South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust

Maternity Lead for Hospital Services

The closing date is 10 August 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has come up for 12 months post within the Senior Midwifery Team at SWFT. We are looking for a Maternity Lead for Hospital Services. They will be responsible for leading the inpatient services within maternity. The post-holder will ensure partnership working and the delivery of high quality midwifery care. They work closely with the MDT and also across organisational boundaries to ensure services are responsive to individual's needs and that national and local strategic objectives and met.

To be responsible specifically for the following inpatient services; Labour Ward, Antenatal/Postnatal Ward as well as Maternity Assessment Suite (Triage) and the infant feeding team.

The postholder will be responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective day-to-day running of the service, the management of designated staff and the delivery of key quality, and service improvements.

They will be required to support the Deputy and Associate Director of Midwifery in their strategic goals and deputise in their roles as required .

Main duties of the job

To support the Deputy Head of Midwifery (DHoM) and the Associate Director of Midwifery (ADoM) to lead the midwifery workforce to ensure partnership working and the delivery of women focussed high quality midwifery care; to work across organisational boundaries to ensure services are responsive, ensuring the delivery of national and local strategic and operational service objectives.

Responsible for the day-to-day management of the following staff groups; labour ward, maternity assessment suite and postnatal inpatient services.

To take appropriate and effective action where any principles of care or professionalism fall below agreed, acceptable standards.

To be responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective day-to-day running of the service, the management of designated staff and the delivery of key quality, and service improvements.

To support the DhoM and the ADoM in their strategic goals and to deputise for them as required.

About us

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Date posted

25 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

203-FH1083

Job locations

Warwick Hospital

Warwick

CV34 5BW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide strong leadership in the clinical areas supporting the Ward Managers / Service Leads in the management and further developments of inpatient services.

Able to lead change and initiative for service improvement.

Encouraging innovation and creativity with staff which leads to quality improvements

Giving expert, professional advice, guidance and support to staff and service users.

To maintain Clinical Skills, assess patients, plan and implement care, carry out midwifery procedures using highly developed skills, both mental and physical and maintain records to a high standard.

A credible manager who is open and honest.

Has the ability to inspire and lead the teams and others to meet national and local requirements.

Be able to think critically and be visionary in approaches to midwifery care

Be analytical in thought and able to communicate to help solve problems in everyday maternity challenges

Have a wider knowledge of the NHS and the current local and national political agenda

To recognise own pressures and those of the team and ensure strategies are used to minimise work related stress.

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.

Measurable Result areas:

Leadership

Be a highly visible member of the Senior Leadership Team

Act as a champion for maternity and midwifery

Implementation and delivery of evidence based care within the areas of responsibility.

Ensure ward managers have adequate support to enable them to focus on their core responsibilities.

Management

To ensure staffing levels are optimum and monitor them.

To ensure the managers are actively managing staff absence.

To ensure effective utilisation of beds throughout the inpatient area

To work with the Senior Leadership Team in meeting its statutory requirements and clinical governance objectives by monitoring and reporting on the progress of achieving compliance i.e. risk management, infection prevention and control, Care Quality Commission standards and regulations, mandatory staff training.

To provide efficient and effective use of resources including budgetary control

To participate in the Maternity Managers on-call rota

Lead on complaints handling within the areas of responsibility and where requested attend complaint meetings

Ensuring a safe environment conducive to peak performance of all staf

Promoting best practice in health, safety and security

To encourage proactive risk assessments in all areas of responsibility and ensure risk assessments undertaken are acted upon appropriately and actions monitored

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.

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

To line manage the ward managers and labour ward coordinators

To chair maternity meetings and writing reports as required.

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

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

Strategic

To support the Directorate Management Team in facilitating change as detailed in the Trust and the Maternity Services objectives.

To be accessible to users of the service and be a representative for maternity services on the Maternity Partnership

Responsible for development, implementation and evaluation of projects to improve patient care and service development.

To participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of the maternity units business plan.

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

Governance and Quality

To have a full understanding of the statutory framework that governs midwifery practice and the ability to apply this to own practice.

Adhere to Trust procedures for managing incidents, working in close liaison with the Governance Midwife in developing action plans to address any risk issues and communicating any changes in practice to all staff. Investigates and prepares statements as requested to assist in investigations.

To participate in the delivery of the clinical governance and risk management agenda of the department and Trust.

To participate in multi-disciplinary clinical audit to ensure standards are continually reviewed and developed. Work in partnership with others to develop, take forward and evaluate direction, policies and strategies

To lead and participate in clinical incident reporting and facilitate changes to reduce risk.

To ensure all incident forms are investigated and managed appropriately

To lead and assist and support the continual review, development and improvement of maternity services through clinical audit.

To ensure the Departments responsibility with regards to the Trusts 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 lead and assist in the achievement and monitoring of regulations and standards as stated within Care Quality Commission and other national maternity reports and contribute to quarterly reports.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Maintains effective relationships with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to ensure continuity of patient care.

To work closely with the other matrons (Outpatient services, Workforce/Birth Centre and Neonatal) and Deputy Head of Midwifery ensuring a seamless service

Communicates effectively to patients and staff providing and receiving highly complex, sensitive or contentious information. Persuasive, motivational, training, negotiating, empathic and re-assurance skills are used and required.

To develop and maintain effective communication systems with all personnel internal and external to the Trust.

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