Saving Babies Lives Midwife

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The aim of this role is to build on the current practice of achieving healthy birth outcomes for babies who are born at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust Maternity Unit.

The post holder will lead on monitoring compliance with the trust guidelines around Saving Babies Lives and to facilitate a program aimed at equipping midwives and obstetricians to increase their knowledge and competence in identifying fetal well-being, potential fetal compromise and actual fetal compromise in all clinical settings whilst improving clinical decision making.

Develop staff’s awareness in recognizing factors that could contribute to misinterpretation of cardiotocography (CTGs) and impaired clinical decision making.

Ensure staff are assessing fetal well-being in the context of the woman's health, pregnancy, gestation and stage of labour. Ensuring that when women attend with fetal movement concerns an appropriate review is carried out and management plan completed.

The post holder will develop midwives' competence in undertaking intelligent intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart in low risk women as per the Trust and NICE guidelines. Ensure staff can intelligently auscultate the fetal heart in labour in the midwifery led unit and at home, and increase confidence in staff in auscultating the fetal heart intermittently with the use of Fresh Ears process.

Support staff in enhancing their skills in reducing risk within clinical practice, including consideration of preterm birth and administration of antenatal steroids and appropriate treatment for fetal neuroprotection.

Take a lead role in supporting the development of a safety culture within the context of resource constraints and multiple conflicting priorities.

Facilitate staff in developing and applying reflective practice skills.

Review and support with current training packages and educational resources. In partnership with the Practice Facilitator Midwife and Clinical Practice Facilitator Midwife, Obstetricians, Clinical Preceptor Support Midwives, HEIs and local training and education boards/ networks; develop creative ways of learning by building on what currently works well and be innovative in using opportunities and different methods/ways to improve learning.

Work in collaboration with the Matrons, Labour Ward coordinators, Obstetricians, Clinical Preceptor Support Midwives, Practice Facilitator Midwife and Clinical Practice Facilitator Midwife, Lucina manager, Community Midwifery manager and team leaders and midwives.

To report and provide constructive feedback on a regular basis, whilst identifying and disseminating learning from audits, outcomes, practice and teaching sessions.

Working with the intrapartum lead Consultants, Consultant Midwife, Modern Matron for Intrapartum services, Lucina Birth Centre manager, Community Matron and Manager, and the Clinical Preceptor Support Midwives to continue to provide comprehensive training and competency testing to give assurance that all staff responsible for fetal assessment and wellbeing are competent.

Act as a role model demonstrating clinical leadership and midwifery expertise.

The key functions of this role are to:

• Together with the Practice Development Midwife and the Lead Obstetrician provide assurance to Maternity senior leadership team regarding compliance with SBLCB and escalating any challenges in achieving compliance.
• Ensure the delivery of and provide support with current training packages and educational resources in partnership with the Practice Development Midwife, Women’s and Children’s Risk Manager, Obstetricians and local training and education boards/networks to develop creative ways of learning by building on what works well currently and innovatively utilise opportunities and different methods/ways to improve learning.
• Working with the Consultant, Labour Ward Lead Consultant and labour Ward manager, Team Leaders, Midwives and Obstetricians to continue to provide comprehensive training and competency assessment to give assurance of the skills and knowledge of all staff responsible for fetal assessment and wellbeing.
• Ensure all elements of CNST Safety Action 6 are met in line with SBLCB V3 recommendations working closely with the Women’s and Children’s Risk Manager in demonstrating compliance.
• Act as a clinical role model for effective clinical leadership enabling and facilitating others to take forward initiatives to achieve the implementation of the SBLCB.

Key Result Areas and Performance

1. Act as a clinical role model for effective clinical leadership enabling and facilitating others to take forward initiatives around the Saving Babies Lives care bundle with particular emphasis around fetal monitoring.
2. Work collaboratively with other professional groups to maximise development opportunities and inter - professional learning opportunities
3. Maximise opportunities to share good practices and innovations with colleagues locally and nationally.
4. Lead on audit of competency to provide an assurance of implementation of each element of the care bundle, identifying areas of good practice and improvements required to achieve full compliance.
5. Identify own training and professional development needs to maintain clinical credibility
6. Influence and nurture positive attitudes and behaviours within the teams and wider multidisciplinary team.
7. Liaise with the Group Director of Midwifery, W&C Risk Manager, and Ward/Unit Managers, to identify the development and training needs around RFM, fetal monitoring and PReCePT within designated clinical areas according to individual needs and service requirements.
8. Provide midwifery expertise, ensuring all staff are supported in their practice including midwives and obstetricians in training, in line with the Trust’s Training Needs Analysis policy.
9. Support the Clinical Preceptor Support Midwives in the development and implementation of preceptorship programmes for newly appointed staff.
10. Promote and facilitate the implementation of clinical supervision as a vehicle for practice and staff development throughout the Trust.
11. Participate in curriculum development and joint professional development activities with other agencies e.g. Learning and Development Department, Coventry University, CCG to maximise learning opportunities
12. Participate in regular performance and personal development reviews and work to achieve agreed objectives.

Research and Practice Development

1. Promote research/evidence based practice and audit outcomes to inform clinical practice and set clinical standards.
2. Instigate or contribute to research initiatives and clinical audit programs as appropriat

Management of Resources

1. Promote a culture where staff are valued, supported and deliver high quality care
2. Understand, manage and be accountable for the use of resources in a cost effective way
3. Participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff.
4. Actively support the Improving Working Lives initiatives within the Department and across the Trust

Quality Management

1. Facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and audit of nursing/midwifery policies, protocols, guidelines and standards ensuring that they meet current practice and professional regulations.
2. Act as a resource for staff to access and raise awareness of national and local policies that will impact upon them and affect the delivery of patient care
3. Ensure that quality standards are set and monitored and that clinical risk management and clinical audit are an integral part of practice developments.
4. Facilitate the implementation of national and local quality initiatives to improve service delivery e.g.

• Implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Version 3 Care bundle
• Maternity Safety Improvement Plan
• CNST Safety Standards
• The Trust Strategy
• Maternity Skills and Drills

5. Establish effective communication and good working relationships with multi-professional colleagues within the Trust to support effective service delivery.

General

1. The post holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information relating to
   patients, staff and other Health Services business.
2. All staff must be familiar with section 2 of the Health and Safety Policy. This document sets out the responsibilities of all staff for health and safety, whether in a supervisory capacity or not. Policy section 3 (Arrangements for Health and Safety) provides an overview of training for competence in health and safety matters.
3. All staff need basic working knowledge of risk management to enable them to participate in the identification of and control of all business risks that they encounter in their area of work.
4. The Trust has a clear commitment to equal opportunities and it is the duty of every employee to comply within the detail of the policy.
5. The Trust is responsible for ensuring that the service provided for patients in its care meets the highest standards. Equally the Trust is responsible for ensuring that staff do not abuse their official position for personal gain or to benefit their family or friends. The Trust’s standing orders require any officer to declare any interest, direct or indirect with any contract involving the Trust. Staff are not allowed to further their private interests in the course of their NHS duties.
6. The Working Time Regulations 1998 require that you should not work more than an average of 48 hours in each week. For example, in a 26- week period you should not work more than 1248 hours.
7. The above duties and responsibilities are intended to represent current priorities and are not meant to be a complete list. The post holder may from time to time be asked to undertake other reasonable duties and responsibilities. Any changes will be made in discussion with the post holder according to service needs.
8. You will be required to form part of the on call escalation policy and participate in on calls for the maternity unit.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description