Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical 

Professionally attend/care for women during the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods. 

To maintain clinical competency as required

Support clinical and non-clinical staff in the implementation of guidelines and policies

Act as a role model for midwives by practising midwifery skills to the highest standard, whilst exercising a high degree of personal and professional autonomy

Appropriately communicate sensitive information to women, families and midwives

Promote women centred care and autonomous midwifery practice in all areas

Professional Midwifery Development

·   Develop and maintain midwifery knowledge and practice by attending and participating in CPD and influencing the development of others.

·       Influence and prioritise the development of knowledge, ideas and work practice in self and others and contribute to the development of services.

·       Maintain a clinical profile and facilitate application of theory to practice. Assess, identify and evaluate own knowledge and practice needs in relation to knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of the role.

·       Evaluate current policies and procedures and identify the impact they have within clinical environment and midwifery services.

·       Be accountable for own professional actions undertaking all duties having regard to the ‘NMC’ code of professional conduct for nurses and midwife and health visitor and their professional contribution to Governance.

·       Take an active role in the implementation of the emerging Nursing and Midwifery agenda. Embrace the public health agenda and support the delivery of local plans e.g. Infant Feeding, smoking cessation, teenage pregnancy, and midwifery led care.

·       Contribute to maintaining evidence-based quality standards and undertake data collection effectively using agreed systems.

·       Act as a role model by ensuring own actions promote quality and identify and manage risk.

·       Review changes in practice and measure the extent to which quality has been improved.

·       Support management team in audit/ benchmarking within the clinical area supporting the introduction of a change in practice if indicated.

Leadership

Work collaboratively with the Perinatal Services Governance Team.

·         Provide effective audit leadership by leading on the development, implementation and evaluation of standards of care, including guideline development, audit and quality improvement initiatives.

·        Contribute to service development using quality improvement methodology.

Inform the senior perinatal management team of any emerging safety or quality issues which may become evident.

Provide emergency cover and at short notice for unexpected absence / sickness across the maternity service and provide cross cover for the perinatal governance team

Ensure that the Trust’s behaviour standards are maintained

Represent the team at professional and academic forums as required and develop robust networks with the Trust /Divisional clinical audit leads.

Promote partnership working with other professionals, agencies, clinical services and users of the service.

·         Ensure the clinical audit cycle is completed by attending other perinatal meetings to action recommendations, co-ordinate audit projects required for PSIRF, CNST maternity incentive scheme, MBRRACE, NICE, Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and others.

·         Work collaboratively with clinical midwife leaders/managers, midwife practice and education leads and the perinatal governance team contributing to patient safety overall. 

Clinical Governance, Research and Audit 

Monitor and maintain quality standards relating to guidelines

Maintain the guideline and audit database ensuring that there are systems in place to ensure timely review and completion.

To ensure that there are robust systems in place to demonstrate compliance with national standards, guidance and policy.

Identify, collate, analyse and interpret quantitative data as part of the quarterly monitoring of auditable standards.

Provide regular reports as required for both internal and external governance reviews

Co-chair perinatal audit and leaning forums including preparing the agenda and necessary administrative support.

Ensure that key recommendations from risks incidents are effectively implemented through clinical guidelines development.

Support the PSIRF process within perinatal services, to undertake local audits and litmus tests as required.

Attend other meetings commensurate with role and responsibility.

Identify to the midwifery management team and obstetric clinical governance group local and national policies which influence or may impact on clinical services, contributing to the delivery of local and national policy initiatives.

In conjunction with the obstetric clinical audit lead co-ordinate the audit strategy for the obstetric directorate.

Lead on the midwifery element of audit activity within the perinatal directorate, supported by the governance / SBLCB lead band 7 midwife.

Work collaboratively with the trust audit department to ensure audit activity is registered and meets corporate requirements.

Ensure that practice is evidence based and that care is delivered in accordance with the trust’s policies/protocols, legal professional, national standards and other bodies.

Participate in the development of good client information ensuring compliance with the evidence base and the Trust information group not sure this group exists.

Attend and produce quarterly reports to the Perinatal Services Directorate QUAD which will inform an annual report of the audit activity within the directorate.

Ensure policy and audit informs the education programme within the Perinatal Services Directorate.  

Support research being undertaken within the maternity unit and working collaboratively with the research midwifery team.

General requirements.

Undertake any other duties requested as appropriate to the banding of the post.

Engender a culture of respectful relationships.

Conduct oneself in accordance with NMC Code and Trust policies.

Take responsibility for self-development through the appraisal system and complete agreed personal development plan