Head of Midwifery NHS AfC: Band 8c

Job overview

The post holder will play a key role in providing strategic direction for the Maternity Services ensuring the provision of an effective and robust Midwifery Service. They will have overall professional leadership and management responsibility for all midwifery staff (registered and health care support workers), having a particular focus within the Acute and Community Services working in partnership with the Cheshire and Merseyside maternity and children vanguard, ICS and Commissioners incorporating strategic influence, service modernisation, workforce planning and development, working closely with senior clinical, managerial and local authority colleagues, patient and public partners and other key stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

Due to career progression an opportunity has arisen for a Head of Midwifery. You will be joining an enthusiastic and driven team with a clear vision for the Trust’s future with the foundations firmly in place. We are looking for an experienced and inspirational senior midwife who is looking to develop his/her career as a senior clinical leader. You will be able to demonstrate a recent track record of achievement in leading and developing innovative midwifery practice in an acute and community environment, improving quality as well as possessing a working knowledge of regulation, accreditation and governance.

You will be expected to embed our Midwifery Strategy and contribute to the Trusts Clinical & Quality Strategy which focuses on quality, patient safety, patient experience and outcomes.

Assessment Centre will be held on 14th July 2021.

Working for our organisation

St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the BEST acute Trusts in England for the THIRD year running!

The Trust is currently the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and is one of few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 350,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales and Isle of Man. We are also a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our ’5 Star Patient Care’ strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be responsible for providing professional advice and leadership in conjunction with the Clinical Director, Assistant Director of Operations and Director of Nursing Midwifery and Governance on all midwifery and maternity issues. They will be required to inform the Directorate and the Trust Board on the political issues within maternity care and the impact on this on service delivery workforce requirements and workforce development.

The Head of Midwifery will have wide-ranging relationships with Executive, Clinical and non-clinical staff through the Directorate. Within the Directorate, the Head of Midwifery will form effective working arrangements with Director, Clinical Directors, General and Service Managers, Support Services, Finance and Human Resource Staff.

There will, additionally, be a requirement to maintain effective extensive communications with Academic Universities, Local Health Council representatives and commissioners in relation to patient, clinical and quality care and professional issues.

KEY DUTIES

• Lead the development of midwifery practice and services by providing expert strategic and clinical leadership.
• Develop the strategy for midwifery services, setting standards and guidelines for midwifery practice, in keeping with NMC and national policy documents and guidance and leading the continuing research and clinical development agenda for maternity services.
• Represent midwifery at a local, regional and strategic level, and a play a key role in the integration of maternity service provision across Trust lead services. This will ensure the best possible woman & family experience is delivered through high quality, person centred clinical practice and service delivery, interfacing with other staff to implement change and to support the full integration of midwifery within multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams.
• Contribute to developing the strategic direction of nursing and midwifery and ensure that the national and local nursing and midwifery agenda, policy and initiatives are delivered.
• Ensure robust systems of clinical and professional governance, practice and professional development are in place and develop accountability and assurance frameworks to secure high quality and sustainable services to patients.
• Lead and manage efficient, professional and comprehensive complaints and legal services, working with the teams to set the standards and drive improvements across the Trust.
• Act as the Professional Head of Midwifery for the Directorate and be responsible for the Development implementation of all Midwifery Plans and Strategies.
• Inform the Directorate and Trust Board on the political issues within maternity care and the impact on this on service delivery workforce requirements and workforce development.
• To undertake the role of the “Designated Clinical Lead for Antenatal and Newborn Screening Programme” NHS England.
• Encourage, advise on and facilitate the introduction of new initiatives in practice to ensure improvements in nursing and midwifery care for women, families and babies.
• Lead the planning and development of midwifery services to ensure that they are best provided to meet the developing needs of the service and the population.
• Significantly contribute to the Directorate’s Clinical Governance agenda.
• Lead on risk management, assurance and monitoring of governance standards ensuring concerns are raised via appropriate escalation processes.
• Ensure that hands on care delivery clinical sessions are undertaken as per corporate objective for senior nurses.
• Establish the strategies and policies for maternity services ensuring the highest standards of performance are established and implemented and key performance indicators achieved
• Review all service activity and direct and manage the way enquiries are dealt with in line with the standards expected.
• Oversee the facilitation of local resolution meetings, supporting staff through the process.
• Ensure escalation processes are in place and clearly understood so that timely resolutions can be achieved.
• Work with the Heads of Quality and Care Groups to ensure Trust-wide learning from claims and complaints to similar themes from incidents to ensure a comprehensive approach to lessons learnt.
• Deputise for Director of Nursing and midwifery were required as the lead for Maternity Services.
• Meet regularly with the Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Governance and Assistant Director of Operations (Surgical Care Group) to ensure they are appraised of performance indicators and were there may be any potential challenges to achieving targets such as local CQUIN objectives.
• Benchmark practice against other comparative Trusts and produce actions plans to ensure best practice and adherence to national standards.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To work with the LSA to ensure that standards for statutory supervision of midwives are met within the area.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain effective systems to ensure accurate records of all incidents claims and complaints received and information is triangulated to ensure lessons are learnt and cascaded.
• Ensure that the systems and processes in place for responding to national Guidance and recommendations from maternity service reviews.
• Ensure the policies are reviewed regularly and are up-to-date, reflecting best practice and national regulations.
• Provide internal and external reports and returns, including annual report, relevant information for Care Group Governance meetings, Patient Experience Council, Risk Management Council, Workforce Council, Quality Committee, Trust Board and the Annual Quality Account.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure the Board, senior managers and staff are aware of forthcoming legislative changes, advising on appropriate action and ensure that the Trust has action plans in place to maintain on-going compliance.
• Ensure that appropriate training is developed and delivered to meet the needs of all relevant staff groups, including the coronal/police process, management and handling of claims and complaints, how to conduct an investigation and respond effectively to external legal requests, complainants, ensuring up-to-date knowledge of the NHS Complaints Procedure and NHS Litigation claims handling.
• Support the development of relevant and/or bespoke training identified following specific claims or complaints.
• Maintain own knowledge and subject expertise.
• Act as an exemplary professional role model and advisor on Midwifery Practice within the acute care setting.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide service focused leadership and strategic direction, in partnership with Assistant Director of Operations -Surgical care group and Senior Management team colleagues, in the delivery of continuous improvement in the clinical performance of the Maternity Services with a specific focus on:
• Ensure high quality of clinical care, continuous improvement of clinical practice and positive patient experience maintaining a quality safe, effective Maternity Service, patient safety and the protection of vulnerable adults and children
• Embed cultural changes where required in clinical and personal practice.
• Contribute to the corporate nursing Leadership/management and will assist the Director of Nursing & Quality in the achievement of the acute corporate nursing and CQUIN objectives.
• Provide expert an advisory role within the directorate on all issues related to midwifery practice and government and professional policy that Impacts on midwifery practice in maternity services.
• Responsible for providing professional advice and leadership to all Midwives and Nurses within Maternity Services.
• Responsible for providing professional advice and leadership in conjunction with the Clinical Director and Director of Nursing on all midwifery and maternity issues.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Budget holder for the service budgets.
• Input into any tenders that involve maternity services reviews as required.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• The post holder must ensure adequate systems are in place for audit , clinical / non clinical risk management and complaints
• Observe the provisions of and adhere to all Trust policies and procedures.