Ward Manager - Labour Ward

We are looking for a midwife with experience in all aspects of maternity care who is enthusiastic, self-motivated and committed to the provision of a high quality service and has excellent leadership skills.

You will have the drive and initiative to ensure that Consultant and Midwifery Led care is optimally provided to the women who choose to have their babies within the Maternity Unit.

The post holder will support the Deputy Head of Midwifery in maintaining and improving high standards of care and achieving safety and governance objectives across Women and Children's Services

The post holder will:
Provide professional and managerial leadership to all staff working in the
delivery suite.

To support midwives to develop, update and extend their practice within the Labour Suite and Obstetric Theatre.

Demonstrate excellence in clinical practice, ward management, providing
leadership while fulfilling a caring and teaching function.

Co-ordinate shifts on a Labour Ward.

Ensure availability of adequate resources for effective intrapartum care.

Assist in the setting, development and monitoring of standards and policies
and to ensure services meet the changing needs of obstetric and midwifery
practice.

Demonstrate effective leadership and management skills and promote a
proactive approach to

To be an expert midwifery practitioner working flexibly throughout the
Maternity Service within the current shift system.

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4 th in the country for recommended place to work.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Quality

To provide clinical leadership, giving advice and support to staff as required
and acting as patients' advocate at all times.

To monitor and evaluate clinical standards within the department ensuring that clinical practices are evidence based and benchmarked against best practice locally, regionally and nationally.

To undertake and oversee Datix reports in your department, demonstrating
what lessons have been learnt through quality improvements made.

To ensure multi-disciplinary clinical audit is embedded at ward level, ensuring that patient care reflects the Trust's quality strategy, and that it meets clinical governance standards.

To ensure that all care programmes are accurately documented and that the standard of record keeping reflects the NMC and Trust guidelines for records and record keeping.

To work with staff to resolve problems for patients and their relatives and
facilitate prompt remedial action where this is required ensuring staff develops the required skills to manage complaints.

To liaise with the Head of Midwifery and department operational managers to ensure lessons learnt from complaints and feedback inform relevant
governance processes

Management

Ensure Labour Ward Co-ordinators have adequate support to enable them to focus on their core responsibilities.

To monitor midwifery staffing levels and discuss the impact that exceptions
may have on the delivery of safe care with the Deputy / Head of Midwifery

To investigate and take corrective actions following untoward incidents,
accidents and complaints, in accordance with Trust policies and procedures
and in collaboration with the Trust Governance Lead, and where applicable the client.

To ensure the department's responsibility with regards to the Trust's Being
Open and Duty of Candour Policy are met, and leading on the Duty of Candour Communication as appropriate.

To ensure a debrief session and appropriate support is arranged for staff
following any serious incident.

To ensure that all staff adheres to Trust policies and procedures at all times.

This includes staff compliance of all health and safety policies and the Data
Protection Act 1974, which relates to electronically stored personal data.

To participate in disciplinary cases with the Deputy / Head of Midwifery,
investigating issues/concerns and taking actions as necessary.

To develop good working relationships with other ward / departments /
agencies within and outside the Trust, ensuring that all stakeholders
understand, respect and recognise the Trusts philosophy and operational
policies.

To provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence in the maternity unit to whom patients and their families can turn to for assistance, advice and support.

Participate in the corporate development of patient care, working with the Head of Midwifery to produce lasting and positive change.

To participate in reviewing, developing and supporting the workforce through the appraisal system.

To participate in the recruitment, selection and retention of staff.

Research and Service Development

To participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of the
maternity unit's strategic and business plan.

To understand new health care related developments ensuring that midwifery practice is evidence based, cost effective and regularly benchmarked against best practice.

To understand all national initiatives and assist in the implementation in order to influence patient care and service delivery.

To be aware of and support local research projects as applicable
Corporate Governance / Risk Management

To develop, implement and monitor systems to manage risk in the clinical area which will include the collection and analysis of statistical data.

To receive incident report forms and initiate the investigation into each incident in line with the Trust's Incident Management Policy, using root cause analysis techniques where applicable.

To ensure the Head of Midwifery and the Trust Patient Safety Manager are
informed of all serious incidents which require investigation in line with Trust policy and report these using the systems in place.

To assist the Head of Midwifery in undertaking appropriate investigations of serious incidents and developing action plans where appropriate to support changes in practice

To ensure lessons learned from incidents and complaints, and examples of
best practice are shared widely.

To ensure the departmental training needs are met thus ensuring compliance with national and local standards.

To ensure that risk management and governance processes are embedded in the department culture.

To maintain service delivery and quality standards, whilst ensuring that
equipment in service and staff practice comply with health and safety standards at all times.

To review Confidential Enquiry Reports and other National guidance and
ensure recommendations are integrated into department policies and
guidelines.

To participate in the development of policies and guidelines within the Women's and Children's services.

To represent the Maternity Department at external meetings as appropriate to the role.

Professional

To be an expert midwifery practitioner working flexibly throughout the maternity service within the current shift system.

Accepting professional responsibility for continuity and uniformity in the provision of maternity care which is of the highest standard.

Keeping up to date with clinical and professional developments and enabling staff to contribute to proposals and change in practice.

Contributing professional expertise to the formulation and setting of local
procedures and practices which are evidence based.

Maintain accurate records.

Undertaking specific responsibilities relating to clinical development as defined by the Head of Midwifery.

To act as a good role model at all times

To monitor professional and staff performance and review practices to achieve high standards of midwifery care.

To assist in the setting of standards and to monitor systems to ensure set
standards are met.

To evaluate the impact and results of new policies, procedures and practices.

To promote evidence based midwife led care and promote safe birth

To promote a positive and supportive culture in the workplace, able to challenge negative behaviours

To promote dignity and equality and value diversity in patients and staff

To provide dynamic and visionary leadership, giving expert, professional
advice, guidance and support to staff and service users.

To challenge traditional boundaries and introduce new ways of working if
applicable.

To maintain responsibility for personal and professional development of self, enhancing individual performance to deliver organisational objectives,
maintain valid NMC registration and practise in accordance with NMC.

Do you want to work at a maternity unit that has a CQC rating of outstanding/good within a Trust that has been rated outstanding? If so, we'd love to hear from you ….

Excellent Midwives can make such a difference to what is one of the most life changing experiences. We know that our Maternity Department would not be the success it is today without the great midwives that work for us. Because of this success we are growing and we are pleased to offer fabulous opportunities for leaders to join our team.

3000 babies a year are born at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and we are proud to have been at the fore front of successful service improvements and developments including work with the Department of Health, the Kings Fund (as part of the Improving Safety in Maternity Services Project), implementing Better Birth, the Baby Friendly Initiative and local charities and support groups.

We have an exciting opportunity to offer maternity leave cover for the Labour Ward Manager within the Maternity Services.