Continuity Midwife

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our maternity services workingin a continuity of carer team. If you have a passion for providing womencentred care, following a woman's journey through pregnancy, labour and thepostnatal period then continuity will provide you with the room to provideholistic and flexible care.

We are committed to the national maternity agenda and also have an impressive home birth record.

Please join our forward thinking continuity midwifery teams,previous community experience not essential. We will support your needs whentransferring to this model of care.

Main duties of the job

When working in one of our established teams, you wouldhave time where you can see the antenatal and postnatal patients under yourcare, and other times where you will be available to care for women in labour both in hospital and at home. You and your team write your own rota, decide on annual leave and support eachother in weekly team meetings. This allows you to gain transferrable skillssuch as time management, managing your own caseload and team working.

You will have the opportunity to work independently yet be part of a small integrated team of midwives who are geographically based across our county. When thinking of joining a continuity team, we would consider your preference about where would work for you to work depending on where you live.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

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 nearly 6,800 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 to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients Best use of resources Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

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 description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To assess and provide the full range of care needs to develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care throughout the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal period for women and their babies. 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.

Key Duties:

Patient Care:

To assess, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care. To be responsible for the organisation of midwifery care for the patients assigned to you. Utilise the full skills of a midwife practitioner (both integral and extended) to a named caseload of women. To discuss with the Team Leader development and changes both midwifery and medical, which affect patients directly and indirectly. Provide care to bereaved patients and their relatives, breaking bad news and supporting other staff undergoing this process. 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. To report any accidents/incidents to the Team Leader and submit an incident report. 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 stands of care are maintained and, where necessary, instigate changes in agreement with the Team, Team Leader and Project Leads. To be fully conversant in dealing with complex midwifery problems such as child protection issues. Education & 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 supervision to student midwives. To promote the role of the PMA as key to staff health and wellbeing. 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 team leader. To organise and provide training programmes in accordance with the identified needs of the service. To participate in further post-registration training, as evidenced by developments in practice.

Management:

To autonomously manage a caseload, making decisions and acting on care needs as they arise. To participate in the co-ordinating and allocating of work to staff. To inform and discuss with the Team Leader/Project Lead MWs any problems regarding management and/or care of the women. Maintain the custody of controlled drugs according to statutory procedure, ordering replacements, checking and administering all drugs according to the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. To participate in audit programmes. To take all measures to ensure safety and report all accidents/incidents to the Team Leader/Project Lead MWs 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. 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 and Midwives Rules. Be responsible for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous midwifery records, written and electronic in accordance with Midwives Rules (1998) Rule 42. 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 be part of an on call rota for homebirths and the provision of intrapartum care in the Maternity Unit. 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 Midwives Rules and Codes of Practice and all other relevant RCM/NMC andTrust 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 RCM/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 Team Leader/Project Leads in monitoring staff performance. Participate in staff appraisal and the investigation of complaints and incidents. To assist the Team Leader/Project Leads in the maintenance of day to day discipline within the ward/department area. To inform the Team Leader/Project Leads of staff failing to meet the required standard of performance. To counsel staff in relation to personnel and professional matters Person Specification

Job Requirements

Essential

Adaptable and flexible Friendly and approachable Ability to cope with stress Ability to support staff Team Worker Analytical Professional attitude Current NMC registration Ability to travel between sites/car driver Able to demonstrate knowledge of issues from the NHS, eg NICE, Clinical Governance, Informed choice, health targets Willing to undertake further training relevant to post Knowledge of current research in midwifery Ability to participate in on-call rota

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Midwife Evidence of further professional development.

Desirable

Evidence of advanced midwifery studies. Mentorship training NIPE

Experience

Essential

Proven experience in all areas of midwifery Evidence of continuous professional development Demonstrate evidence based practice Ability to formulate, review and update guidelines, protocols and standards Leadership skills Computer literate Excellent communication skills Ability to make informed decisions Time management skills Ability to prioritise workload Ability to suture Computer literate

Desirable

Management skills Previous experience of working within community. Previous experience of working in Continuity of Carer model Knowledge of computerised maternity systems

---