Job summary
This is an exciting and developing leadership role within Musgrove Park Hospital's maternity service, created to strengthen patient flow, improve staffing safety and enhance day to day operational oversight across all maternity inpatient areas. As part of the established Band 7 leadership team, the post holder will play a key role in ensuring safe, effective and compassionate care for women, birthing people and their families.
Working closely with midwifery matrons, senior coordinators and the wider multi disciplinary team, you will help maintain a well organised, responsive maternity unit that prioritises personalised care and high clinical standards. You will provide visible leadership across the inpatient areas, support staff during busy and complex clinical activity, and help ensure that the service runs safely and efficiently at all times.
This role is ideally suited to an experienced midwife with strong clinical skills, a calm and confident leadership style, and a passion for supporting high quality maternity care in a dynamic and evolving environment.
Main duties of the job
- Provide daytoday operational oversight across maternity inpatient areas, maintaining visibility and accessibility for staff, women and families.
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills when working with colleagues, service users and external agencies.
- Function as part of the Band 7 coordinator team to maintain a safe and efficient clinical environment, supporting complex care planning.
- Offer initial postincident support to staff and uphold patient safety processes.
- Maintain clinical competence, assisting during obstetric emergencies and supporting junior staff with clinical interventions.
- Communicate sensitive information compassionately, including in highly emotional or distressing situations.
- Participate in maternity and neonatal audits, contribute to action plans and promote evidence based, personalised care.
- Monitor staffing levels, support roster management and escalate concerns where necessary.
- Assist in the management of staff development, wellbeing, sickness and performance.
- Contribute to service development through meetings, training participation and involvement in the maternity on call rota.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Midwifery Clinical Leader / Labour Ward Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring that maternity inpatient services remain safe, responsive and well organised. Working clinically as part of the team, you will act as a role model and provide expert midwifery knowledge to support colleagues across all areas of the maternity service.
You will be responsible for recognising risk, escalating concerns appropriately and supporting the delivery of high quality care. This includes involvement in auditing essential safety and quality indicators such as documentation standards, infection prevention, patient experience and incident reporting.
A core part of the role involves supporting the coordination and deployment of staff, ensuring adequate skill mix and the effective use of workforce resources. You will assist with supervising registered midwives, support workers and students, ensuring they receive appropriate guidance, reflective support and opportunities for professional development.
You will contribute to wider service improvement by working alongside matrons and senior leaders to implement action plans, support compliance with national standards and uphold Trust policies. The role also requires flexible, proactive involvement in service management tasks such as sickness management, staff appraisals, performance discussions, and supporting the oncall rota.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced midwife ready to progress into a leadership role, supporting a maternity service committed to delivering safe, personalised and compassionate care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Midwifery Clinical Leader / Labour Ward Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring that maternity inpatient services remain safe, responsive and well organised. Working clinically as part of the team, you will act as a role model and provide expert midwifery knowledge to support colleagues across all areas of the maternity service.
You will be responsible for recognising risk, escalating concerns appropriately and supporting the delivery of high quality care. This includes involvement in auditing essential safety and quality indicators such as documentation standards, infection prevention, patient experience and incident reporting.
A core part of the role involves supporting the coordination and deployment of staff, ensuring adequate skill mix and the effective use of workforce resources. You will assist with supervising registered midwives, support workers and students, ensuring they receive appropriate guidance, reflective support and opportunities for professional development.
You will contribute to wider service improvement by working alongside matrons and senior leaders to implement action plans, support compliance with national standards and uphold Trust policies. The role also requires flexible, proactive involvement in service management tasks such as sickness management, staff appraisals, performance discussions, and supporting the oncall rota.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced midwife ready to progress into a leadership role, supporting a maternity service committed to delivering safe, personalised and compassionate care.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NMC midwifery registrationTraining in PSIRF and human factorsEvidence of ongoing continued professional developmentMentorship qualification / ENB 997 (or equivalent).
Desirable
- Neonatal Life SupportEvidence of Leadership course/management training
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience in a band 6 role in a similar settingExperience of working in partnership with healthcare organisations
Additional Criteria
Essential
- In depth knowledge of maternity servicesKnowledge on national patient safety initiativesUnderstanding and experience of regulatory (MIS, CQC) maternity standards
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NMC midwifery registrationTraining in PSIRF and human factorsEvidence of ongoing continued professional developmentMentorship qualification / ENB 997 (or equivalent).
Desirable
- Neonatal Life SupportEvidence of Leadership course/management training
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience in a band 6 role in a similar settingExperience of working in partnership with healthcare organisations
Additional Criteria
Essential
- In depth knowledge of maternity servicesKnowledge on national patient safety initiativesUnderstanding and experience of regulatory (MIS, CQC) maternity standards
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
