We would like to invite you to join our highly motivated midwifery team where commitment to providing high quality, woman-centered care is our passion. We are particularly seeking applications from established band 6 Delivery Suite midwives, to join our core team who focus on enhanced maternal care on our high risk Delivery Suite.
Our unit provides three options for place of birth; the established co-located Serenity Birth Centre, home birth and the Delivery Suite. This ensures that all women have access to the optimal birth environment in accordance with their choice and in line with evidence based practice. Midwives are consequently supported and enabled to practice in the optimal environments for all elements of midwifery care for all women (and their families) to enjoy a normal birth experience.
We are therefore inviting self-motivated, dynamic, professional midwives with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to join our proactive, professional maternity team.
Main duties of the job
Newly qualified midwives and those midwives currently undertaking their preceptorship period are invited to apply for the Band 5 posts. Experienced Band 6 midwives are invited to apply for the core Delivery Suite team band 6 posts.
All posts will include shift working (including night duty) and internal rotation. The successful applicants will receive a comprehensive orientation programme and are assured that they will receive appropriate ongoing support and professional development.
About us
Sandwell and West Birmingham maternity services provide care and support for around 6,000 women and babies per annum. We are privileged to care for the diverse population, ensuring individualised care is provided to all women and their families at this important time in their lives. Our service is defined by the needs of the population, providing opportunity for midwives to gain experience and knowledge in all elements of maternity care.
This is an exciting time for the Trust as building work is now under way for the brand new build Midland Metropolitan Hospital. This will include a purpose built maternity inpatient unit to include co-located midwife led unit. .
We are forward thinking with motivated staff who strive to improve the quality of the service that we offer to our women, their babies and their families. We have full Baby Friendly accreditation, CQC rating of good and provide professional development opportunities for all levels of staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Act as the professional lead for low risk women, promoting the normal birthing process
Work in partnership with other professional colleagues to care for women with complex needs
To maintain a professional, approachable disposition at all times with all members of staff, patients and their visitors
Deliver culturally competent midwifery care
Take and record histories of health, social and psychological factors, including full clinical assessments to determine individual health status
Work collaboratively with women, respecting their right to make informed decisions about their care, seeking informed consent prior to for example, procedures, treatment, screening.
Plan and deliver evidence based midwifery care in partnership with the women
To provide a support relationship, acting as an advocate for women and their families at all times
To competent after training and assessment to use medical devices necessary to deliver care, to monitor and make diagnosis, keeping local training registers updated
Monitor maternal and fetal well being in pregnancy
To monitor and maintain standards of care whilst providing ante natal and post natal care at venues for example, womens homes, health centre, family practitioner surgery, the hospital
To promote the uptake and provision of parent education to help parents to make and effective and confident transition to parenthood
Assess and make appropriate referral of women for specialist counselling and support as appropriate, for example fetal anomaly screening, bereavement, sexual health, vulnerable and disadvantaged women; young mothers, refugees, the homeless, those living wit domestic violent and those with psychological problems
To provide information and advice related to health education to improve health outcomes, for example counselling prior to and support after ante and post natal screening, smoking cessation, drug and alcohol abuse
Work in collaboration with the child protection team, identifying women and their families where there are concerns with child protection, domestic violence, substance abuse and special needs.
Participate in case conferences giving midwifery reports on care given to pregnant women and give feedback to the unit on the subsequent care plan made for the mother and baby.
To diagnose the onset of labour
To monitor the progress of labour and monitor maternal and fetal wellbeing for hospital and home births.
To promote and facilitate normality during labour and birth for low risk women in hospital and at home.
To manage high risk labours in partnership with obstetric and anaesthetic colleagues. Should a woman at high risk obstetric risk decline hospital care, to provide care in labour in her home, liaising with the Supervisor of Midwives.
To detect warning signs of abnormality in the mother and baby and make the necessary referral e.g. Doctor, senior midwife, social worker, health visitor.
Manage emergencies such as maternal and neonatal resuscitation, haemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, fetal malpresentation.
To assess, monitor and care for the woman and baby after birth.
To give support and manage pain effectively
Undertake episiotomies and perineal suturing as required.
To promote breast feeding, and give support to improve health outcomes in the short and long term for both mother and baby
To give support to all women irrespective of their choice of method of feeding
To provide care to bereaved patients and their relatives, breaking bad news and support other staff as necessary
Be responsible for transferring care of women and babies across primary and secondary care settings and across professions e.g. to midwife, health visitor, General Practitioner, obstetrician, Paediatrician
Participate in on call roster when working in the community
Assess individual postnatal care needs, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care for the woman and her baby
Participate in in-service training to maintain professional requirements and develop practice
Ensure that the giving and taking of reports is used to communicate with all members of the team, particularly in regards to changes in patients and their progress
Act as a mentor to learners during their allocation to the Midwifery Department and to be actively involved in the teaching of cadets, student nurses and unqualified staff.
