About this role
Job summary
The post holder will work in collaboration with an extensive multidisciplinary team within Maternity services, the Divisional Management and corporate team to provide professional Midwifery and Nursing leadership and support the Director of Midwifery with the strategic direction for the Midwifery & wider Women's Services.
They will work closely with the Clinical Director and Care Group Manager as part of the care group as well as in collaboration with the Divisional management team, leading on the design, development, and implementation of Maternity and other strategies
Main duties of the job
Purpose of the role:
To ensure safe and effective clinical practice.
Provide direct line management to band 8a and designated band 7 nursing and midwifery senior team.
Function as the visible designated clinical midwifery/nurse leader, set standards of care. and professionalism and promote teamwork within a multi-professional environment, demonstrating critical analysis and decision-making skills, operationally leading the delivery of a clinically excellent service, influencing & facilitating change within the service.
Design a model of integrated maternity services in line with local and national recommendations.
Harness a culture of excellence and drive in both performance and professionalism.
Ensure National and local quality and environmental standards are achieved in the Maternity & Gynaecology and Sexual Health service.
Ensure the maternity services are delivered within resources available, controlling and reviewing utilisation of the resources. Holding the managerial accountability for budgets delegated to other staff.
About us
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300, providing inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and the continued upgrading of existing areas ensures the Trust now has a state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit facilities.
A new Urgent Emergency Care Centre was opened in March 2023. The two-storey development has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity and has provided almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.
Job description Job responsibilities
Participate in Trust investigation of complaints and serious untoward incidents.
Actively contribute to the implementation of the healthcare governance agenda and ensure this is embedded into directorate business.
Support the development of a Maternity research strategy in line with national policy and drivers.
Support the Director of Midwifery to agree Maternity targets for the Trust and ensure Midwifery-led performance targets are achieved.
Act in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and ensure own and teams preparedness for revalidation.
Have operational responsibility and be accountable for the delivery of the Trust and Divisions performance objectives.
Assist in the development of the divisional annual business planning process as part of the Senior Divisional Management team.
Ensure effective infection prevention systems are implemented within maternity services including monitoring of infection prevention and control policies and practices within the Care Group and wider Division.
Promote a clean and safe environment for staff, patients, and visitors by ensuring compliance with legislation, policies and protocols including health and safety, healthcare associated infection prevention, clinical governance, including risk management and critical incident reporting and root cause analysis.
Function as a change agent, developing clinically effective practice through the effective utilisation and integration of evidence-based practice, setting, implementing, and monitoring evidence-based standards of care, policies, procedures, and protocols.
Ensure a culture of continuous quality improvement using research, audit, patient feedback, and reflection on practice by self and other members of the team.
Ensure a high standard of record keeping in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health and Care Professions Council, national legislation, and local standards.
Facilitate effective communication with the multi-professional team.
Assess the risks involved in the care of patients and ensure utilisation of practices and protocols to minimise those risks, including safe use of medical devices. To monitor the standards of care and take appropriate actions when standards fall below expected levels Ensure that the operational management and delivery of womens services is maintained to an excellent standard.
Managing a high quality, seamless midwifery services across the Trusts acute and community settings, providing strong operational and professional leadership.
Designing, implementing, and evaluating the Director of Midwiferys long-term strategic plan for Maternity, Gynaecology and Sexual Health services for the Trust in line with national policies.
Providing expert professional advice on Midwifery and Nursing issues
Delivering agreed corporate schemes.
Ensuring that a high-level performance is maintained within agreed parameters.
To enhance the patients experience
Ensure that there are robust mechanisms for inclusive service user feedback that in line with Trust Patient Experience vision and strategy.
Within sphere of care ensure effective and efficient patient journeys by planning, co-ordinating and monitoring the episodes of care including the smooth transition to other settings, promoting effective discharge and communication with interdisciplinary and interagency teams as required.
Co-ordinate nursing/midwifery interventions, influence clinical decisions and monitor the quality of patient care provided through using expert clinical knowledge relevant. to own field of practice, underpinned by theory and experience.
Within a multidisciplinary team environment, develop a culture of person-centred care.
Be highly visible within the services, communicating regularly with patients, relatives and/or carers; promoting a caring environment where equality and diversity issues are respected, and patients are enabled to be partners in their care.
Identify opportunities to develop care and services by ensuring that there are effective systems in place to ascertain patient and carer experience/feedback and ensure complaints are managed in line with organisational policy, including the dissemination of learning points.
Ensure that everyone within sphere of care is treated with dignity and humanity, understanding individual needs, showing compassion and sensitivity, and provide care in a way that respects all people equally.
Critically appraise and synthesise the outcomes of relevant research, evaluations and audits and apply the information when seeking to improve practice.
To assist in the design and implementation of safeguarding policies for Maternity Gynaecology and Sexual Health services in collaboration with the safeguarding lead.
To professionally manage and lead midwives and nurses
Provide Leadership to Nursing & Midwifery staff, influencing and motivating and redesigning seamless services to work across professional boundaries.
Develop a training plan for Nursing & Midwifery workforce services to inform commissioning and in house provision.
Ensure that mandatory training, specific Trust training and maternity specific training are maintained at the agreed target levels.
Provide professional leadership to the Matrons and Midwifery Managers who are responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the Maternity and Gynaecology and Sexual Health service and its associated staff and budget.
Professionally inform the direction of the Nursing & Midwifery team including the specialist practice for midwifery managers and specialist midwives
Undertake Annual performance development reviews for Matrons, Specialist Nurses & Midwives, ensuring each has clear service objectives and a personal development plan to optimise their potential and career progression.
Lead on Trust investigations, disciplinary hearings as required.
Ensure and monitor the provision of high standard of evidence-based Nursing & Midwifery care within the Trust which is efficient and effective.
Work with the Director of Midwifery the development of the future Professional agenda, informing the Nursing and Midwifery strategy.
Implement an effective recruitment and retention strategy with the Director of Midwifery which provides the right level of resource to support service requirements.
Function as a positive role model, creating a supportive ethos to empower staff to contribute to the delivery of excellent person-centred care.
Lead by example, develop self and other staff, and influence the way care is given in a manner that is open and responds to individual needs.
Create a learning environment that ensures effective learning opportunities for staff and students including appropriate orientation and induction programmes, a range of clinical support strategies (mentoring, coaching, clinical supervision, action learning and peer review). Plan, monitor and evaluate ongoing mandatory training and relevant education and development opportunities for the team.
To ensure continuous service improvement
Lead on innovative development of new roles and practice within the Maternity and Gynaecology and Sexual Health service.
Develop and implement transformational change in line with local and national policy which results in improved quality, experience, performance, and efficiency.
To ensure effective contribution to the delivery of the organisations objectives
To represent the Trust and work with partner organisations developing a partnership approach in the best interest of patient care. Function as an ambassador for the Trust and deputise for the Director of Midwifery as required.
Assist in the design of Trust strategies to ensure the professional view of Nursing and Midwifery is taken account of.
Work in partnership with a range of clinicians and managers in the planning or development of own service promoting the involvement of patients/public.
Seek opportunities for personal and team development supporting the research agenda of the organisation.
Develop and maintain a working knowledge of local, national, and professional strategy and policy, ensuring that organisational goals are reflected in personal objectives and in ward/department development plans.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Current Midwifery NMC Registration First degree Master's level qualification or equivalent experience in related subject or able to demonstrate ability to work at master's level. Management qualification or relevant management training Clinical expert in all areas of midwifery practice evidenced by CPD and demonstrated by increasing senior levels of experience within the midwifery and nursing profession.
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Demonstrated excellent leadership and engagement skills including the ability to inspire and innovate. Proven ability to lead, implement and maintain clinical improvement in front line teams and environments that deliver enhanced quality, safety and that involve women and families and services users. Creative and visionary approach to problem solving including the ability to motivate and negotiate effectively. Demonstrated experience of leading, managing and influencing different teams within very complex and sometimes conflicting clinical and operational situations. Proven ability to develop, conduct review and evaluate audit, write detailed reports and evidence-based documents. Experience in setting objectives and performance management and holding people to account. Demonstrated evidence of ability to be responsive and accountability for own actions and those of others including demonstrated resilience and commitment. Excellent understanding of regulatory requirements i.e., NMC,CNST and CQC. Significant understanding of adult and child safeguarding Demonstrable patient/user involvement or advocacy experience Substantial workforce planning experience Knowledge of current NHS policy and their implication for services Effectively manage performance within teams and individuals. Evidence of teaching and assessing for all aspects of midwifery practice Evidence of implementation of evidence based practice Ability to lead quality and audit for the governance agenda within the care group. Proven ability to represent the directorate at a senior level both external and within the trust. Demonstrates wide knowledge of the public health agenda. Have an expert knowledge and experience of the complexity of service delivery. Can act on own initiative. Ambition in expectations of self and colleagues in delivering high-quality care.
Desirable
Ability to utilise research and develop research aware culture. Evidence of publications and networking within the service
Competencies Essential
Computer literacy - leads the service in the delivery of information to the trust and external agencies. Excellent management of finance and large budgets. Able to work under pressure across competing priorities.
Skills and Aptitudes Essential
Excellent report writing skills. Ability to communicate empathetically with Patients, Relatives and or Carers when discussing/explaining clinical conditions and potentially distressing and sensitive information such as breaking bad news. Proven ability to be adaptable and responsive to changing needs Skilled in all areas of the maternity service as required. Ability to communicate with staff in respect of unwelcome news [poor performance, complaints, and incidents against them]. Presentation skills to small and large groups Excellent communicator with evidence of strong leadership and people skills. Excellent communication skills when delivering expert knowledge to both the multi-professional team and external liaison for the Trust. Communication Skills (Indication type of communication and audience. e.g., face-to-face with patients, presentations to colleagues, etc.) Demonstrated excellent communication and interpersonal skills, from presenting to a professional audience including board to communicating in a compassionate manner with family members. Excellent written and verbal skills Positive and enthusiastic Courteous and polite Honest and Trustworthy Ability to inspire and influence others. Excellent understanding of data collection/analysis, audit, and evaluation - uses of database Good understanding of standard keyboard skills and knowledge of several IT packages such as Word, Excel, and E-rostering etc. Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
Flexibility Essential
Flexible approach to work Some 'out of hours and weekend working to meet the needs of the service. Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
Other Essential
Deals regularly with adverse outcomes in unexpected situations having a flexible attitude towards 24-hour cover. Ability to debrief patients, relatives, carers, and staff during stressful and emotional times or following a serious incident Must participate in the WHT Trust and Maternity on call Rota Office working with regular exposure to clinical settings. Group Model Working and ability to drive independently across different sites.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Address Walsall Manor Hospital
Moat Road, Walsall
WS2 9PS
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)