Audit Lead Midwife

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

To develop and implement robust and effective clinical audit programmes which support the compliance framework and fulfil all mandatory requirements for data submissions internal and external to the Trust

To monitor the quality of clinical audit projects in line with the Trust clinical audit policy

To develop and implement directorate wide audit processes that will effectively monitor clinical practice to ensure continuous improvement, compliance, and effectiveness.

To provide expert advice and to promote clinical audit and quality assurance projects at all levels of staff within the Directorate

To facilitate the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), external publications and eternal assessments programmes this will include the associated audit programmes.

To develop and implement processes to effectively monitor clinical practice via care pathways, ensuring continuous improvement, compliance, and effectiveness

To facilitate, support and coordinate a rolling programme of clinical audit projects, evidence-based practice and audit based on maternity priorities and specialty specific requirements.

Utilise information from incidents, complaints and claims to inform the audit programme

Work in partnership with the Consultant Audit Lead and the trust governance and compliance team to ensure that clinical audits required to demonstrate NICE compliance are carried out effectively, ensuring that appropriate action is taken to achieve improvements in the quality of patient care

Where possible staff across all clinical areas should be included in the audit process and the post holder should be aware of any project work being carried out by staff (eg. Florence Nightingale Foundation Fellows) to give support and guidance.

Work in conjunction with the Patient First team to identify and implement transformation and service improvement practices across the organization

Analyse and interpret data in relation to current service practice.

Benchmark data and findings against local and national expectations.

Work autonomously and lead on local, national and external audits.

Development of Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely (SMART) action plans.

To develop an audit template supportive of local, national and external recommendations.

Undertake related governance activities within the maternity services and wider as required.

To lead and co-ordinate the recommendations and action plans of all audits to provide assurance that the maternity services are achieving and working towards continual quality improvements in clinical practice.

Lead on quality assurance of ongoing projects, by monitoring good audit practice and ensuring that audit projects are completed to agreed timescales.

Ensure audit findings are presented to appropriate groups to agree practice improvements and monitor the implementation of agreed changes in practice through re-audits as appropriate.

Delegate selected tasks to other department staff where appropriate. Such as but not limited to data collection, data input and basic data analysis.

Support the production of, written or electronic reports to reflect the outcome of projects, using agreed templates where appropriate.

Support the Trusts participation in National clinical audit projects.

Participate in the provision of quarterly reports

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• oRegistered Midwife with current registration.
• oEducated to degree level or equivalent experience
• oTeaching qualification or equivalent / Mentorship Qualification/ Practice Assessor

Desirable

• oUnderstanding of QI methodology
• oInvolvement in research and audit programme

Experience

Essential

• oAudit of guidelines and compliance
• oA good understanding of current and emerging issues relating maternity and the NHS.
• oKnowledge of specialist areas, e.g.: CQC standards and regulatory requirements, CNST Maternity Incentive Scheme, NHSLA, Ockenden, Better Births etc
• oAbility to lead on quality improvement projects and compliance
• oAbility to prepare and deliver presentations to a group of people.
• oAbility to work as part a multidisciplinary team
• oService development experience, delivering clinical quality improvements and successful service change
• oExperience of working with healthcare clinical IT systems
• oCan demonstrate an understanding of how digital technology can support safer care

Desirable

• oMaternity Services Data Set (MSDS) and ability to apply the finding to improve service delivery.
• Good understanding of digital systems and advances to develop and manage electronic patient records

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• oAbility to work within set timeframes working to priorities and deadlines
• o Ability to monitor the quality of own and others work
• oAble to recognise own limits and work within those limits of competence
• oReport Writing Skills
• oPresentation Skills
• oIT Literate (MS WP/Excel &PowerPoint)
• oChange Management
• oInnovative Practice
• oResearch and Audit
• oAbility to communicate effectively at all levels across the Department and Trust.
• oAbility to communicate effectively, both written and oral

Desirable

• oUnderstanding of QI methodology
• oInvolvement in research and audit programme

Personal Qualities

Essential

• oAbility to demonstrate enthusiasm towards teaching and sharing knowledge.
• oUnderstanding of own knowledge and skills
• oFramework and ability to identify learning needs and interest
• oAbility to self-reflect, carry out tasks of own job and identify learning needs and interests
• oAbility to take an active role in agreed learning activities and keeps a record of them
• oDemonstrates a greater understanding of learning needs and evidence of facilitation skills
• oMotivated to working by self or with others: guided by professional principles and set defined parameters
• oThe ability to communication with patients in an empathetic manner.
• oCan demonstrate an enthusiastic, approachable and friendly manner.

Trust Values

Essential

• oDemonstrable ability to meet Trust values

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).