Job summary
Are you a band 6 midwife passionate about providing both continuity and a homebirth service? If youare interested, we need your input now to continue to develop a model that works for women and works for midwives.
At Lewisham and Greenwich Trust, we currently offer Homebirths to women living in the Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley Borough. Currently home births account for around 2-3% of births at Lewisham and Greenwich and we are looking for motivated, enthusiastic midwives to join our team and promote and develop our homebirth service in conjunction with clients to get them the birth they desire. At our Trust we provide care to a diverse population and are committed to offering choice and improving clinical outcomes as well as a better birth experience.
You will be part of a small team of midwives, where you be working within the continuity area, caring for women who have been identified as having specific needs who would benefit from continuity of care and are planning a homebirth
A Cochrane review shows that women who receive continuity of midwifery care provided through team or caseload midwifery models have better outcomes than women who receive standard care, along with improved experience, in both low and mixed risk populations, Sandall, J., et al. "Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women." (2013).
Main duties of the job
You will be part of a dedicated team of midwives caring for and being on call for women who are planning a homebirth.
The post holder will be required to provide the full remit of midwifery care, supporting women requesting a home birth within the 3 boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley, whilst maintaining skills in all aspects of midwifery care.
You will be involved in the teaching and supervision of student midwives, student nurses and medical students as required.
The post holder may be designated to take charge of the team in the absence of the person who has continuing responsibility.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is responsible for the assessment development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, both for specific groups of clients as the named care provider and in supporting the care of all clients on the ward / unit. As a qualified midwife the post holder will be required to provide the necessary supervision, care and advice to women/birthing people during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries under their own responsibility and care for the newborn. They should have a sound knowledge in all areas of midwifery care, which facilitates clinical practice development.
They will be required to participate in their continuing professional development and other development activities and have completed a preceptorship programme.
If working in the hospital, the post requires effective communication and an ability to provide support for the shift co-ordinator to ensure the effective running of the ward/unit in their absence.
The post holder will also provide daily clinical and managerial leadership to midwifery and support staff in the delivery of evidence based client centred care.
The teaching and supervision of student midwives, student nurses and medical students are included.
If the post holder is community based, they are expected to work in the community/ birth centre setting but can be asked to rotate between all clinical areas to cover service needs and demands at times of escalation.
The post holder will be expected to work in the hospital or community environment covering all shifts and on call commitments (Community) as required by the service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is responsible for the assessment development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, both for specific groups of clients as the named care provider and in supporting the care of all clients on the ward / unit. As a qualified midwife the post holder will be required to provide the necessary supervision, care and advice to women/birthing people during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct deliveries under their own responsibility and care for the newborn. They should have a sound knowledge in all areas of midwifery care, which facilitates clinical practice development.
They will be required to participate in their continuing professional development and other development activities and have completed a preceptorship programme.
If working in the hospital, the post requires effective communication and an ability to provide support for the shift co-ordinator to ensure the effective running of the ward/unit in their absence.
The post holder will also provide daily clinical and managerial leadership to midwifery and support staff in the delivery of evidence based client centred care.
The teaching and supervision of student midwives, student nurses and medical students are included.
If the post holder is community based, they are expected to work in the community/ birth centre setting but can be asked to rotate between all clinical areas to cover service needs and demands at times of escalation.
The post holder will be expected to work in the hospital or community environment covering all shifts and on call commitments (Community) as required by the service.
Person Specification
Qualification & Training
Essential
- Registered Midwife
- Practice Assessor / commitment to complete
Desirable
Experience, Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Ability to assess and plan care for women/birthing people in all aspects of midwifery care.
- Understands the needs of postnatal women/birthing people
- Knowledge of how to access emergency services in both hospital and community setting
- Can interpret CTGs and identify features which deviate from accepted parameters of normality
- Experienced in resuscitation of the newborn
- Experience in caring of women/birthing people in low risk setting including home births and waterbirths.
- Computer literacy
- Able to deliver a high standard of evidence based individual client care
- Effective communicator with good leadership and interpersonal skills
- Evidence of ability to take charge in the absence of their direct line manager
- Demonstrate midwifery skills underpinned by current evidence oTo include suturing, venepuncture and cannulation or operineal repair/ commitment to achieve competence within 12 months of appointment
- Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of audit and policy
- Demonstrate competence in the promotion of infant feeding using experience based practice
Desirable
- Examination of the newborn
- Is competent in delivering antenatal parent education session/committed to achieve competence within 12 months of appointment
Person Specification
Qualification & Training
Essential
- Registered Midwife
- Practice Assessor / commitment to complete
Desirable
Experience, Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Ability to assess and plan care for women/birthing people in all aspects of midwifery care.
- Understands the needs of postnatal women/birthing people
- Knowledge of how to access emergency services in both hospital and community setting
- Can interpret CTGs and identify features which deviate from accepted parameters of normality
- Experienced in resuscitation of the newborn
- Experience in caring of women/birthing people in low risk setting including home births and waterbirths.
- Computer literacy
- Able to deliver a high standard of evidence based individual client care
- Effective communicator with good leadership and interpersonal skills
- Evidence of ability to take charge in the absence of their direct line manager
- Demonstrate midwifery skills underpinned by current evidence oTo include suturing, venepuncture and cannulation or operineal repair/ commitment to achieve competence within 12 months of appointment
- Demonstrate an awareness of the importance of audit and policy
- Demonstrate competence in the promotion of infant feeding using experience based practice
Desirable
- Examination of the newborn
- Is competent in delivering antenatal parent education session/committed to achieve competence within 12 months of appointment
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).
