Job summary
We are seeking a compassionate and dedicated Bereavement Midwife to join our team at University College London Hospital. In this vital role, you will provide specialized care and support to families experiencing a pregnancy loss. Your expertise and empathy will guide them through their grief, ensuring they receive the emotional and practical support they need during this difficult time.
The aim of this role is to ensure a coordinated approach to providing seamless bereavement care and support to women and their families. They will provide individualised care to women and their families experiencing loss.
The post holder has continuing responsibility for the development and maintenance of the high-quality standards of care designed to address the complex issues surrounding pregnancy loss and to meet the special needs of those suffering bereavement. While delivering this service the post holder will work in partnership with team members to act as a resource both within and outside the organisation, strengthening link with health and social care provider.
As a Bereavement Midwife, you will have the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of those you support. We offer a supportive and inclusive work environment, ongoing professional development, and the chance to be part of a dedicated team that values compassion and excellence in care.
Main duties of the job
As a Bereavement Midwife, you will provide compassionate, individualized care and support to families experiencing pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or neonatal death, ensuring their emotional, psychological, and practical needs are met.
Part of this role will involve the development of a teaching package and supporting junior midwives and other health care professionals to make sure every staff member is familiarised with bereavement documentation and procedures needed to maintain the service sustainable across the 24h during the whole year.
You will support midwifery and multidisciplinary teams in delivering high-quality bereavement care by providing training and guidance on best practices.
Additionally, you will lead the development and implementation of bereavement pathways, policies, and guidelines, ensuring alignment with national standards such as the NHS Saving Babies' Lives Care Bundle, NICE guidance, and the National Bereavement Care Pathway.
Your role will also involve monitoring and evaluating bereavement care services through audits, feedback, and incident reviews to ensure continuous service improvement and compliance with regulatory standards.
Furthermore, you will collaborate with external agencies, charities like Sands and Tommy's, and support networks to enhance bereavement services and advocate for families' needs within the healthcare system.
The post holder will be expected to be able to work a flexibility of day shifts including on call weekends.
About us
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research. We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:
o University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing) o National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery o Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital o Eastman Dental Hospital o Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine o University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre o The Hospital for Tropical Diseases o University College Hospitals at Westmoreland Street
We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.
We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff** UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff** UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered midwife on part 10 of register
- Understand statutory requirement for midwives.
- Degree level study relevant to the post
Desirable
- Recognised leadership/leadership training
- Masters qualification in leadership or teaching or other relevant discipline, or equivalent demonstrable experience
Experience
Essential
- At least 2 years relevant clinical or management experience
- Excellent standards of clinical skills and a commitment to family centered care.
- Commitment to extend clinical skills.
- Ability to demonstrate awareness of research-based practice.
- Evidence of contributing to practice development and research in clinical area
- Ability to motivate and lead the staff team and maintain good working relationships.
- Ability to supervise junior staff and maintain high standards of care.
- Ability to prioritize own workload and that of others and ability to work on own initiative.
- Proven teaching ability and experience of being an effective preceptor / facilitator.
- Evidence of involvement with quality improvement in clinical area
- Demonstrates understanding and engagement with auditing and quality issues (e.g. benchmarking)
Desirable
- Proven managerial experience and ability in all areas of midwifery care.
- Experience of staff recruitment, development, and performance management
- Ability to develop mechanisms for financial control and economy
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Knowledge of issues surrounding bereavement care, including support of staff.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the scope of clinical governance issues.
- Key resource for communication with and dissemination of information from the multi-disciplinary team
- Evidence of good written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrates understanding of the importance of supportive team working.
- Demonstrates an understanding of highly emotional situation within the role and has strategies to cope with those and with stress / work pressures.
Values
Essential
- Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving
Communication
Essential
- Good Microsoft skills - including keyboard skills, excel skills, PowerPoint skills.
- Good skills in report writing, auditing and data collection.
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Evidence of professional development and relevant further study.
- Skills in training and supporting junior staff and colleagues.
Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties
Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:
Essential
- Being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
- Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
- Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
- Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.
Specific Requirements
Essential
- Ability to work weekdays/ Bereavement on call rota/ Specialist Midwife rota.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered midwife on part 10 of register
- Understand statutory requirement for midwives.
- Degree level study relevant to the post
Desirable
- Recognised leadership/leadership training
- Masters qualification in leadership or teaching or other relevant discipline, or equivalent demonstrable experience
Experience
Essential
- At least 2 years relevant clinical or management experience
- Excellent standards of clinical skills and a commitment to family centered care.
- Commitment to extend clinical skills.
- Ability to demonstrate awareness of research-based practice.
- Evidence of contributing to practice development and research in clinical area
- Ability to motivate and lead the staff team and maintain good working relationships.
- Ability to supervise junior staff and maintain high standards of care.
- Ability to prioritize own workload and that of others and ability to work on own initiative.
- Proven teaching ability and experience of being an effective preceptor / facilitator.
- Evidence of involvement with quality improvement in clinical area
- Demonstrates understanding and engagement with auditing and quality issues (e.g. benchmarking)
Desirable
- Proven managerial experience and ability in all areas of midwifery care.
- Experience of staff recruitment, development, and performance management
- Ability to develop mechanisms for financial control and economy
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Knowledge of issues surrounding bereavement care, including support of staff.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the scope of clinical governance issues.
- Key resource for communication with and dissemination of information from the multi-disciplinary team
- Evidence of good written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrates understanding of the importance of supportive team working.
- Demonstrates an understanding of highly emotional situation within the role and has strategies to cope with those and with stress / work pressures.
Values
Essential
- Demonstrate ability to meet Trust Values of safety, kindness, teamwork and improving
Communication
Essential
- Good Microsoft skills - including keyboard skills, excel skills, PowerPoint skills.
- Good skills in report writing, auditing and data collection.
Personal and People Development
Essential
- Evidence of professional development and relevant further study.
- Skills in training and supporting junior staff and colleagues.
Responsibilities towards promoting Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Demonstratable understanding of the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and/or Knowledge of the NHS obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duties
Ensure the risk of infection to self, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors is minimised by:
Essential
- Being familiar with, and adhering to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control.
- Completing all required training and education (both via e-learning and face to face) on infection prevention and control.
- Including infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal/professional development and included in your annual appraisal
- Taking personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care associated infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently.
Specific Requirements
Essential
- Ability to work weekdays/ Bereavement on call rota/ Specialist Midwife rota.
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.
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).
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.
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).
Employer details
Employer name
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
University College London Hospital
235 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BU
Employer's website
https://www.uclh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)
