Lead Bereavement Midwife

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Bereavement

The post holder will be required to:

Provide bereavement support and co-ordinate follow up for parents who have experienced pregnancy loss.

Manage, plan and co-ordinate care for all bereaved clients liaising with MDT, and other statutory/voluntary agencies.

Ensure the PMRT process is used to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care based on evidence based practice.

Liaising with the MDT and external agencies to ensure robust reviews of care in a timely manner, ensuring the MBRRACE/CNST standards are met.

Working with families to ensure that their voices are heard at each point in their care and the following review process.

Facilitate the development of all staff including junior medical staff and support workers providing training within specialist field.

Formulate and implement policies and procedures for the care of bereaved women within the maternity unit.

Liaise with MDT when questions/feedback/comments/complaints arise in connection with fetal loss.

Deal personally with women and their families in order to aid resolution of questions/feedback/comments/complaints that are within the midwife scope of practice to answer.

Lead in setting, monitoring and reviewing standards and procedures for bereavement support that are within the National Bereavement guideline framework.

Formulate and present reports to families based on the findings of PMRT, investigations and complaints.

Formulate and present reports to the service and through the investigation assurance pathway. Feeding into the LMNS.

Ensure learning from PMRT is identified and actioned as required. That all learning is shared and improvements monitored for effectiveness.

Ensure ongoing reporting is accurate and up to date maintaining clear records and communicating data locally, to the Trust and the LMNS.

To review and create actions plans from relevant national reports such as MBRRACE. Share findings from national reports and co-ordinate action plans.

Liaise and work with external agencies such as charities to ensure a full range of services and support for bereaved families.

Work with CDOP to ensure clear pathways of reporting and supporting CDRMs.

Screening

The post holder will be required to:

To support the provision of care of all recommended antenatal screening and Newborn screening tests as specified within the National Screening Committee Standards for Antenatal and Newborn Screening Programmes and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Antenatal Care Guidelines.

Counselling women and their partners concerning testing and high risk results

Giving personalised follow up care to women on an individual needs basis

Providing information for patients and ensure that literature is based on nationally accepted standards and that it is available in languages relevant to the locality

CLINICAL PRACTICE

Where appropriate, provide highly specialised care and advice to bereaved women and their families.

Working with the named Consultant at the follow up clinics for bereaved parents.

Assessment of women for their on-going emotional support and make the appropriate referrals.

Ensure the necessary paperwork is completed following delivery i.e. funeral arrangements, MBRACE, CMR, critical incident forms.

Maintains accurate records regarding perinatal loss within the department.

Co-ordinate the retrieval of pathological investigations, including post mortem reports, and ensures the results are available for the follow up appointments.

Provide specialist advice, training, supervision and support to students and junior medical staff about caring for bereaved women.

Maintains updating professional knowledge.

Effectively manage an unpredictable workload.

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP

To take the lead in planning care for women experiencing the loss for their babies.

To plan and co-ordinate multidisciplinary care in conjunction with other lead professionals.

To be responsible for planning, proposing and implementing policy related to this specialist area of practice.

To be a positive role model for junior staff and peers.

To lead the change management process where indicated using QI methodology.

To provide training and support all staff in professional growth.

To manage and resolve conflict.

Attending unit meetings, service level meetings, Trust and ICS meetings, making contributions towards professional, organisational and service progress.

To participate in the process for providing assurance in the form of audit, quarterly and annual reports to the maternity service governance and risk committees, with regarding to bereavement and screening provision and compliance with standards and where appropriate assist with the compilation of such reports.

Manage specialist staff within your remit including deputy and champions.

Working with LMNS and regional colleges participating in national steering groups.

ORGANISATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To develop advanced counselling skills.

Respond to incidents and complaints as they arise in line with Trust policy.

To work closely with local and national support groups ensuring that care is seamless and of high quality.

To organise, plan and facilitate perinatal mortality and morbidity meetings.

To undertake audit as required.

To undertake project management when required particularly around service developments.

To be involved with the annual Service of Bereavement.

Identify own development needs and actively work towards own professional development (IPR to support this).

Maintain professional portfolio.

Work as an independent practitioner within the multi-disciplinary team to promote the highest possible standards of care

To maintain clinical credibility and competence in midwifery care

To provide emergency cover and at short notice for unexpected absence/sickness across the maternity service.

Participate in a Midwifery on call rota.

COMMUNICATION

Maintain effective communication remaining polite and courteous in all situations.

Maintain confidentiality at all times.

Manage complaints in line with Trust policy.

Report clinical and non-clinical risk management issues in line with Trust policy and ensure appropriate feedback to staff.

Ensure effective communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Midwife with significant clinical experience
• Basic counselling training

Desirable

• Recognised Teaching and Assessor Qualification
• Undertaken a management course

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience supporting bereaved families
• Recent experience with bereavement care in Maternity
• Able to demonstrate continued CPD
• Evidence of management/ leadership skills and autonomous practice

Skills

Essential

• Effective communicator
• Leadership and motivation skills
• Computer literate
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Ability to supervise and demonstrate potential to lead
• Organisational and negotiation skills
• Comprehensive knowledge of national initiatives and drivers in maternity care

Desirable

• Knowledge of MBRRACE and PMRT
• Knowledge of bereavement and screening national pathways

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Personal and professional maturity
• Good time management and able to prioritise work load.
• Recognition of own limitations
• Demonstrates enthusiasm
• Adaptable and flexible to the needs of the service.

Other

Essential

• Ability to work both on own initiative and within a team
• Flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, bank holiday and on calls.
• Full driving licence
• Clinical ward-based work during times of peak activity

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).