Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Result Areas:

Quality

To provide clinical leadership, giving advice and support to staff as required and acting as patients’ advocate at all times.

To monitor and evaluate clinical standards within the department ensuring that clinical practices are evidence based and benchmarked against best practice locally, regionally and nationally.

To undertake and oversee Datix reports in your department, demonstrating what lessons have been learnt through quality improvements made.

To ensure multi-disciplinary clinical audit is embedded at ward level, ensuring that patient care reflects the Trust’s quality strategy, and that it meets clinical governance standards.

To ensure that all care programmes are accurately documented and that the standard of record keeping reflects the NMC and Trust guidelines for records and record keeping.

To work with staff to resolve problems for patients and their relatives and facilitate prompt remedial action where this is required ensuring staff develops the required skills to manage complaints.

To liaise with the Head of Midwifery and department operational managers to ensure lessons learnt from complaints and feedback inform relevant governance processes

Management

Ensure Labour Ward Co-ordinators have adequate support to enable them to focus on their core responsibilities.

To monitor midwifery staffing levels and discuss the impact that exceptions may have on the delivery of safe care with the Deputy / Head of Midwifery

To investigate and take corrective actions following untoward incidents, accidents and complaints, in accordance with Trust policies and procedures and in collaboration with the Trust Governance Lead, and where applicable the client.

To ensure the department’s responsibility with regards to the Trust’s Being Open and Duty of Candour Policy are met, and leading on the Duty of Candour Communication as appropriate.

To ensure a debrief session and appropriate support is arranged for staff following any serious incident.

To ensure that all staff adheres to Trust policies and procedures at all times. This includes staff compliance of all health and safety policies and the Data Protection Act 1974, which relates to electronically stored personal data.

To participate in disciplinary cases with the Deputy / Head of Midwifery, investigating issues/concerns and taking actions as necessary.

To develop good working relationships with other ward / departments / agencies within and outside the Trust, ensuring that all stakeholders understand, respect and recognise the Trusts philosophy and operational policies.

To provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence in the maternity unit to whom patients and their families can turn to for assistance, advice and support.

Participate in the corporate development of patient care, working with the Head of Midwifery to produce lasting and positive change.

To participate in reviewing, developing and supporting the workforce through the appraisal system.

To participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff.

Research and Service Development

To participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of the maternity unit’s strategic and business plan.

To understand new health care related developments ensuring that midwifery practice is evidence based, cost effective and regularly benchmarked against best practice.

To understand all national initiatives and assist in the implementation in order to influence patient care and service delivery.

To be aware of and support local research projects as applicable
Corporate Governance / Risk Management

To develop, implement and monitor systems to manage risk in the clinical area which will include the collection and analysis of statistical data.

To receive incident report forms and initiate the investigation into each incident in line with the Trust’s Incident Management Policy, using root cause analysis techniques where applicable.

To ensure the Head of Midwifery and the Trust Patient Safety Manager are informed of all serious incidents which require investigation in line with Trust policy and report these using the systems in place.

To assist the Head of Midwifery in undertaking appropriate investigations of serious incidents and developing action plans where appropriate to support changes in practice

To ensure lessons learned from incidents and complaints, and examples of best practice are shared widely.

To ensure the departmental training needs are met thus ensuring compliance with national and local standards.

To ensure that risk management and governance processes are embedded in the department culture.

To maintain service delivery and quality standards, whilst ensuring that equipment in service and staff practice comply with health and safety standards at all times.

To review Confidential Enquiry Reports and other National guidance and ensure recommendations are integrated into department policies and guidelines.

To participate in the development of policies and guidelines within the Women’s and Children’s services.