risk assessment. To analyse and evaluate the effectiveness and make necessary modifications of any midwifery care pathway. To utilise highly developed physical clinical skills where appropriate. To refer women/birthing people and their babys to other practitioners when needs and risks are beyond ones own scope of practice or require specialist input. To liaise with the multidisciplinary team, participating in case discussions as required. To support women/birthing people and their families, encouraging them to promote their own health and wellbeing and to express their interests and concerns. To provide support and care for the woman/birthing people and baby and their family respecting their need for privacy and dignity. To maintain accurate and legible client notes in accordance with Trust and national professional policies and guidelines.

Communications:

Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times according to Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines. Attention is drawn to the confidential aspects of this post. Any breach of confidence may result in disciplinary proceedings potentially resulting in dismissal/ civil action. To contribute to the development of a learning environment. To communicate effectively with a wide range of people to explore complex issues and make complex decisions. To effectively communicate complex and sensitive condition related information to women/birthing people and their families that require empathy and reassurance. To competently receive sensitive information concerning a mothers/birthing persons care pathway and provide information using reassuring skills as required. For example, breaking bad news/ special needs/ dealing with anxious relatives. To agree the arrangements for communication with the woman/birthing people and their family and to document these in accordance with Trust policy and the clients rights to confidentiality. To influence and prioritise the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice in self and others. To identify and manage challenging behaviour. To ensure that essential information on the mother/birthing persons or their babys condition and progress is recorded appropriately according to Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines. Maintain contemporaneous records at all times in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Midwives Rules

Team Working:

Meet every morning with other members of the team for clinical support and information sharing. Create an environment in which excellent clinical care will flourish and individuals take ownership for their own development. To identify clear benefits, goals and processes for developing knowledge, ideas and work practice in self. To inspire others with ones own values and vision and encourage them to seek advice and solutions to problems. To anticipate, plan and advocate for development/ change and benefits whilst challenging others to take an active part in developing knowledge, ideas and work practice. To challenge tradition and take risks accepting responsibility for any arising problems and tensions and using these to inform future practice. To recognise, communicate the achievements of the team and the individuals within the team. Ensure the focus of midwifery care reflects the Trusts philosophy and agreed policies and protocols.

Planning and Organising:

To prioritise the care pathways identified for clients and positively influence the assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of midwifery care. To monitor progress of work recognising changing priorities and implement corrective actions within own limits and informing the relevant people. Ensure own data and audit collection is maintained and submitted as required.

Responsibilities for Human Resources:

a) Personal and people development To assess, identify and evaluate own knowledge and practice needs in relation to knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of the role. To understand own role and scope, identify own development needs and take responsibility for own continuing professional development and performance whilst maintaining a personal development plan/ portfolio in accordance with registration requirements. To make effective use of appropriate learning opportunities for self and applying learning to practice and any future developments. Utilise opportunities with a PMA to reflect and self-development. To undertake mandatory training updates annually and other relevant courses in line with Trust and local policies. To act as a role model and support professional development of all students and junior staff. To act as a mentor and assessor to assigned learners and to teach and support them through their competency assessments as required. b) Management of people Participate in regular team/ project meetings that are facilitated in an open and honest manner. Communicate clearly with team members and contribute to the planning and organisation of work. To identify and report poor performance issues. To alert senior managers to resource issues which affect learning development and performance. To diffuse challenging behaviour, ensuring that the situation is managed in a sensitive way. Deal personally with women/birthing people and their families in order to aid resolution of complaints. Report all incidents, complaints, and accidents appropriately and assist in their investigation and resolution. Demonstrate interpersonal skills, reflecting an understanding of the need to communicate effectively with women/birthing people, colleagues and other professionals.

Responsibilities for physical and financial resources:

To ensure efficient and effective use of material resources/ supplies within the unit. Store resources/ supplies according to the requirements and specifications of the clinical environment. To ensure patients valuables and belongings are documented and managed according to Trust policy. Ensure equipment is maintained and available.

Partnership working/ service development

To adhere to trust policies and procedures relating to own workplace to contribute to service development. To evaluate current policies and procedures in relation to the care of woman/birthing people who are vulnerable. To identify outcomes of evaluation and offer constructive views on how the service should change as a result. Promote the profession of midwifery and ensure midwifery care is evidence based and in line with best practice. Embrace the public health agenda and support the delivery of local plans. To implement and propose changes to policies/ practices in own area. To evaluate with others the effectiveness of any changes and how these have improved services. Implement Clinical Governance initiatives by acting as a change agent and taking a proactive role in service development.

Analysis and Data Management:

Ensure the processes are in place to identify, collect and evaluate information in order to support clinical decision- making. To identify, analyse and interpret facts and information to support the management of women/birthing people throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. To utilise the appropriate judgemental skills when assessing and advising mothers/birthing persons and their relatives in crisis situations. To undertake data collection and submission effectively using the agreed systems.

Research, Development and Audit:

Quality

To act as a role model by ensuring own actions promote quality and identify and manage any risks. To contribute to setting and maintaining optimal standards of care in the team. To keep up to date and act consistently with quality standards and guidelines within own clinical area and associated areas. To have an understanding of the quality agenda and how standards of care can be maintained. To evaluate the quality of own.

Audit:

To participate in audit/benchmarking within the clinical area supporting the introduction of change in practice if indicated.

Freedom to Act:

Accountable for own professional actions undertaking all duties having regard to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct for the nurse, midwife and health visitor and their professional contribution to Clinical Governance. Not directly supervised. Is guided by trust protocols and codes of conduct. Be aware of Trust Fire Regulations, cardiac arrest and major accident procedures. Adhere to Trust grievance and disciplinary procedures. Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Midwife (NMC) 997 or equivalent Evidence of professional development towards degree/diploma level

Desirable

Experience multi agency working Evidence of further training/study in mental health and/ orsafeguarding Children / Evidence of recent professional development Evidence of broad understanding of mental health and/ or safeguarding relative to maternity services

Experience

Essential

NLS Adult Resuscitation Experience as practicing midwife for 2 years. Evidence of effective multi-disciplinary working

Desirable

Evidence of multi-agency working Aware of current issues and recent strategies and documents relating to Perinatal Mental Health care

Knowledge

Essential

Working knowledge of the Public Health role of the midwife including: Child Protection, Domestic Violence, Substance Misuse and Mental Health Understanding of clinical governance Demonstrate effective time management skills. Facilitation and mentoring skills Computer literate Understanding the need of confidentiality at all times

Communication

Essential

Excellent verbal and written skills. Ability to communicate with all team members/staff/families Ability to communicate at all levels within the profession and other professions on a range of complex and sensitive issues requiring empathetic and persuasive skills

Desirable

Experience of facilitating antenatal education sessions

Personal Skills

Essential

Organisational skills and the ability to work effectively within a management structure Car driver or able to get to off site for meetings and clinical care where necessary. Ability to work on own initiative and engage with non-health agencies Act as a role model for staff Resilliance

Desirable

Desire to pursue professional development

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