Maternity Matron

Job responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

Leadership & Consultancy

• Provide effective clinical and professional leadership acting as a role model for all staff within the maternity service at Whiston Hospital.
• Develop and support mechanisms to guide and empower all staff in developing and strengthening leadership skills and meeting the responsibilities of their role.
• Actively work to support and empower all staff to develop and utilise clinical leadership skills, audit skills, and risk reporting, ensuring they are supported in appropriate levels of authority to undertake their role effectively in an accountable manner.
• Ensure effective communication systems, written, verbal and the use of Information Technology is embedded in the maternity service.
• Liaise with all support services and departments to ensure they and the organisational cultures are meeting the needs of clients in the clinical areas.
• Facilitate and negotiate change and new ways of working where necessary to support new care delivery process within the directorate.
• Lead on a key area of midwifery policy or practice as part of a midwifery team as required by the findings of the regular audits of practice.
• Represent the department or directorate at professional and academic fora.
• Ensure that national guidance which as a minimum is required at external assessment is considered by the multidisciplinary team
• Engage in clinical effectiveness reviews to support the work of the department/care group in ensuring that the criteria from the maternity safety standards are implemented within the department/care group.
• Work in close collaboration with the multidisciplinary team to deliver a safe and effective service

Management

• Provide line management for the clinical/midwifery teams as required within the service.
• Facilitate the effective deployment and co-ordination and rotation of staff within the directorate. Advising on the day-to-day allocation of midwifery resources with other maternity matrons to ensure an effective service.
• Maintenance of midwifery establishments and implementation of changes following review.
• Ensure that there are effective systems and processes in place for monitoring and utilisation of bank and agency utilisation, monitoring quality and spend to ensure these meet the needs of the service.
• Monitor sickness and absence ensuring appropriate action is taken with the Trusts policy and guidelines.
• To attend Senior Midwifery Meetings.
• To contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust through membership of corporate meetings, taking the lead as directed
• To contribute to budget setting and business planning decisions of the directorate ensuring that midwifery budgets are effectively managed contributing to the achievement of financial balance in the directorate.
• Implement annual, individual performance review and appraisal for all clinical midwifery staff responsible to this post-holder.
• Ensure that staff development enables career progression and succession planning.
• To contribute effectively to service developments both within the directorate and at strategic levels if required ensuring that current and planned services are properly co-ordinated.
• To support the Head of Midwifery in the development of workforce strategy and plans by regularly undertaking skill mix reviews to ensure that the midwifery resource is maximised to best effect
• To deputise for the Head of Midwifery as required.
• Implementation and use of electronic rostering tool.
• Ensure there is effective and appropriate utilisation of HR staff management policies to maintain and achieve a proactive approach to recruitment and retention.
• Ensure KPIs and standards are met, improved, monitored and actions completed
• Advise on the purchase of equipment including prioritisation of equipment requirements within the department.
• Contribute to innovative solutions to workforce delivery and working in new ways to meet the needs of the client group.
• Contribute to and promote a culture that values all staff recognising and acknowledging achievement and success whilst positively addressing poor performance.
• Ensure all midwives comply with NMC regulations and work within their scope of practice.
• Validate changes in roles and practice ensuring changes are in line with key policy initiatives and care group business plans.
• Participate in the senior midwives bleep holder rota to be in charge and take the helicopter view of the maternity servic

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provision of professional leadership, motivation and supervision to ensure high standards of patient care.
• Act as a role model that will involve a clinical commitment when required
• When on duty to attend and review staffing levels and relevant clinical concerns highlighted by shift leader.
• To ensure professional midwifery advice and support is provided using the expertise of other midwifery specialists where appropriate.
• To support all grades of staff but in particular the shift coordinators/ward managers in resolving clinical and operational issues.
• Facilitate and support shift coordinators/ward managers to develop effective working relationships with the multi-disciplinary team to enhance the care and management of patients.
• Ensure all investigations into complaints/litigation/adverse events are completed and within agreed time-scales.
• Maintain own clinical/professional competence and credibility. Utilise clinical sessions to role model standards of care and expected behaviour, to measure agreed standards of midwifery practice, and gain additional accessibility to both clients/families and members of staff.
• Provide a visible presence in clinical areas and be accessible to women/families and staff, ensuring all women and staff have the opportunity to seek information, help and support or to communicate problematic or celebratory issues.
• Work closely with the multidisciplinary maternity team to ensure robust audit, action planning and change management to minimise, strengthen measures to prevent and control riskEncourage an awareness of learning from incidents, claims and complaints

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with the Human Resources & Organisational Development Department and the Senior Nurses for Practice Development to develop training programmes which ensure continual professional development.
• Work with ward/department managers and the Practice Development Midwife (PDM) to identify current and future training and development needs of the workforce.
• Ensure the clinical environment is conducive to teaching, education, training and development for all staff and students.
• Work with the wider matron team to ensure all staff are compliant with corporate and clinical mandatory training days including those elements identified in the training needs analysis
• Take responsibility for personal and professional development, participating in the Trust appraisal system.
• Contribute and participate in Trust wide professional development programmes.
• Ensure effective systems are in place to monitor and remind midwives regarding professional registration and revalidation.
• Develop and contribute to departmental teachings and education programs

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• Support the managers and teams to assess, monitor and evaluate Midwifery care provided through the use of standards and audit and that appropriate action has been taken when required.
• Support staff in identifying, applying and disseminating research findings.
• Contribute to clinical audit and research projects ensuring compliance with research governance.
• Ensure that wherever possible clinical practice is evidence based and auditable.
• Ensure that all actions identified as an outcome of audits are monitored implemented and embedded. Ensuring where appropriate evidence is available

KEY PROCESSES

• In collaboration with the maternity team ensure that key targets are achieved in line with local and national standards.
• Ensure that the quality of services delivered are part of the maternity services strategy to improving performance and the client experience.
• Assist the Head of Midwifery in the development of the strategic direction and vision for the service in line with corporate vision, objectives and nursing and midwifery strategy.
• Ensure integrated working across the full multidisciplinary team across agencies both internal and external to the organisation.
• Assist in the development and implementation of long term maternity service objectives through effective, affordable and achievable action plans.
• Contribute to sound financial management specifically through the management of temporary staffing and agency usage.
• Act in a manner to consistently support equality & diversity in all interactions
• To ensure that lessons learnt and changes to clinical practice from RCAs Trust wide are communicated throughout the directorate and acted upon.
• Have a responsibility to ensure all information processed for patients and staff is kept confidential, accurate and in line with the data protection act 1998 and Caldecott policy

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Midwife
• Evidence of post registration education
• Evidence of Degree level study or willingness to work towards
• Management/ Leadership qualification

Desirable

• Masters' qualification or evidence of working towards

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• An in-depth understanding of all aspects of evidence-based midwifery practice
• Evidence of substantial midwifery leadership and managerial experience.
• Able to demonstrate significant personal involvement in change management
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the National vision for Maternity services and the wider health service
• Ability to influence and work across professional boundaries
• Knowledge of current Midwifery agenda and national recommendations.
• Ability to demonstrate a wide range of midwifery experience
• Demonstrable evidence of continuous quality improvement
• Experience of conflict management
• An understanding of confidentiality issues.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively all levels in a sensitive manner.
• Effective leadership skills
• Excellent communication, written, verbal and IT skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to engage and build effective relationships
• Ability to present to large groups of people
• Evidence of excellent report writing skills
• Experience of teaching / facilitating learning various settings
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills
• Proven ability to negotiate, persuade, influence, motivate, support and gain the respect of other health professionals
• Able to apply action learning and other methods to facilitate staff development
• Able to work within a given resource and demonstrate imaginative and effective use of resources

Other

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Ability to work without supervision and use own initiative
• Ability to support reflective practice
• Ability to work flexibly and manage competing priorities
• Ability to work as a team member
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with people from a range of personal /professional settings

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).